Spurs and Heels(Divine Creek Ranch 5)(6)

“I will, cowboy. Give her time. Oh! Just a little head’s up?” she

said, gesturing with her little hands for him to come closer. “You



22

Heather Rainier

might want to know she’ll be assisting Teresa on her moving day this

Wednesday, packing up Teresa’s personal effects while Teresa takes

care of wedding plans. Just in case you want to volunteer to help.”

Ash smiled at her and leaned way down to give her a kiss on the

cheek. “You’re a real sweetheart, Miss Evelyn. Maybe I should be

courting you instead.”

Evelyn chuckled with delight at his flirtation and confidently said,

“Cowboy, if I was Juliana and forty years younger, I wouldn’t have

walked away from your sexy, smart mouth. I’d have given as good as

I got. Back in the day, I had suitors pining for miles around.”

“I’ll bet you did, Miss Evelyn. You can call me Ash, by the way.”

“Well, Ash, give her some time to cool off and start to feel bad

about being so rude to such a handsome cowboy. She’ll come

around.”

“You reckon?”

“A charmer like you? She’ll come around.” She shook her head

slowly. “Juliana works too much.” She blew him an air kiss, waved,

and walked back down the aisle.

Grinning, Ash walked out the side door where he’d left his diesel

running and made the trip back out to the ranch, feeling unsettled. He

wasn’t exactly disappointed but wasn’t happy that he’d had to watch

her walk away from him again.





* * * *



Juliana angrily threw the box in the car and shot from the parking

lot in her white Camaro like a scalded-ass dog. Carrying the box up to

the front steps of Lawrence’s condo, she placed it in front of his door.

Staring at it for a few seconds, she wondered why she’d invested five

years in their relationship and all she had to show for it was one box.

She hated the little twist of guilt she felt when she looked at it and

remembered his words. He’d all but called her a workaholic. She

shared a small portion of culpability at the demise of their



Spurs and Heels

23

relationship. Sure, he was a lying, cheating dickhead, but maybe there

was some truth to what he’d said.

Juliana returned to the store and ate her now-cold lunch in

miserable silence, grunting when Evelyn imparted Ash’s message to

her. I am such a bitch. She looked morosely at the cheerful yellow

roses in the pretty porcelain teacup. Her brain had completely short-

circuited at the smart words that had come out of his mouth. The

embarrassing part was that she had thought that he looked good

enough to eat. Literally mouth-watering, “get me a spoon” good

enough to eat. Resting her head in her hand, she sighed heavily and

continued eating her lunch. She was certain now she’d never hear

from the cowboy again.

Juliana came awake with a start, still holding her fork in her hand.

She’d dozed off, only for a few seconds, but she’d actually fallen

asleep while eating. That was probably part of her problem. She was

tired, and he set her on edge. She was usually good-humored and

ready with a quick comeback, but she was off her game. Ash had

flustered her, and she’d reacted poorly. She could just as easily have

invited him back to the office to sit and visit while she ate. Yeah, she

was a bitch all right.

She slipped her hand in her pocket when it vibrated, pulled out her

cell phone and opened the new text message.



I heard about this new disease. Maybe you heard of it, too?

Foot-in-mouth syndrome? It’s terrible. I’m sorry.



She sighed, chuckled, and began typing her reply.



Well, at least it doesn’t have as negative a connotation as

another condition I’ve heard of. Hellacious Bitch syndrome.

It’s hard to be cured of and may have cost me a

friendship today. I’m sorry.





24

Heather Rainier

Her phone vibrated again.



I forgive you, if you forgive me.

I know you’re tired. You need to rest.

See you Wednesday, pretty lady.



Why did that endearment set her heart to fluttering? How could he

forgive her so easily? Where was he going to be Wednesday?



Wednesday?



I’m helping the guys move some furniture and boxes for Teresa.



Oh.





* * * *



Juliana strapped the last box out of the bathroom closed with

packing tape and placed it with several others in the hallway.

Grabbing larger empty boxes, she went into Teresa’s tidy bedroom

and packed up her neat and organized closet, marveling at the

simplicity with which Teresa kept her home. No one could accuse her

of being a packrat like they could of Juliana.