The girl stepped back, tapping a finger against her chin as she swept Ash with an appraising stare. “Blond hair. Blue eyes. New in town... I say, with your style and looks, the guys’ll be flocking all over you in no time. I give you...” She twisted her mouth, looking upward as if there were some magic message written on the tent canvas. “I give you three months, and you’ll be in love... probably less time than that. I guarantee it.”
Ash couldn’t help laughing out loud. She shifted the rabbit to extend her right arm toward the girl. “Fifty bucks says you’re wrong.”
She grinned, accepting the proffered hand in a firm grasp. “Fifty bucks! And if I win, I get to be in your wedding.”
“Sure thing.” Ash looked up to the sky, knowing there was no chance whatsoever of that happening. After all, she’d sworn off men and had no intention of changing her mind. Especially not while she was starting a business.
“Since I’m one of your bridesmaids now, I guess we should know each other’s names.” The girl’s hazel eyes danced and, for a moment, Ash fought a wave of jealousy at her easy, outgoing manner. “I’m Erin Walker.”
“Ash Hendrix. Nice to meet you.” With some reluctance, she handed the rabbit back, watching as Erin placed the beautiful creature in her crate. “She’s adorable, but I don’t need any more responsibilities right now.”
“What about a pet that pretty much takes care of itself?” Erin grabbed her arm before she could respond and dragged her across the tent. “Maybe a turtle? Or how about a cat?”
“A cat?”
Her voice must have sounded wistful, because Erin abruptly changed directions, and Ash found herself staring at perhaps the ugliest animal she’d ever seen.
“We named her Lucky, because someone found her locked in an abandoned house, and we nursed her back to health. She almost died from dehydration, but she’s tough and determined. I know she’s not very pretty, but she’s really sweet.” Erin opened the crate and removed the cat, whose coat was so mottled Ash couldn’t put a name to the color.
“I really don’t need a pet.” Ash said the words to convince herself as much as Erin, attempting to ignore her sympathetic pangs at Lucky’s sad story.
The cat began purring the moment she landed in Ash’s arms, escalating to a motorboat rumble as Ash stroked the fur on her back. Rubbing her head against Ash’s arms, Lucky peered up and released a meow that pulled at her heartstrings and then burrowed against her chest. Ash knew she’d found a kindred spirit—someone who’d known rejection—someone who needed a chance to prove herself—someone who just wanted to love and be loved.
“You’re smitten, aren’t you? I can tell by your face!” Erin clapped her hands together, dancing from one booted foot to the other. “Like I said, you’re bound to fall in love in Romance.”
Ash knew when to wave the white flag. “Fine. I’ll take her, but this doesn’t mean I owe you fifty dollars.”
“Oh no! This doesn’t count for the bet. I intend to be a bridesmaid, remember?”
“I guess Lucky can stay upstairs with me while the construction guys are working downstairs.” She gave the cat a squeeze and the purring amped up another notch. “But it’s going to be chaotic trying to remodel the house and get everything organized and open the restaurant.”
“Ooo! A restaurant? What kind?”
“I’m not sure yet. Something trendy and unique. Maybe a tapas bar. Something with a New York City flair. That’s where I’m from.”
“That sounds awesome—we don’t have anything like that in Romance. I bet people will love it! You know, I never would’ve guessed you’re from New York.” Erin squinted at her. “With your accent, I thought you were from the South somewhere.”
“I grew up in Texas, but I’m a New Yorker now.” Ash slowed her words in a vain attempt to smooth out her Texas twang. “Big city girl all the way.”
“Why would a big city girl want to move to Romance, Oregon?” Erin cocked her head. “I mean, it’s a great place to live, but how did you even find out about it?”
Ash wasn’t ready to divulge the details of her horrible family life. How could she explain to a perfect stranger why she’d never even met her grandmother before she died?
“I’ve been wanting to start my own restaurant for a while now. When my attorney stumbled across this place, I came to visit Romance and fell in love with it. Two months later, here I am.”
“I don’t think I’d ever be brave enough to go off on my own.” Erin’s gaze grew unfocused, as if she were looking right through Ashley. “I know other people who grew up here and left to do bigger and better things, and I used to dream about leaving. But now...” Her smile lit up her face. “Now I realize I want to stay where my family is. I have everything I need right here in Romance.”
“Right. What could be more important than family?” Ash nodded with a forced smile,
though in truth, she had no idea what that would feel like. But I wish I did.
“Wait here. I’ll go get the adoption form.” Erin disappeared, leaving Ash to her thoughts, with Lucky reverberating an accompaniment.
Chapter Two
ADAM WALKER COULDN’T take his eyes off the girl his sister-in-law had cornered in the pet adoption tent. She had to be new. Even though the town had 30,000 residents, he felt confident he knew every person between the ages of twenty and thirty-five. Most had grown up in Romance, but a few young people were beginning to move into the area, especially since the new winery had opened outside of town, providing a boost to the economy.
But this girl was definitely not a long-term resident of Romance. For one thing, the way she was dressed, she definitely looked out of place. She lacked the customary outerwear of every other girl at the fair, and the heels on those boots were anything but practical. She looked like she’d be more at home on the cover of a magazine than a fair in downtown Romance. Besides, there’s no way he would’ve forgotten a face like hers. Even from a distance, her crystal blue eyes sparkled like gems. Tendrils of blond hair escaped from her braid, adorning curls framing her face. Tight pants accentuated shapely legs, topped with a bright red coat, cinched at the waist with a belt. Her tall-heeled boots didn’t hide the fact that she was tiny. At over six feet, he’d wager he was nine or ten inches taller. And something about her diminutive stature made him feel she needed a body guard, a job for which he was compelled to volunteer. Not that she needed protection in peaceful Romance, but that didn’t lessen the urge.