Timber Creek (Sierra Falls 2)

She lived in a town full of judgmental biddies. All she needed was for Marlene Jessup to drive back into town, and then it’d be a party.

“Three kids. ” There was no doubt—that had to be her.

So that was how it was. Rob was probably fixing to leave her. Maybe he’d already made the plans. Did everyone at the hardware store know it? Did everyone in town know except for her? She made herself smile, though she feared she probably just looked like she had a screw loose.

That was it, then. Fine. She handed the ladies their check, grinning like a wild woman.

More than ever she needed to keep that grin pasted on her face. Maybe one day it’d turn real. Maybe one day she’d really feel like smiling.

But for now she needed a plan.

Twenty-three

Eddie was getting out of his truck, and as Laura watched him from a distance like this, everyone else faded away. He’d always been one of the best-looking guys in school, but now that he was older…Good Lord, but the man was hot. White T-shirt, faded jeans, tan work boots.

Memories of their kiss had been so unreal in her head, but here he was, in the flesh. She’d known a flicker of such relief in his arms, like she could let go for a second. It was probably just hearing news of Fairview’s scaled-back construction, but still, that fleeting comfort, the momentary feeling of finding something, had haunted her all day.

She’d spent the morning racking her brain for excuses to go see him again or have him out to the lodge. Lucky for her, the History Network guys—hungover, no doubt—had given her the opportunity in the form of a shattered window. She hoped finally to shake this feeling of unreality.

She needed to focus. Regroup. She didn’t want to hurt Eddie and Jack’s business or—God forbid—to take money away from impoverished kids, but surely there was a way to stop Fairview in a way that worked for everyone.

And now, to complicate matters, the president of her old company had been calling, leaving messages saying how he’d fired the wrong person. Hired the wrong vice president. She was the one who’d been right for the job, but he’d been blinded by her no-good ex, Patrick. His apologies were effusive, and he had an offer, too. If she’d come back, he’d double her pay. Healthy stock bonus package. Top-of-the-line insurance, and her whole family could be covered. He was a smart man. He’d caught that her dad had had a stroke, and it didn’t take a genius to deduce what their premiums must’ve been.

Talk about vindication. She still hadn’t taken any of his calls, but the attention only made her more confident she’d be able to solve these problems at home.

A whole other possible future opened itself to her, and it’d given her pause.

In the same way Eddie was giving her pause.

For so long, she’d had it in her head that she was giving up men, and it was a shock to find one preoccupying her thoughts. Surely Eddie didn’t count, though. They’d known each other all their lives.

It wasn’t like she was going to marry the guy or anything. No way. She was accustomed to certain things—nice car, nice restaurants—things that Eddie couldn’t provide.

But they could mess around. Especially now that he’d proven he wasn’t that bad a guy. He’d challenged Fairview on her behalf, and that was something.

He walked through the tavern door, strode to the bar like he owned the place, and slung his tools by a stool on the floor. He scanned the room till he found her, then gave her a smile that was darker and more meaningful than his usual carefree grins. “Hey, darlin’. ”

She felt her face turn red to the roots. “Hi, Eddie. ” He’d been calling her darlin’ since they were teens, but now it was different. Now she knew what it felt like to have him whisper the endearment hot in her ear as she offered her body to him for the taking. She took a steadying breath. “Thanks for coming. I know you’re…busy. ”

And that was when she remembered just one of the many reasons why his hotness had been so far from her mind lately. He’d been busy…at the ranch. The threat to her family’s business.

“You know I’ll always come for you. ” He got a naughty look on his face.

She cleared her throat. “Helen, would you please get Eddie a beer?” She knew she could use a cold one.

“Make it a Coke. Thanks. ” He gave the waitress a genuine smile. “I never drink and work. ”

He went to the window to assess the damage. Opening the sash all the way, he jiggled the screen free and pulled it through to the inside. “Hey, Bear,” he called to her father, sitting in his spot by at bar. “You’re not having the best luck with these screens, are you?”

Bear only grunted.

“You could use this as an opportunity, you know. Finally upgrade to better-insulated windows. They have really good energy-efficient ones now. You get a tax break and everything. ”

Bear grunted again.

“I take that as a no. ” Eddie tilted the screen this way and that. “Well, I’m afraid this is beyond patching. But”—he leaned down, studying the window, knocking at the sash, scraping his thumbnail against the old wood—“the mullion is old, but it’ll be easy enough to pop out the glass and replace it. ”

“Hey, pretty lady. ” Dan appeared at her shoulder, and she had to bite her cheek, seeing his gelled hair and thumb ring through new eyes. “Sorry again. ”