The Rodeo Man's Daughter. Barbara Daille White

Tess LaSalle decided. Unfortunately, cowboys came by the dozen around here. What she needed was one with money.

       It was a gorgeous first day of June, worthy of any advertising blurb she could write to attract new clients to Wright Place Realty. But in their tiny town, there was not a client to be found.

       Unless…?

       Half a block away, she eyed the man leaning against the dusty pickup truck parked at the curb. From his black Stetson to his Western shirt with the shiny pearl snaps, he might have dressed to play a role. Yet one glance at his formfitting, threadbare Wranglers and well-worn black boots plainly announced the truth: he was the real thing.

       Whether or not he had cash on the barrelhead remained to be seen.

       Still, she hurried along Signal Street toward the storefront office. As desperately as they needed clients, she wasn’t about to let this one get away.

       “Good morning,” she called, digging in her canvas bag for her key ring. “Let me get the office open for you.”

       “Morning.” When she neared him, he held out his hand.

       Automatically, she responded. His hand engulfed hers, the roughness of his fingers tingling all her nerve endings. She looked up to find his face hidden by the brim of his Stetson. She could see only a firm jaw and the dark stubble of five o’clock shadow. Another indication of a working cowboy and not a wealthy rancher?

       As she watched, he lifted his head and tipped his hat, revealing thick, wavy dark hair and a pair of blazing green eyes.

       Tess’s fingers trembled in his. She’d have given anything to disappear at that moment. He couldn’t have missed her reaction. Just as she couldn’t miss recognizing those eyes.

       Caleb Cantrell had planned that move to startle her. He’d succeeded, more than he could ever know. Shock warred with guilt inside her.

       Belatedly, she realized his hand still covered hers. A treacherous longing to hang on to him stunned her. Appalled by her own emotions, she snatched her fingers away and dropped her arm as if she’d been burned.

       She took a long, deep breath and set her jaw. Forcing her voice to remain steady, she asked, “What are you doing here, Caleb?”

       He gestured toward the storefront. “That’s a real estate office, isn’t it?”

       Before she could give the obvious answer to his question, a blue van pulled up to the curb behind his pickup truck. Tess’s best friend and boss, Dana Wright, emerged from the van. She did a double take at seeing Tess’s companion, then marched over to them. “I don’t believe my own eyes. Caleb, is that really you?”

       “In the flesh.”

       Good-looking flesh, too, with a nice even tan that set off the whiteness of his smile as he grinned. Tess clutched the key ring she’d finally dug out of her bag.

       “Well,” Dana continued, “it’s good to see you. You remember me? Dana Smith? Now Dana Wright?”

       “Of course I remember you. Couldn’t forget either of the prettiest girls in town, now could I?” He smiled at Tess.

       She stiffened. He was wasting his time. No amount of sweet-talking would ever get her to believe in him again.

       Sure, Dana could act natural and concerned. She didn’t have Tess’s history with the man.

       Or Tess’s secret.

       “What brings you back to Flagman’s Folly after all these years?” Dana asked him.

       “Well, tell the truth, I’m looking to buy some land here.”

       “Is that so?” Dana stood taller and smiled wider.

       Tess knew her friend’s pulse must have quickened at the thought of a possible sale. Her own pulse was beating fast—for other reasons.

       “As we like to say around here,” Dana continued, “you’ve come to the ‘Wright Place.’ I’m sure we can help you out.”

       “So am I. I’ve got a list.” He tilted his head. “I’d like to talk things over with Tess. Thought we’d go on along to the Double S. Over a cup of coffee, I can fill her in on what I need.”

       That wasn’t what she needed. Not at all.

       She sent her friend an agonized look.

       Of course, Dana couldn’t understand what it meant. Instead, she sent back an expression of wide-eyed innocence that said plainly, We’ll talk later.

       “Oh, I don’t think I’ll be able to do much for you,” Tess protested. “I’m just the hired help. A glorified file clerk, really. Dana’s the boss. You’ll want to deal with her.”

       Caleb focused on her again. “I don’t know about that,” he drawled. “You and I’ve got some catching up to do.”

       She curled her fingers into fists. “No, we do not, and—”

       “Ahh…Tess?” Dana broke in. She looked at Caleb. “If you’ll excuse us for just a minute…?”

       He patted the fender of the pickup truck. “I’ll be waiting right here.”

       “Thanks.”

       Within seconds, Dana had unlocked the door and led the way into the office. She turned to Tess with a wide smile—most likely for the benefit of Caleb, who stood outside the storefront window—and said, “Girl, have you completely lost your mind?”

       “I don’t think so.”

       “Well, we’re both going to lose our jobs if we don’t make a sale soon.”

       Tess sighed. “I know.”

       As a single mom and the sole breadwinner for her small family, Tess clung to the paycheck she earned here. The money took care of their bills, if she budgeted carefully. When she had pennies left, she helped tide her mother over with her fledgling business, turning their home into a bed-and-breakfast inn and taking on guests.

       Nonexistent guests, lately.

       Things were bad all around. No one had much money on hand for vacationing in small-town inns. Or for buying property, for that matter. Losing this job would mean she’d have no income.

       Roselynn and Nate depended on her. But as bad as things were for her, she knew Dana had it much worse. Widowed and left a single mom, her friend struggled to get by with three kids of her own.

       Now Dana stood tugging on a lock of her honey-brown hair, her blue eyes narrowed in speculation.

       “I have no idea what all this ‘catching up’ is that you and Caleb have to do—” Tess remained silent “—though I’m sure I’ll hear about it sometime.” She smiled as if to soften the words.

       Since grade school, she and Dana had shared everything. But not that. She’d never told Dana anything about her connection to Caleb. Much as Tess loved her, she knew Dana couldn’t have kept herself from broadcasting the news that Tess had found a boyfriend. Tess had had her own reasons for not wanting the news spread. And after what had happened, she’d given thanks that no one had known.

       “I suppose,” Dana was saying, “I could offer to show him around town, but I don’t want to risk him taking offense. He obviously wants to work with you.”

       “Yes, I know.” Why? That’s what worried her. Caleb Cantrell didn’t do anything without a reason. And he certainly didn’t do anything he didn’t want to. She had learned that years ago. After their last conversation way back then, she couldn’t imagine why he’d want to speak to her again—or how he could have the nerve to believe she would ever have anything to do with him.

       “Look,” Dana said, “I can understand your reluctance to deal with Caleb. The man didn’t have such a great reputation when he lived here.”