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Authors: Heather Rainier
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mistake the second the words flew out of her mouth. Instead of apologizing, she kept talking, like that was a good idea.
“I’ve been doing this job a long time, and I don’t need you to be my keeper. I’ve been patient with your bossiness, up until now. If I’d fallen from that ladder, it’d be your fault for scaring the hell out of me. I’m suddenly not hungry. I think you need to leave,” she ground out, cancelling their lunch date.
Damn it, why did she let her pride and her mouth sabotage her like this? Why did she always let Evan’s hot temper spark her own?
Never one to back down from a confrontation, Evan leaned in to her, his eyes glittering angrily. “You’re the same spoiled-rotten little brat you always were, Rosemary Piper. Just like Rita , you have to have your own way in everything. You haven’t changed one damned bit,” he snapped at her then turned on his heel and stalked from the store.
Rosemary bit her lip at his harsh words, knowing she’d pushed him too far. She looked into Wes’s eyes and saw his frustration at being caught in the middle, before he turned and walked away, too.
Bernadette sidled up to her, and led Rosemary from the sales floor back to her office. She collapsed into her chair and proceeded to bawl
59
her eyes out. In a small town like Divine, this would be all over the gossip grapevine and probably already was.
60
Chapter Six
Evan Garner fished his keys from the pocket of his jeans as he pushed open the front door of The Dancing Pony and stepped out into the lingering late August heat. The sun had set hours before, but heat still emanated from the concrete sidewalk. Climbing in the four-door truck, he pulled around to the front entrance then dropped his head to the steering wheel.
Somehow, he had to make this right with Rosemary. Why could he not leave well enough alone? Things were going so well, and he could tell Rosemary was gradually beginning to drop her defenses with them. He’d had a feeling tonight might’ve been the night she stayed with them and allowed them to make love to her. Then he’d gone and screwed it up, going all alpha male on her, again . He prayed for wisdom and the right words to say.
As he prayed, the past came to mind. A past that was pervaded with Rosemary Piper, the same way the typical fall heat still permeated the air inside the truck. He had few memories growing up that were not inhabited by the fierce, little ebony-haired beauty. Wes was hopefully speaking with her right now and convincing her to come home with them. Memories came rushing back.
* * * *
“Mama says I’m a real good cooker,” Rosemary chirped as she used a stick to mix the blades of green grass Evan had brought her into the mud pie then sprinkled gravel on top.
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“What are you gonna cook for us, then?” Evan asked as he scooped up another handful of mud for her so her hands wouldn’t get so dirty. She took it in both of her chubby, little six-year-old hands and placed it on top.
“How about beef stew?” his brother Wes said, filling the bucket from the water hose for her.
“No, how about chili? I want some chili!” Evan said.
“No, beef stew!” Wes crowed, laughing as he sprayed Evan’s bare feet with the water hose.
“No, chili! And cornbread!” Evan hollered back, standing in front of Rosemary so she wouldn’t get wet or splashed with mud.
“No beef—” Wes was about to say more when Rosemary interrupted.
She was hunkered down, resting her cheeks in the palms of her hands as she looked at them and grinned. “I have a better idea. When you can’t decide what you want for me to cook for you, that’s when you take me out to eat. That’s how it’s going to be when we’re married,” she said with a shrug, reaching over to sprinkle more sand on top of her mud pie.
“Which one of us you gonna marry?” Evan asked. He wanted Rosemary to say him. He’d take her out to eat all the time if that’s what she wanted, and
“I’ve been doing this job a long time, and I don’t need you to be my keeper. I’ve been patient with your bossiness, up until now. If I’d fallen from that ladder, it’d be your fault for scaring the hell out of me. I’m suddenly not hungry. I think you need to leave,” she ground out, cancelling their lunch date.
Damn it, why did she let her pride and her mouth sabotage her like this? Why did she always let Evan’s hot temper spark her own?
Never one to back down from a confrontation, Evan leaned in to her, his eyes glittering angrily. “You’re the same spoiled-rotten little brat you always were, Rosemary Piper. Just like Rita , you have to have your own way in everything. You haven’t changed one damned bit,” he snapped at her then turned on his heel and stalked from the store.
Rosemary bit her lip at his harsh words, knowing she’d pushed him too far. She looked into Wes’s eyes and saw his frustration at being caught in the middle, before he turned and walked away, too.
Bernadette sidled up to her, and led Rosemary from the sales floor back to her office. She collapsed into her chair and proceeded to bawl
59
her eyes out. In a small town like Divine, this would be all over the gossip grapevine and probably already was.
60
Chapter Six
Evan Garner fished his keys from the pocket of his jeans as he pushed open the front door of The Dancing Pony and stepped out into the lingering late August heat. The sun had set hours before, but heat still emanated from the concrete sidewalk. Climbing in the four-door truck, he pulled around to the front entrance then dropped his head to the steering wheel.
Somehow, he had to make this right with Rosemary. Why could he not leave well enough alone? Things were going so well, and he could tell Rosemary was gradually beginning to drop her defenses with them. He’d had a feeling tonight might’ve been the night she stayed with them and allowed them to make love to her. Then he’d gone and screwed it up, going all alpha male on her, again . He prayed for wisdom and the right words to say.
As he prayed, the past came to mind. A past that was pervaded with Rosemary Piper, the same way the typical fall heat still permeated the air inside the truck. He had few memories growing up that were not inhabited by the fierce, little ebony-haired beauty. Wes was hopefully speaking with her right now and convincing her to come home with them. Memories came rushing back.
* * * *
“Mama says I’m a real good cooker,” Rosemary chirped as she used a stick to mix the blades of green grass Evan had brought her into the mud pie then sprinkled gravel on top.
61
“What are you gonna cook for us, then?” Evan asked as he scooped up another handful of mud for her so her hands wouldn’t get so dirty. She took it in both of her chubby, little six-year-old hands and placed it on top.
“How about beef stew?” his brother Wes said, filling the bucket from the water hose for her.
“No, how about chili? I want some chili!” Evan said.
“No, beef stew!” Wes crowed, laughing as he sprayed Evan’s bare feet with the water hose.
“No, chili! And cornbread!” Evan hollered back, standing in front of Rosemary so she wouldn’t get wet or splashed with mud.
“No beef—” Wes was about to say more when Rosemary interrupted.
She was hunkered down, resting her cheeks in the palms of her hands as she looked at them and grinned. “I have a better idea. When you can’t decide what you want for me to cook for you, that’s when you take me out to eat. That’s how it’s going to be when we’re married,” she said with a shrug, reaching over to sprinkle more sand on top of her mud pie.
“Which one of us you gonna marry?” Evan asked. He wanted Rosemary to say him. He’d take her out to eat all the time if that’s what she wanted, and
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