least.”
“Don’t tell me. I bet you’re up staying up at the Crystal Horseshoe Ranch. It’s one pretty place, isn’t it?” Roberta’s sharp hazel gaze flicked over Josy’s designer jeans and pendant necklace, even down to the distinctive crystal beading on her sandals, which Josy realized must scream
tourist
.
She shook her head, bracing herself for the lies to come. “No, actually, I’ve rented a place for the month. I probably won’t be staying much longer than that. This is sort of a working vacation. And once I’m caught up with my work, I’ll need to get back to Chicago right away.”
“Well, if it’s peace and quiet you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.” Roberta met her gaze squarely. “I’ve only been here for about a year, but you won’t ever find a nicer town.”
“How in the world did you end up coming to Thunder Creek?” Corinne asked suddenly. She’d followed them to the cash register and was studying Josy curiously. “I’m not trying to be nosy, but we’re not exactly on the beaten path.”
“That’s easy.” Roberta slammed the register’s drawer, answering before Josy could speak. “I bet she knows someone who stayed at the Crystal Horseshoe. That place has been getting a lot of good write-ups in the travel magazines. We’ve had guests from all over the country. Am I right?” she asked Josy.
“Yes, absolutely.” She grabbed at the excuse like a lifeline. “A good friend of mine stayed at the Crystal Horseshoe for a week. She loved it and raved to me about what a nice town this is. Thunder Creek sounded like the perfect place for a working vacation. Nice people,” she added with a smile, “and few distractions.”
Josy stuck out out her hand, hoping to avoid any more questions. She’d rehearsed her “story” in the car all the way from Utah. But she wasn’t a good liar, never had been, and she felt guilty lying to these two nice women. “I’m Josy Warner—I’m happy to meet you,” she added, and at least that was the truth.
“You too, Josy. I’m Roberta Hawkins, and this is Corinne Thomas—soon to be Corinne Hewett, if she ever gets her act together,” Roberta added with a snort. At that moment the diner’s door opened and several men in cowboy boots, T-shirts, and jeans sauntered in and headed for the big table up front.
“Gotta go.” Roberta grabbed the coffeepot again. “Corinne, honey,
please.
Get me that list, will you?”
She sashayed toward the men’s table as Josy and Corinne moved toward the door.
“When’s the big day?” Josy asked as they emerged into the sunlight. For a moment she caught her breath at the striking vista of soaring mountains, prairie, and sky. She guessed it would take some time to get as used to that view as people in Thunder Creek no doubt were.
“Three weeks from Saturday. If I make it until then.” Corinne shook her head. “Thank heavens for Roberta. My dad and brother are coming in from Texas for the big day, but they weren’t too interested in helping me plan a wedding. And I lost my mom five years ago. So here in Thunder Creek, Roberta’s been like family to me. She and Bessie and the lady who works the cash register at the diner have helped me out with just about everything—and kept me sane. Make that semi-sane,” she amended with a laugh. “I’m normally a very calm woman. But I’m thirty-four, I’ve never been married, and I want my wedding day to be perfect. Pretty unrealistic, right?”
“If I were getting married, I’d feel the same way.”
“Thanks. That makes me feel slightly less neurotic.” Corinne chuckled and took another drag on her cigarette. “What about you? No ring, I see. Anyone special in your life right now?”
“No.”
Too late, Josy realized that the single word had snapped out, sounding far more emphatic than she’d intended. She bit her lip. “And for the time being I plan to keep it that way,” she added as lightly as she could.
“Sounds
“Don’t tell me. I bet you’re up staying up at the Crystal Horseshoe Ranch. It’s one pretty place, isn’t it?” Roberta’s sharp hazel gaze flicked over Josy’s designer jeans and pendant necklace, even down to the distinctive crystal beading on her sandals, which Josy realized must scream
tourist
.
She shook her head, bracing herself for the lies to come. “No, actually, I’ve rented a place for the month. I probably won’t be staying much longer than that. This is sort of a working vacation. And once I’m caught up with my work, I’ll need to get back to Chicago right away.”
“Well, if it’s peace and quiet you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place.” Roberta met her gaze squarely. “I’ve only been here for about a year, but you won’t ever find a nicer town.”
“How in the world did you end up coming to Thunder Creek?” Corinne asked suddenly. She’d followed them to the cash register and was studying Josy curiously. “I’m not trying to be nosy, but we’re not exactly on the beaten path.”
“That’s easy.” Roberta slammed the register’s drawer, answering before Josy could speak. “I bet she knows someone who stayed at the Crystal Horseshoe. That place has been getting a lot of good write-ups in the travel magazines. We’ve had guests from all over the country. Am I right?” she asked Josy.
“Yes, absolutely.” She grabbed at the excuse like a lifeline. “A good friend of mine stayed at the Crystal Horseshoe for a week. She loved it and raved to me about what a nice town this is. Thunder Creek sounded like the perfect place for a working vacation. Nice people,” she added with a smile, “and few distractions.”
Josy stuck out out her hand, hoping to avoid any more questions. She’d rehearsed her “story” in the car all the way from Utah. But she wasn’t a good liar, never had been, and she felt guilty lying to these two nice women. “I’m Josy Warner—I’m happy to meet you,” she added, and at least that was the truth.
“You too, Josy. I’m Roberta Hawkins, and this is Corinne Thomas—soon to be Corinne Hewett, if she ever gets her act together,” Roberta added with a snort. At that moment the diner’s door opened and several men in cowboy boots, T-shirts, and jeans sauntered in and headed for the big table up front.
“Gotta go.” Roberta grabbed the coffeepot again. “Corinne, honey,
please.
Get me that list, will you?”
She sashayed toward the men’s table as Josy and Corinne moved toward the door.
“When’s the big day?” Josy asked as they emerged into the sunlight. For a moment she caught her breath at the striking vista of soaring mountains, prairie, and sky. She guessed it would take some time to get as used to that view as people in Thunder Creek no doubt were.
“Three weeks from Saturday. If I make it until then.” Corinne shook her head. “Thank heavens for Roberta. My dad and brother are coming in from Texas for the big day, but they weren’t too interested in helping me plan a wedding. And I lost my mom five years ago. So here in Thunder Creek, Roberta’s been like family to me. She and Bessie and the lady who works the cash register at the diner have helped me out with just about everything—and kept me sane. Make that semi-sane,” she amended with a laugh. “I’m normally a very calm woman. But I’m thirty-four, I’ve never been married, and I want my wedding day to be perfect. Pretty unrealistic, right?”
“If I were getting married, I’d feel the same way.”
“Thanks. That makes me feel slightly less neurotic.” Corinne chuckled and took another drag on her cigarette. “What about you? No ring, I see. Anyone special in your life right now?”
“No.”
Too late, Josy realized that the single word had snapped out, sounding far more emphatic than she’d intended. She bit her lip. “And for the time being I plan to keep it that way,” she added as lightly as she could.
“Sounds
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