Until We Touch. Susan Mallery

No. Of course not. Oh, look. There’s Isabel.” Patience waved, as if to hurry her friend.

      About fifteen minutes ago Patience had called Larissa and told her to meet her outside of Jo’s Bar immediately. Apparently others had also received a call.

      Isabel practically ran up the street. “Is it true?” she asked when she reached them. “There’s been a sighting?”

      “Of what?” Larissa demanded. “What are you talking about?”

      Patience still had hold of her hands. She squeezed them and practically danced with excitement. “Zane Nicholson.”

      Larissa wasn’t one to follow the gossip magazines. From knowing the guys, she understood everything the publications got wrong. But she thought she had at least a working knowledge of most major celebrities.

      “I don’t know who that is,” she admitted.

      Isabel pressed a hand to her chest. “Zane Nicholson. Absolutely the sexiest guy in high school. I mean seriously sexy.”

      Patience released Larissa’s hands and nodded. “He was voted ‘the guy every girl most wanted to sleep with’ four years straight. And the last vote was after he’d already graduated.”

      “You really had that category in your yearbook?”

      Isabel grinned. “Of course not. It was a private poll. But still, he totally won.” She sighed. “Those eyes. That walk.”

      “That smile.”

      Isabel nodded. “Rarely seen and all the more to be treasured. How do I look?”

      “Married,” Larissa murmured. “You look married.”

      Isabel brushed off the comment. “I’m not going to sleep with him now. I’m just saying, back then, he was totally all that.” She turned to Patience. “He’s really in Jo’s?”

      “That’s the rumor.”

      “Then let’s go.”

      Larissa walked with them, not sure if she was being treated to a rare event only locals could appreciate or simply the victim of wrong place, wrong time. So some guy had come into town. Big whoop.

      They crossed the street and walked up to the bar.

      “My heart is pounding,” Patience whispered. “I feel like I’m sixteen again. He danced with me once. At homecoming. I thought I was going to die.”

      “I remember and I was bitter,” Isabel said cheerfully. “He smiled at me once in the hall, but I would rather have had a dance. Or a kiss. Or maybe have given him my virginity.”

      They giggled at that. Larissa shook her head. “I’m glad you called me,” she said as she pulled open the door. “Someone needs to be here to keep you two out of trouble.”

      They stepped into the bar.

      It looked as it always did, with flattering lighting and TVs turned to shopping and HGTV. The only thing out of place was the fact that there was a man at the bar. A tall man with broad shoulders and an air of confidence about him.

      Larissa spent her day with three former NFL greats. She understood about power and egos and having a body that was a whole lot better than the average guy’s. Most mortals couldn’t measure up. This man would be able to hold his own.

      Larissa watched Zane and wondered what it was about him that made him different. There were muscles, but it was more than that. Not his clothes, she thought, taking in the chambray shirt, worn jeans and cowboy boots. There was also a straw Stetson on the bar next to him.

      Isabel and Patience inched toward the man in question. He turned and saw them, then gave a slow, sexy smile that had even Larissa’s toes curling in her flats.

      “Ladies.”

      “Hi, Zane,” they said together.

      “It’s been a long time,” Isabel said.

      “It has.” Patience nodded. “So, what brings you to town? Are you meeting with the mayor about the annexation?”

      One dark eyebrow rose.

      “Everyone knows about it,” Isabel added. “It shouldn’t change anything for you.”

      “So I heard.”

      His eyes were dark blue and his gaze steady. He wasn’t looking at Larissa and a part of her was grateful to avoid all that male attention. She had enough stress in her life with Jack. She wasn’t looking for a crush on a taciturn cowboy.

      “How’s Chase?” Patience asked.

      Isabel turned to Larissa. “That’s his younger brother,” she said in a low voice.

      “Good.”

      “And the, um, steers and everything?”

      He nodded, as if to say it was all fine.

      Patience and Isabel looked at each other, then back at him.

      “We won’t keep you,” Patience said. “It was good to see you.”

      Zane nodded again.

      The women turned around and left. Larissa trailed after them. When they reached the sidewalk, the two of them hung on to each other and jumped up and down.

      “He’s so amazing,” Isabel said. “He smiled.”

      “I saw. We talked to him.” Patience sighed. “That was so great.”

      Larissa shook her head. “You do realize he spoke maybe eight words, right?”

      “That’s not the point,” Isabel told her. “I got to be sixteen again. Even if it was just for a minute. That was totally fun. I can’t wait to tell Ford. He’ll probably remember Zane and tease me unmercifully.”

      She sounded cheerful at the prospect.

      Patience laughed. “Yes, I’m sure Justice will do the same.” She hugged Larissa. “Thanks for joining us.”

      “You’re welcome. And you’re weird.”

      “We know.”

      Larissa waved at them and started back toward Score. She loved the town, but there were elements she would never understand. Like Patience’s and Isabel’s wild crush on cowboy Zane. But it was sure fun to be a part of it all.

      * * *

      LARISSA RUBBED HER hands across Taryn’s back. Her movements were long and slow, designed to relax, rather than heal. Taryn was easy, she thought humorously. While her friend would think she was muscled, compared with the guys, she was a wimp. Not that Larissa was ever going to say that.

      She liked working on Taryn. The movements were different and they talked about girl stuff, which was nice. There was no discussion of the latest score for whatever game was in season. And during play-offs, she didn’t have to remind Taryn to stay relaxed during the massage. Because the guys always got riled up during play-offs.

      Later she would see Jack, then Kenny. By the end of the day, her hands would be tired, but that came with the job.

      Her fingers moved against smooth skin. The oil—a calming blend with a nice moisturizer—always left her skin silky.

      She liked the differences between her clients. Sometimes she wondered what things would have been like if she’d actually gone into massage therapy instead of going to work for Score. She wondered if she would be at a spa of some kind or out on her own. While her room at the company was hers to do with as she liked, it wasn’t exactly the same as having her own business. Of course, the upside of that was she also didn’t have to worry about her budget. If she wanted a new table or different linens or new anything, she simply had to tell Sam and he ordered it for her.

      But to be her own boss would be a different kind of challenge,