Read Online His Texas Wildflower by Stella Bagwell - Free Book Online

avoided giving the waitress’scurvy figure an inspective glance. “Okay,” she said to Jake, “you’ve talked me into it. I’ll have a piece of peach.” Glancing up at Loretta, she added, “If you have peach.”
    The woman’s smile was faintly suggestive. “We have every flavor a person would want. Just ask Jake. He’s tried them all.”
    Rebecca assured the waitress that she’d be satisfied with the peach and the redhead quickly swished away to fill their orders.
    â€œDon’t mind Loretta,” Jake said. “She’s a big flirt, but she doesn’t mean any harm.”
    He probably didn’t mean any harm either, Rebecca thought. But she figured he’d broken plenty of hearts with that dimpled grin and amber-brown eyes. Was she trying to be the next woman on his roster?
    No. She simply liked him. Liked being around him. That didn’t mean she wanted anything serious to develop between them. In fact, where women were concerned, she doubted the word serious had ever been in Jake Rollins’s vocabulary.
    â€œSo how has it been staying out at Gertie’s—uh, your place?” he asked after a moment.
    She leaned back in her chair and wished she didn’t feel so self-conscious about her bare face and messy hair. But for the past few days she’d felt like a child again, free to be herself. When she’d driven into town this morning, the last person she’d expected to see was Jake.
    â€œIt’s been different to say the least. I’m still not used to the lack of an air conditioner. Or the idea that I can’t drive a couple of blocks to a convenience store whenever I need something. But I like the quietness. Last nightwhile I was sitting on the porch I heard a pack of coyotes howling in the distance. It was an eerie sound.”
    â€œGuess a city girl like you never heard anything like that.”
    â€œNo. Actually—” The sound of approaching footsteps interrupted the rest of Rebecca’s words and she turned her head to see Loretta arriving with their orders.
    Once the waitress had served them and ambled away, Jake prompted Rebecca to finish what she’d been about to say.
    â€œIt was nothing important,” she told him as she spread a napkin across her lap. “I was only going to say that since I’ve come out here to New Mexico I’ve been learning about a lot of things. Mainly about myself.”
    His expression was gentle on her face as he stirred a spoonful of sugar into his coffee. “Are you liking what you’re learning?”
    She grimaced. “No. But I’m trying to change what I don’t like.”
    He didn’t ask what she meant by that remark and Rebecca was relieved. She didn’t want to admit to this man that it had taken the death of her aunt to open her eyes about her own life.
    As she cut into the peach pastry, he leaned back in his chair and studied her with open curiosity. “This probably isn’t any of my business, Rebecca, but are you planning on staying here in Lincoln County for an extended length of time?”
    A faint frown creased her forehead. For the past week, his question was the same one that had gone round and round in her head. Was she going to stay for long? At the moment everything about being in this new place felt right and wonderful. But was that only because she was away from her demanding job? Away from the riftbetween her and her mother? Or was the contentment she’d been feeling these past few days trying to tell her that she’d finally discovered where she was truly meant to be?
    â€œMaybe,” she answered slowly. “It depends. On a lot of things.”
    He sipped his coffee, then thoughtfully reached for his fork. “Well, I suppose there’s a man back in Houston who won’t take kindly to you staying out here for very long.”
    She looked at him with faint surprise. “Not hardly. I