“That’s the other thing. Once I think Henri’s awake, I’ll text her and find out if she can take me, instead.”
“Instead of me?” This was going to be bad, very bad.
“You and I don’t need to be riding in a truck together for more than an hour, knowing what waits at the end. Then you’ll drive home alone, on icy roads, in a terrible mood. That’s dangerous.”
“No, it’s not. I’ll be fine.”
“Matt, I want Henri to take me. It’ll be easier on—”
“You? Because don’t assume it’ll be easier on me. I don’t want to give up a single second with you. So what if I have to tell you goodbye at the end of the drive? At least we’d have that time together!” He let go of her hand and stood.
She sat up. “I guess you’re stronger than I am, because that drive would be pure torture for me.”
He could barely see her face in the pale light, but that was better. He’d cherish the way she’d looked at him last night and block out this moment when, out of the blue, she’d brought everything to a screeching halt.
“I certainly don’t want to torture you.” His heart pounded and his ears buzzed. “I guess that’s it, then.” He grabbed his phone, his coat and his hat. “Have a nice life.” Not bothering to put on his coat or hat, he opened the door and welcomed the embrace of the frigid air. Maybe it would freeze him solid. What a relief.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Lucy spent Saturday night and all day Sunday in suspended animation. She’d always been told that time could heal even the deepest wounds. She was in agony, but thirty-six hours might not be enough time to get over Matt. Would thirty-six weeks do the trick? Thirty-six months?
She hoped it wasn’t years. But it had been years last time, and even then, she hadn’t made a full recovery. She might be in for a long, rocky road.
The first step was getting this new job. Last week she’d emailed her resignation to her previous agency. Her boss had accepted it without questioning her, which likely meant that Kurt had suggested handling it that way. He must be delighted that she’d chosen to quit.
The cheerful outer office of the agency she hoped to work for brightened her mood. Several large prints of a well-known California artist decorated the walls. The images were pleasant and engaging, seashore-themed, mostly. She’d never been moved to buy any of the guy’s art, but it worked well for office décor.
The receptionist’s smile was open and friendly. “Please have a seat. Jennifer will be with you in a moment.”
“Thanks.” Lucy sat in one of the brightly colored, sleek chairs. “Someone must be really fond of this artist’s work.”
“We sure are. He’s one of our best clients.”
“Excuse me?”
“We’ve been designing marketing campaigns for him for years. He’s a sweetheart. I’m so happy for him that he’s found this level of success.”
“For years.” Lucy stared at the images. They were familiar because she’d seen them everywhere—on notecards, picture puzzles, T-shirts, even on the sides of buses. “Then he wasn’t well-known when you started working with him?”
“Not at all. It wasn’t that he was a terrible artist. Clearly his art has mass appeal, but he didn’t know how to tap into that. Not many creative people do.”
Lucy got to her feet and turned in a circle, studying every image. “I am such an idiot.”
“Pardon?”
She faced the receptionist. “I want to cancel my appointment with Jennifer.”
“But it’ll only be a few more—”
“No, seriously, I don’t need to see her. At all. I’ll send her an email to explain, but… I have to go.” She bolted from the office.
* * *
Matt paced the arrivals area of Great Falls International. If this was the miracle he’d been praying for since Saturday morning, then hallelujah. But he didn’t trust it. This was only Tuesday and Lucy couldn’t possibly have had a change of heart that fast.
If their last night together hadn’t caused her to rethink her position, then nothing would. And yet she’d texted him with her arrival time and mentioned she had something exciting to tell him.
If she was anyone else, he’d question her behavior. Unbalanced people had dramatic mood swings and abrupt turnarounds like this. But Lucy wasn’t unbalanced.
He’d run through several possibilities. She’d won the lottery. She’d inherited a boatload of money from a rich relative. She’d found an antique or painting worth millions in an estate sale.
How any of those could have taken place since Saturday was a complete mystery, though. Nothing made sense, but she’d come walking toward him any second now. His pulse rate was over the top and his stomach jumpy as hell.
There she was. When she spotted him, she started to run, her carry-on slapping against one side and her leather satchel swinging from her other shoulder as she dodging around other passengers. He stepped as close to the security line as he was allowed.
“I love you!” She threw herself into his arms, banging his hip with the carry-on and knocking off his hat.
He didn’t feel a thing except warm woman and enthusiastic kisses. Heaven couldn’t be any better than this. Gradually he divested her of the carry-on without losing his connection with her sweet mouth.
At last she came up for air and gazed at him, her eyes shining with happiness. ‘I love you.”
“I love you, too. Why are you—”
“Where’s your hat?”
“Who cares?”
“I have it, son.” An older gentleman stood nearby holding it. “It’s a fine hat. I decided to stay here and hang onto it until you two young folks stopped kissing. You don’t want to lose a perfectly good hat.”
Matt kept a tight hold on Lucy with one hand and accepted the hat with the other. “Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome. Long separation?”
He nodded. “Very long. Felt like forever.”
“It sure did.” Lucy smiled at the guy. “But all’s well that ends well. We’ll be getting married.”
Matt gasped. “We will?”
“Unless you don’t want to.” She didn’t look worried about it.
“Of course I want to, but—”
“We need to talk. I have so much to tell you.”
“Then I’ll leave you to it.” The older man clapped Matt on the shoulder and gave Lucy a friendly pat. “Congratulations to you both. I don’t know either of you at all, but I have a gut feeling you’ll be very happy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go fetch my luggage from the carousel.”
“Thanks, again,” Matt called after him. Then he glanced at Lucy. “Do you have luggage besides this?”
“Not this trip. It would have taken too long to pack everything up. I’ll go back later and do that. I just had to see you face-to-face to give you the news.”
“You came into money?”
“Even better. I know how to make money. With my art.”
“But you said—”
“That it was a hopeless grind, and it can be if you don’t know how to market your work. But guess what? I have a degree in marketing.”
He stared at her. “You could promote yourself?”
“And who better to do that? You know that dismal scenario I gave you before? That was an accurate assessment then, before I’d taken all those courses on advertising and promotion. Now, with my ninja marketing skills, I can promo the hell out of my work. And make money.”
“But does it work for something like art?”
‘Sure does.” Her smile lit up her entire face. “I saw a stunning example of it when I went for my interview on Monday. And the penny dropped. I should have seen it before now, but for so long I’ve put art in a separate category from other products. It’s not.”
“Are you absolutely sure about this? Apple Grove is not L.A. The Apple Festival in the fall is the most exciting thing we have going.”
“I am sure about this. I already have a ton of product to
sell and I can’t wait to make more. As for excitement around here, there’s a lot more than the Apple Festival.”
“What else?”
“You and me, buster. Living the dream, somewhere close to the Buckskin, raising horses, making art, making money, making love and maybe someday if you want, making babies. Are you in?”
He put on his hat so he could wrap both arms around her. “I was in at seventeen. Now I’m so far in you’ll never get rid of me.”
“Then let’s kiss on it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He lowered his head and brushed his mouth gently over hers. “And then let’s go home.”
* * *
Coming April 2020!
Wrangler Jake Lassiter’s heart is on the line in BIG-HEARTED COWBOY, book two in the Buckskin Brotherhood series!
Jake craves the Buckskin Ranch’s spunky housekeeper, Millie Jones, but telling her is out of the question. She’s the kind of gal who deserves a happily-ever-after. He’s not the kind of guy who can give her one.
Trouble is, his heart doesn’t want to listen to reason, especially after another cowboy sets his sights on Millie.
But Wait, There’s More!
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Praise for Vicki’s cowboy series
“Vicki Lewis Thompson has a reputation for putting enough sizzle between the pages to actually create steam.”
Fresh Fiction
“This modern cowboy tale expertly balances sex and emotion with a touch of humor. It’s one of the hottest western romances of the year!”
RT Book Reviews
“Once again Ms. Thompson’s writing is crisp and straightforward, with an uncanny ability to weave the beautiful western landscape of the Grand Tetons into the storyline. Overall a hot, sexy read.”
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Also by Vicki Lewis Thompson
The McGavin Brothers Complete Series
A Cowboy’s Strength
A Cowboy’s Honor
A Cowboy’s Return
A Cowboy’s Heart
A Cowboy’s Courage
A Cowboy’s Christmas
A Cowboy’s Kiss
A Cowboy’s Luck
A Cowboy’s Charm
A Cowboy’s Challenge
A Cowboy’s Baby
A Cowboy’s Holiday
A Cowboy’s Choice
A Cowboy’s Worth
A Cowboy’s Destiny
A Cowboy’s Secret
A Cowboy’s Homecoming
Wild About You
Werewolf in Manhattan
Werewolf in the North Woods
Werewolf in Seattle
Werewolf in Denver
Werewolf in Alaska
Werewolf in Las Vegas
The Nerd Series
Nerd in Shining Armor
The Nerd Who Loved Me
Nerd Gone Wild
Gone with the Nerd
Talk Nerdy to Me
Nerds Like It Hot
My Nerdy Valentine
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Vicki Lewis Thompson’s love affair with cowboys started with the Lone Ranger, continued through Maverick, and took a turn south of the border with Zorro. She views cowboys as the Western version of knights in shining armor, rugged men who value honor, honesty and hard work. Fortunately for her, she lives in the Arizona desert, where broad-shouldered, lean-hipped cowboys abound. Blessed with such an abundance of inspiration, she only hopes that she can do them justice.
Connect with Vicki online!
VickiLewisThompson.com
[email protected]
Sweet-Talking Cowboy (The Buckskin Brotherhood Book 1) Page 18