easygoing nature. Like her, he was the eldest child of a large family, giving them an immediate connection and understanding. It wasn’t long before she felt as if she knew him as well as she knew one of her own brothers.
She recognized when she was being given the rush, even when it was done cowboy-style, and she was a little flattered by it, especially after learningshe was six years his senior. After all, being pursued wasn’t a common occurrence in her life. She even wished she could return his apparent affection.
But when she went home each afternoon and sat staring at the blinking cursor on her computer screen, it wasn’t Ty she thought about. It was Ian’s image—with his inky black hair and coffee-colored eyes—that drifted through her mind.
On Friday morning at the end of that first week, Shayla and Honey were greeted by the two black-and-white border collies as they drove up to the ranch house. Ian stood on the porch, drinking coffee from a large mug, dressed in his usual boots, jeans, Western shirt and black Stetson.
“Morning,” he called to her as she climbed out of her car.
“Good morning.”
“Better close your windows. We’re in for some thundershowers later on.”
She glanced upward. Except for a smattering of pristine white clouds on the horizon, all she saw was blue. “Rain?” She frowned. “Doesn’t look like it to me.”
“That can change quick enough.”
“You sound awfully sure of yourself.” She set Honey on the ground and watched her scamper after the older dogs.
“Yup.”
She walked toward the house while keeping an eye on the puppy. “Do you have a bad knee that warns you when the weather’s about to change?”
“Nope. Something even better than that. I’ve got a satellite dish and The Weather Channel.”
She stopped at the base of the steps and looked at him. He wore a teasing grin that caused her heart to begin that wretched erratic thumping.
“How’s your oven working?”
“Fine. No more trouble since you put in the new element.”
“Good.”
There wasn’t any doubt about it. He was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, and she was much too attracted to him for her own good.
“Come on in. We can talk over a cup of coffee before we both get to work.”
She nodded, not certain what this change in routine meant.
She glanced behind her, then clucked her tongue at Honey who came running toward her in response, tripping over her own paws and somersaulting to a halt a few feet away from her mistress. Shayla laughed as she bent to pick up the puppy.
“Clumsy, aren’t you?”
And she felt just as clumsy as she followed Ian into the house, her heart tripping over itself.
As soon as they were both seated at the kitchen table, large mugs of strong coffee in front of them, Ian said, “I wanted to tell you what a great job you’ve been doing. My mom couldn’t make it look better, and she’s a real stickler for details.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you an equally good secretary?” He tipped his chair back on its hind legs until the high back touched the wall behind him.
“I like to think so. I enjoy it more than cleaning house. That’s for sure.”
He grinned. “Tell me how you got started.”
“Nothing special. I thought it would be a summer job. I answered an ad right after graduation from high school, started at minimum wage since I had no decipherable skills to begin with and ended up working for the company for the next twelve years. I took night classes in computers and bookkeeping and such. Those classes helped earn me a few promotions.”
“So why’d you leave?”
“The business folded. It was sudden. Nobody saw it coming, except the CEO and a few higher-up executives, and they never let on to the rest of us.”
She sipped her coffee, thinking back over the events of this past spring.
“My boss gave me a glowing letter of recommendation, and my folks invited me to live at home again while I hunted for a new job.” She met
She recognized when she was being given the rush, even when it was done cowboy-style, and she was a little flattered by it, especially after learningshe was six years his senior. After all, being pursued wasn’t a common occurrence in her life. She even wished she could return his apparent affection.
But when she went home each afternoon and sat staring at the blinking cursor on her computer screen, it wasn’t Ty she thought about. It was Ian’s image—with his inky black hair and coffee-colored eyes—that drifted through her mind.
On Friday morning at the end of that first week, Shayla and Honey were greeted by the two black-and-white border collies as they drove up to the ranch house. Ian stood on the porch, drinking coffee from a large mug, dressed in his usual boots, jeans, Western shirt and black Stetson.
“Morning,” he called to her as she climbed out of her car.
“Good morning.”
“Better close your windows. We’re in for some thundershowers later on.”
She glanced upward. Except for a smattering of pristine white clouds on the horizon, all she saw was blue. “Rain?” She frowned. “Doesn’t look like it to me.”
“That can change quick enough.”
“You sound awfully sure of yourself.” She set Honey on the ground and watched her scamper after the older dogs.
“Yup.”
She walked toward the house while keeping an eye on the puppy. “Do you have a bad knee that warns you when the weather’s about to change?”
“Nope. Something even better than that. I’ve got a satellite dish and The Weather Channel.”
She stopped at the base of the steps and looked at him. He wore a teasing grin that caused her heart to begin that wretched erratic thumping.
“How’s your oven working?”
“Fine. No more trouble since you put in the new element.”
“Good.”
There wasn’t any doubt about it. He was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, and she was much too attracted to him for her own good.
“Come on in. We can talk over a cup of coffee before we both get to work.”
She nodded, not certain what this change in routine meant.
She glanced behind her, then clucked her tongue at Honey who came running toward her in response, tripping over her own paws and somersaulting to a halt a few feet away from her mistress. Shayla laughed as she bent to pick up the puppy.
“Clumsy, aren’t you?”
And she felt just as clumsy as she followed Ian into the house, her heart tripping over itself.
As soon as they were both seated at the kitchen table, large mugs of strong coffee in front of them, Ian said, “I wanted to tell you what a great job you’ve been doing. My mom couldn’t make it look better, and she’s a real stickler for details.”
“Thanks.”
“Are you an equally good secretary?” He tipped his chair back on its hind legs until the high back touched the wall behind him.
“I like to think so. I enjoy it more than cleaning house. That’s for sure.”
He grinned. “Tell me how you got started.”
“Nothing special. I thought it would be a summer job. I answered an ad right after graduation from high school, started at minimum wage since I had no decipherable skills to begin with and ended up working for the company for the next twelve years. I took night classes in computers and bookkeeping and such. Those classes helped earn me a few promotions.”
“So why’d you leave?”
“The business folded. It was sudden. Nobody saw it coming, except the CEO and a few higher-up executives, and they never let on to the rest of us.”
She sipped her coffee, thinking back over the events of this past spring.
“My boss gave me a glowing letter of recommendation, and my folks invited me to live at home again while I hunted for a new job.” She met
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