She made her way to the break room, ignoring the looks and whispers of her coworkers. They’d been at it since yesterday. She might as well be living in Blackfoot Falls.
The thought somehow struck her as funny. It hadn’t lasted long before the sick feeling in her stomach was back. She didn’t know what the gossip was about, since she was fairly confident Ron hadn’t said anything about her and Porter. Ron had reason to be concerned about his own job, though she wouldn’t say anything about what he’d confided.
She groaned when she saw the carafe was nearly empty.
“You want to rethink that vacation?” Jeanine asked, coming up behind her as she reached for the filters.
“Want the last cup?”
“No thanks. I’ll wait.” Jeanine laughed. “You know you can throw that out. A fresh cup won’t break our budget.”
“You’re right.” Savannah poured it into the sink. “That was incredibly freeing.”
Jeanine was already getting the coffee out of the cabinet.
The woman hadn’t just been Savannah’s mentor, she was a friend. And this wasn’t the first look of concern she’d given Savannah. That Jeanine was the regional manager and Savannah’s immediate boss made their relationship tricky.
After filling the carafe with water, Savannah couldn’t stand it. “Any idea what’s going on with the rumor mill?” she asked, knowing it was a long shot. Jeanine hated and discouraged gossip. “Somehow I get the feeling I’m the hot topic.”
“Well, I don’t know for sure,” Jeanine said, measuring out the coffee. “I think it might have to do with Porter coming straight here.”
“And that relates to me how?”
Jeanine’s small, tolerant smile shot down any hope Savannah harbored that no one knew about her and Porter. She rubbed the back of her neck then watched as Jeanine continued making the coffee.
Savannah glanced back to make sure they were alone. “Am I going to be fired?” she asked softly.
“No.” Jeanine’s brows lifted in surprise. “Why would you think that? Because of the Blackfoot Falls job? The client is happy.”
So, maybe Savannah was wrong and no one knew about Porter. But then, why the stares? “After everyone leaves, would you have a few minutes for me?”
“I always have time for you, kiddo, you know that. We can talk right now.”
“Um, it’s a closed-door kind of thing.”
“Ah, yes, nothing the grapevine likes more.”
“Uh-huh.” Savannah paused when Valerie from accounting walked in. “Coffee’s not ready yet.”
“Just getting something out of the fridge,” Valerie said, glancing from Jeanine to Savannah.
They waited until she left the room, and then Jeanine said, “The place will clear at the stroke of five. Come on in whenever you feel comfortable.” On her way out, she gave Savannah an encouraging smile and a pat on the arm.
She was so lucky that Jeanine had her back. Which didn’t give Savannah free rein to overshare. No, in the next two hours she had to really think about how much she wanted to tell the woman.
At least it gave her something to do, other than daydream about Mike.
* * *
MIKE SWORE AS he slammed the front door. He’d been an idiot and had forgotten to check the gas in the ATV. He’d had to abandon it three miles from home, and Chip was off today.
The long walk back had given him far too much time to think. Not that the subject had changed since Savannah had flown out of his life five days ago. It hadn’t mattered what he’d been up to—she was never far from his thoughts. Either it was something they had done together, eaten together, laughed at together, or something he wanted her to see, eat or laugh at with him. And that was just the G-rated stuff.
Damn, what was happening to him? They’d been together for less than a week. It made no sense that he couldn’t get past this...thing. This longing.
Especially because he knew she wasn’t right for him. She belonged in Denver, and he belonged on the ranch. The twain weren’t about to meet.
Maybe he should go to Florida for Thanksgiving. Although that could be a particularly tough time on the ranch—late November was notorious for heavy snowfall.
He sat down on the couch then wished he’d gotten a beer from the fridge. Today’s mistake certainly wasn’t his first. Maybe if he talked to Savannah. He’d called her once, to make sure she’d gotten home okay, but his message had gone to voice mail, and she hadn’t called back.
That was forty-eight hours ago.
Now he was getting worried. He’d been worried since the presentation, but this was on a whole new level. She might have been fired, might have gotten in over her head with her boss and dammit, she’d been in terrible shape when they’d said goodbye.
But the truth was, she could be completely happy, having won the heart of the wealthy and prominent Porter. Or just glad to be back in her real world.
Sure, they’d had a great time together, but it hadn’t been love.
At least, it hadn’t been for her.
* * *
THANK GOD PORTER had waited until after-hours to come to Savannah’s office. He seemed puzzled that a window view hadn’t come with her promotion, but his concern for her quickly changed to concern for himself. “I don’t understand. You know it’s not simple for a man in my position to get a divorce. You wouldn’t want me to lose everything, would you?”
“Then my decision should make you happy. I don’t need you to get a divorce. I’m sorry, but I’ve already explained, this long-distance thing isn’t working for me. And you being married is a complication I can’t ignore.”
“Is that it? The reason it’s not working for you? Because I swear—”
“Don’t. That’s not the only reason.”
“It’s a guy, isn’t it? What, some rich rancher in Montana? What did he promise you? Tell me what you want, and it’s yours.” Sitting on the edge of her desk, he ran a hand through his blond hair and looked at her as if she were the only thing in the world that could make him complete.
Yeah, her and all his other women.
Reluctantly, Jeanine, who’d known the Burkes a long time, had confirmed what Ron had said. That Porter had had his share of affairs. How he’d managed to keep his indiscretions a secret, Savannah couldn’t begin to guess. Not that it mattered to her. She’d known they were over before she’d left Blackfoot Falls.
She stood. “It’s late, and I—”
Porter closed his hands around her upper arms, and it reminded her so much of Mike that she squirmed out of the hold. “What, now you don’t even like me touching you?”
Ah. Finally. She understood why he was working so hard for such a small return on his investment. Porter didn’t care for being dumped. Although she’d bet a year’s salary he got off on being the dumper. All of this must be just a game for him. Wins and more wins. To lose...unbearable.
She walked from behind her desk, away from him, across the small room so she could look at the sunset on her wall. “I appreciate the time we’ve spent together, and I’m still very flattered, but it’s over.”
His lips curved in an unattractive smile. “What if I were to rush the divorce?”
She said a silent thanks to Mike Burnett for helping her be strong enough to not think twice. “Nope. Sorry.”
The smile disappeared, but his unhappiness with her didn’t. How had she never seen how cold his blue eyes could be? Or maybe she had but chose to ignore it. Funny how she’d gone back looking for perspective in her past only to find it in her future.
“You’re joking, right?” Porter’s pleading had vanished. His voice was as dismissive as her father’s used to be when he wasn’t winning an argument. “Well, fine. But maybe next time, try not to be such an obvious tease. I’m not saying your work wasn’t good, but...”
“My work?”<
br />
“What?” he said, acting shocked. “Yeah, the report you did was decent, and they liked you in Buffalo Flats, or wherever. Although it wasn’t one of your more lucrative deals.”
“Right,” she said. “Thanks for the career advice, but I actually have somewhere to be in just a few minutes, so...”
“Sure thing,” he said, opening her office door. “Be my guest.”
She pulled her purse out of her bottom drawer and got her coat off the hook. When she walked out the door, she left him with her very best smile.
He didn’t return it.
And she didn’t give one damn.
* * *
SEVENTEEN MORE DAYS to go until Savannah was unemployed. With no unemployment benefits, since it had been her decision. Right after seeing Porter, she’d given her notice. She could have given two weeks, but that would have left Jeanine in a bind, so they settled on three.
After her walk at lunch, and despite her warm coat, she felt chilled to the bone. The first thing she did was get some tea from the break room. The second thing she did was cross off another day on her desk calendar.
She had savings. One thing she’d learned from her mother was how to budget and ever since her first job, she’d put aside 10 percent of her salary, so she would be okay while she figured out how to make her next move.
In the meantime, she had some reports to go over. Taking one last sip of peppermint tea, she opened the first file. Before she could get past the introduction, there was a knock on her open door.
Expecting her assistant, she gasped as she looked up. “Mike.” It was as if she’d been hit by a falling star. Nothing could have prepared her for that face, that man, standing right in front of her. “What are you doing here?”
He had his Stetson in his hand, but instead of his jeans and Western shirt, he had on khakis and a sweater underneath his jacket. He stepped inside the room, his gaze worried. “I’m not here to bother you or anything, but I think we’re still friends, and when I didn’t hear from you... I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“You didn’t get my call?”
He looked shocked. “When?”
“This morning.”
“Savannah, it’s been two weeks since you left. You didn’t return my call, never got in touch.” He pulled out his cell phone. “I turned it off this morning before I got on the plane.” He did look tired and stressed. “Should I listen to the message?”
“I can tell you,” she said, standing up. She walked from behind her desk but before she did anything else, she shut her office door, tempted to lock it.
When she turned, Mike was close. She got a nice whiff of his woodsy leather scent, which she’d missed more than seemed possible. “I’m so sorry I left the way I did. And I’m sorry I didn’t call you back right away. But every day since the moment I got on that plane, I’ve thought about you. About how easy it was to be with you, and how I’d missed out on something I’d regret forever.”
“What, you mean me?”
Tears welled and she had no intention of stopping them. “I’m not surprised that you flew here to find out if I’m okay. Because that’s the...the...”
Now she’d done it. She wasn’t just teary, she was sobbing. His arms were around her, and she was gripping his sweater so tightly she’d probably rip it, and it was Mike. And he was really here.
“It’s okay, honey,” he said, so softly right by her ear. “You’re all right. Still beautiful, and still the best woman I know.”
She cried harder, and oh, damn, she was going to mess up his jacket.
“Shh. Savannah. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
Of course, that didn’t help. “Why was it so easy to shrug off Porter’s ugly words, but I crumble like an old cookie when you walk into the room. I don’t even know why I can’t stop.”
Oddly, saying that out loud helped. She leaned back, although he didn’t let her go completely. His hands were still on her arms.
“I need a tissue.”
He reached over and picked up the small box sitting on her desk. She laughed as she plucked four, wondering if they would be enough.
“Great, I’m wiping off more makeup than tears.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re still beautiful.”
“Yeah. Sure. Listen,” she said, then paused to blow her nose.
He grinned.
She shook her head. “I didn’t mean that. I meant to say that I’m really, truly fine. Better than that, actually. Because I don’t care one wit about what the people in Blackfoot Falls think about me. Or the people in Denver, for that matter. I’m not spending another minute wasting time rehashing the past, including the fact that I’ve given my notice and will be leaving this job in seventeen days. I keep thinking about how I felt at the ranch. At the creek. Don’t take this the wrong way, but it wasn’t all about you. Mostly it was, but honestly, I don’t believe I belong here. Going back reminded me I need wide open spaces, lots of grass and trees. Time to watch the sun rise and set.”
“Really?”
She nodded, smiling right back at him. “I’ve been thinking about what I want to do. And it’s not that different from working here, except I would be an independent consultant.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. How are you? I didn’t even ask—”
“I’m fine. Better now, but I’m good. Still trying to get back into my old routine.”
“Oh, is something wrong?”
“Not anymore,” he said, smiling. “I was actually thinking that the flight between Kalispell and Denver isn’t half-bad.”
“Oh, Mike.” She pulled him close and kissed him hard.
He reacted in the best possible way—by kissing her back with so much passion she almost melted. Thank goodness she’d shut the door, because she wanted his touch. Her own hands went under his jacket as she pressed against him.
His moan slipped between her lips and straight down to her heart. And maybe a bit lower, too. How had she walked away from him?
It was Mike who pulled back this time. Not far. And he still hadn’t let go. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Not for a single day. Made a lot of mistakes on the ranch. Chip’s been mooing at me, telling me to stop with the big cow eyes. Annoying little shit.”
Savannah laughed. “I think they’re more like a puppy dog’s than a cow’s.”
His smile warmed her from head to toe. “As long as they’re looking at you, I don’t care what kind they are.”
She wiped her cheeks again. “You know, ever since we visited all those smaller towns, I’ve been thinking I’d like to try and tap that market. I could look at the towns around northwestern Montana. You know. To start.”
He was looking at her with hope and confusion. “Is that your way of telling me you might be making a move?”
She nodded. “I can’t stop thinking about you and what life could be, if I let it.” She breathed in. “What do you think?”
His smile was wide enough to reach across the whole state as he picked her up and kissed her until it was time to watch the sunset.
* * * * *
If you enjoyed this story, be sure to pick up the earlier books in the MADE IN MONTANA miniseries. Check out STEALING THE COWBOY’S HEART from Harlequin Western Romance or SIZZLING SUMMER NIGHTS and HOT WINTER NIGHTS from Harlequin Blaze!
Keep reading for an excerpt from RODEO SHERIFF by Mary Sullivan.
Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!
Click here to Join Harlequin My Rewards
http://www.harlequin.com/myrewards.html?mt=loyalty&cmpid=EBOOBPBPA201602010003
If you loved this story from
Harlequin® Western Romance
be sure to discover more heartfelt tales of family,
friendship and love from
Harlequin® Special Edition.<
br />
Romance is for life, and these stories show that
every chapter in a relationship has its challenges
and delights and that love can be
renewed with each turn of the page!
Look for six new romances every month.
Connect with us on Harlequin.com for info on our new releases, access to exclusive offers, free online reads and much more!
Other ways to keep in touch:
Harlequin.com/newsletters
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
HarlequinBlog.com
Join Harlequin My Rewards and reward the book lover in you!
Earn points for every Harlequin print and ebook you buy, wherever and whenever you shop.
Turn your points into FREE BOOKS of your choice
OR
EXCLUSIVE GIFTS from your favorite authors or series.
Click here to join for FREE
Or visit us online to register at
www.HarlequinMyRewards.com
Harlequin My Rewards is a free program (no fees) without any commitments or obligations.
Rodeo Sheriff
by Mary Sullivan
Chapter One
Honey Armstrong wouldn’t have thought Rodeo’s sheriff, being the predictable sort, could do much to surprise her.
Except show up with children.
Cole Payette, in civilian clothes instead of his uniform, stood just inside the open doorway of Honey’s empty bar with two kids.
The cloudless June day cast Cole and the children into silhouette.
Sunlight limned Cole’s muscular frame and lightened his thatch of dirty-blond hair.
His broad shoulders dwarfed the silent, delicate girl about three or four years old sitting on his forearm. A boy of about six held Cole’s other hand, but not quietly. His slim body percolated in motion.
Honey’s spirits lifted, and she laughed. “I was just thinking I need a distraction this afternoon.”
Her Cowboy Reunion Page 19
