She slid her smooth, pale arms around his middle, and he hoped that she’d put on sunscreen before she’d left home. He’d ask her when they arrived at the ranch. It would be a shame to see her milky-white skin burned by the sun. He eased out of the parking spot and approached the exit. When traffic was clear, he turned onto one of the back streets to avoid the floats and extra traffic on Main and made his way toward the farm-to-market road that led out to the Divine Creek Ranch. He couldn’t ever recall anticipating such a short ride as she scooted even closer and pressed her body against his.
Chapter Five
“Well, would you look at that,” Rosemary Garner said with a giggle as they caught up to the three Harleys cruising down FM 709. “Seth Carter has got Jayne on the back of his motorcycle.”
“Who?” Evan asked as he drove down the road, headed toward the Divine Creek Ranch.
“Jayne Sheridan. Grace and Charity’s cousin. She moved here from Houston in February. Remember, I told you she was—”
“Oh, that’s right. The librarian?” Wes supplied from his seat beside her.
Rosemary nodded. “She’s kind of shy. I’m surprised he got her on there.”
“I’m glad he had a helmet for her,” Evan said. “Seth’s a pretty good guy. Good tattoo artist, too,” he growled as he flexed his bicep for her, showing off the black tribal tattoo Seth had done for him a couple of months before. Rosemary made like she was going to take a bite.
Evan chuckled. “Hungry, Rosie Posie?”
Rubbing her slightly queasy stomach, she shook her head negatively and took a sip from her water bottle.
Wes leaned forward and looked at her with concerned green eyes. “You okay?” Wes was always the first to notice when any little thing bothered her.
Rosemary smiled at him reassuringly. “It’s just the heat. It makes me a little queasy.” The temperature was supposed to be in the triple digits by later that afternoon, so it was understandable, and Wes seemed satisfied with her answer.
“Let us know if you start to feel bad, baby,” Evan said, patting her knee. “We don’t have to stay if you don’t want to.
“Once I eat and cool off in the pool I’ll be just fine.” Rosemary giggled and pointed. “Aw! Look.”
On a straight section of FM 709, Jayne released Seth’s torso and lifted her arms high in the air in a triumphant-looking gesture. Rosemary’s eyes misted a little, and she whispered softly, “You go, girl.” Jayne deserved to have a little fun after the trials she’d suffered.
At the ranch, the three of them were sitting down eating with everyone else when Rosemary’s phone trilled with the ringtone that automatically told her the call came from work. Brantley Gilbert’s “Country Must be Countrywide” played softly on the outdoor speakers as she pulled her phone from her purse.
“Uh-oh,” Evan said before taking another bite of his potato salad.
“Doesn’t the store close early today?” Wes asked as he checked his watch.
“Yes. They’re supposed to close early for the holiday. Hello?”
“Rosie.” Rosemary immediately recognized Bernadette’s voice, but she sounded odd.
“Hey. You okay?”
“Noooo. I’m really sorry to call you on your day off but…”
“Let me guess. The stomach flu got you too?” A nasty case of it had been going around town, and everybody at Cheaver’s had caught it in the last couple of weeks. Rosemary was just praying that it didn’t catch up to her.
“Yeah. I’m dyin’. I feel like a big baby for calling you when the store closes in an hour but I’ve hardly been able to get out on the floor as it is. Can you come?”
Bernadette wouldn’t call her unless she was on death’s door, and she’d been there for Rosemary more times than she could count. “Sure. Just let me finish eating. Tell Irving that I’ll be there just as soon as I can and then head on home.”
“He insisted he could handle closing up the store but I told him he’s not quite ready.”
Irving was their assistant manager in training, but he’d only started a few weeks before. He was also a serious flirt, which Rosemary knew was a bone of contention for her men.
“Go home. Rest. I hope you feel better.”
Bernadette groaned and replied, “Sorry to bother you.”
“Would you stop? You can’t help it. Don’t forget to drink lots of fluids.”
“Yes, Mommy.”
Rosemary hung up with a grin and then gave both Evan and Wes smiles of commiseration. “I have to go up to the store. You can stay here and I’ll come back just as soon as things are shut down. Shouldn’t take me long at all.”