Love Again (Cowboys & Angels 4)

Laughing, he pulled my body against his. “I mean, Tripp asked her to dinner and all of a sudden you’re shopping in her store. Seems fishy.”

“Do you not see the adorable dress I have on, Jonathon Turner?”

His eyes drifted over my body again. “I see it, and it does look amazing on you.”

“Well, Mallory helped me pick it out. I may have her a question or two. She knows who I am and that I’m Tripp’s older sister.”

“And does she also know you had motives for shopping at her store other than just buying a dress?”

“I bought three dresses.”

“Three?”

“What? I like her! A lot. And she’s a single mom and all of that. I felt like it was my duty to buy a few dresses. She also caught on pretty quick that I was on a recon mission to find out about her. She ended up inviting me to get an ice cream cone with her and her adorable daughter, Anna.”

“So, do you approve?”

I nodded as Jonathan guided me away from the sliding glass door and locked it.

“I like her, but she’s not Harley. The opposite, actually.” I pointed to the breakfast casserole I had put on the island. “Will you grab that?”

Jonathon picked up the dish and said, “Maybe Harley isn’t what Tripp wants, or even needs.”

Sighing, I laced my fingers with his. “Maybe. It will be interesting to see where this goes.”

“Just keep out of it, Waylynn. You didn’t like your brothers getting into our business. Don’t do the same thing to them.”

I crossed my heart. “I promise I won’t meddle…much.”

Jonathon chuckled. “Why do I feel like that is a half-hearted promise.”

“I have two concerns. One is that Tripp might lead this girl on, and that wouldn’t be cool. Not when she has a three-year-old who he might be a part of our world if things progress. And my second worry is that this girl is only looking for security.”

“You think that?”

Pausing a few seconds, I replied, “No. She seems pretty independent, and it’s clear she’s smart and knows what she’s doing. Her shop is the talk of Oak Springs.”

“There’s a but in there.”

I nodded as we walked toward Jonathon’s truck. “I get a weird feeling about her. Like she’s hiding something. I mean, seriously, what would make a woman like that come to Oak Springs, Texas, and open a business?”

“The town is growing a lot and the more we grow, the more tourists will come.”

Jonathon opened the passenger door and held my hand as I got into the truck. He carefully made sure that my dress was tucked in before handing me the dish.

“Are you sure you’re not overthinking this, Waylynn?”

Shrugging my shoulders, I frowned. “There is a good possibility I am.”

He tossed his head back and laughed. “This is why I love you.”

Another quick kiss and he shut the door. My heart hammered while I watched him walk around the truck. It wasn’t like I had never had a man tell me he loved me, but when Jonathon said the words, it was more than butterflies in my stomach. My whole body felt it, deep into my soul.

Once he got into the truck and we took off down the gravel road that led to my parents’ house, he started talking again.

“I understand, though, what you mean by Hope. She contacted me about remodeling the kitchen and bathrooms in her house.”

“Really?”

“Yep. At first I thought I was wasting my time. I couldn’t possibly see how a single mom who just opened a business could afford to remodel her kitchen and three bathrooms, but she gave me a letter from the bank stating she had the funds to cover the expenses.”

“You mean that she was approved for a loan?”

Jonathon looked at me. “No. She actually had the cash in the bank. I mean, I get that the same thing happened with you, but hell, I knew you were married to a millionaire. This girl doesn’t look like someone who just left New York City with a lot of cash in pocket. The house isn’t huge. Just one of the old historical ones a few blocks from where Corina’s place is. It needs updating, so I’m sure she got it for a great price. But, still…I have to admit, it had me curious.”

“Huh. Well, we could always have Bethany do a story on her.”

Jonathon grunted. “Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I have no idea why she called me. I haven’t been in contact with her at all.”

I took his hand in mine. “It was a bitch move, but I’m not questioning you about it.”

“She was a bit obsessed with me for awhile. I feel like I need to tell you that, since she called today. I promise she won’t be an issue for us.”

Kissing the back of his hand, I replied, “Jack won’t be an issue either, but I can’t control his moves, like you can’t control Bethany’s.”