Suddenly Texan by Victoria Chancellor Page A

There’s no one…special?”
    â€œNo, not really. Not at the moment.” She’d broken up with her boyfriend in Portland over six months ago. “No family?”
    â€œNot in Oregon. I have some cousins scattered around, but I’m not that close to them.”
    He was silent so long that Amanda looked up. “What?”
    â€œThis is a good town. A good place to live. You could find new friends. Maybe make your own family.”
    She shook her head. “I don’t think it’s that easy.”
    â€œIt might be, if you let it happen.”
    She thought maybe he was talking about more than simply moving here and making friends. She didn’t want to assume anything, though. Or anticipate something that was never going to happen. He was friends with theCrawfords. He wouldn’t take her side if the situation got ugly, and it wouldn’t be fair to put him in the middle of a family feud.
    Amanda took her last drink of coffee. “It’s getting late and I have to get up early in the morning, plus I have to pack my suitcase since I’ll be checking out of the motel.”
    â€œI’ll drive you there.”
    â€œI can walk.”
    He took her cup and his and headed for the sink. After rinsing them out, he opened his wallet and tucked a bill under a canister.
    â€œLet me pay for the coffee,” Amanda said, reaching for her wallet.
    â€œMy treat.”
    She sighed in exasperation. “Well, I should leave you a tip,” she said, trying to lighten the mood.
    â€œA tip? Like a fingertip?”
    â€œNo! I mean… Oh, never mind.”
    He stepped close and pulled her to him. Her heart beat fast as he looked down into her eyes. “I tell you what. I’ll take a rain check on that tip.”
    â€œYou—you will?”
    â€œAbsolutely. And I’ll let you know what the appropriate gratuity is later. I’m very good at math.”
    â€œI know,” she whispered.
    â€œBut don’t worry,” he said softly, his head slightly lowered toward hers. “It won’t be more than you can afford.”
    She closed her eyes, so sure that he was going to kiss her, so afraid that she might just make a fool of herself if he did. He probably wouldn’t be expecting some one to grab on and hold him tight, kiss him as ifthere was no tomorrow. No, he wouldn’t be expecting that from her.
    â€œWe’d better get going,” he said, his breath a faint whisper against her face. “We have to get up early in the morning.”
    Her eyes snapped open as he pulled back. The scoundrel! He was smiling at her as if he hadn’t just tempted her nearly out of her skin.
    She blinked away her frustration. “Right. Early morning. Let’s go.” She turned and marched to the door, ready to get this night over with before she grabbed him and asked him to stay with her in that retro-themed room she couldn’t afford.
    Â 
    L EO KNOCKED ON THE DOOR to the Western Suite, as Amanda’s room was called, while stifling a yawn with his other hand. Except for the rare times he was on a job site or meeting a truck at the hardware store, he didn’t get out this early. The sun would have barely been up if it weren’t so foggy.
    He hadn’t been lucky enough for the rain to cancel their garage sale and thrift store shopping trip this morning. While he would have gladly brought coffee and doughnuts to Amanda’s room if they were staying in, cuddling up against the damp weather, he wasn’t enthusiastic about going anywhere today.
    As a matter of fact, he would rather visit his dentist than go thrift store shopping.
    â€œOh, hi,” Amanda said breathlessly, whipping open the door. “I was just finishing my packing.”
    â€œAlready?”
    â€œI have to be out of the room by noon, and we mightnot be back by then,” she said, rolling her suitcase to the doorway.
    â€œWe won’t?”
    She shrugged.