LITMIR.BIZ

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sit over there,” she called. “We’re discussing the rodeo and festival. We need your input.”

      Sam grinned from behind the counter. “You came in at the wrong time. Even App and Stanley hightailed it outta here the minute they all came marching in.”

      Luke looked around the room and realized it was all ladies sitting in the booths on one side of the diner, and the other side was empty. “Looks like I missed the memo.”

      “Yup. You did that. But yor here now, so you might as well dig in and bear it. I’ll brang you a nice, tall glass of sweet tea. You want a burger ta go with that?”

      “Funny, Sam. Real funny. A burger’s fine.” He crossed to the table next to the one Montana was sitting at. She didn’t look too thrilled to see him.

      “Hey, Montana, how are you?” he asked. She might not have a high opinion of him, but that wasn’t stopping him. After all, he wasn’t a bad guy, and maybe if she’d go out with him she’d see that. At least, maybe she’d see that he hadn’t deserved a glass of tea in the face.

      “Hi, how’s it going,” she said, looking uncomfortable.

      “Good.” He tipped his hat. “Hello, ladies.” He pulled a chair from a table, and was very aware of all their eyes on him. As they acknowledged him with hellos, he spoke to most of them individually. Many of them were around his age, and moved here in the last two years and married his friends.

      Montana took all the interaction in, and he wondered what she was thinking. These ladies knew he wasn’t a horrible person. Maybe this was a good thing.

      “How’s your morning going?” he asked her, leaning across the space toward her. “Did you get your riding done this morning?”

      “I did. Tate watched me from the play area while I took a few runs. He likes watching me and Murdock round the barrels.”

      Lacy held the little fella, who was standing up in his mother’s lap, looking pleased with himself.

      He started to ask how old Tate was, when Norma Sue began talking about all the things that were going on the opening day of the rodeo. He settled in, gave a sideways glance at Montana, who was particularly intent on everything Lacy and Norma Sue were saying. Luke hadn’t known they were having so many vendors coming in. The dunking booth, pie throwing, cow chip toss, three legged race; the list went on and on. He also didn’t know a small carnival was coming to town and setting up in one of the pastures.

      “A carnival is coming?” Montana asked, perking up in her seat.

      “Yes! Isn’t it exciting?” Lacy said. “I wanted to tell everyone today as a surprise. I just found out this morning. It’s not a big outfit. Just a few rides.”

      “I hope there’s a Ferris wheel,” Esther Mae said. “I just love those things.”

      “Yes, that’s one of the rides, and then there’s one of those octopus rides.”

      Esther Mae gasped. “I love that, too. This is going to be sooo much fun.”

      Montana nodded and he caught her lips twitch. He decided then and there that he was riding the rides with her. That might be a bigger challenge than getting her to go out to dinner with him.

      Meanwhile, Montana kept ignoring him, no matter that he sat just two feet away from her.

      Frustrated more than he liked to admit, he got up, made his goodbyes to all the ladies and headed down to pick up some supplies at Pete’s Feed and Seed. He was walking back to his truck a little while later when Montana drove past him in one of the Matlock Ranch trucks. She didn’t even glance his way.

      He almost followed her. After all, he needed to stop by Clint’s, and it might as well be now. He finally talked sense into himself and turned his truck toward his place instead. What was wrong with him?

      Montana didn’t think very highly of him. Following her around certainly wouldn’t help matters. Her opinion of him wasn’t looking any brighter than Erica’s. But truth be told, Montana’s opinion had him lying awake long after he’d fed his horses and Rover, his lab.

      Yup, Montana Brown had him stumped, and he wasn’t at all sure what he was going to do about it.

       Chapter Five

      On Sunday, Montana let her hair hang loose, put on a red dress and went to church with Lacy. It was quite an experience as she entered the quaint, white wooden church with the tall steeple.

      Chance Turner was the pastor of the Mule Hollow Church of Faith, and she’d met him briefly at the barbecue. He was around thirty, handsome and a total cowboy. Instead of a suit, he wore starched jeans, Western belt, starched shirt and cowboy boots. When he greeted her outside, he had on a cream-colored Stetson that he wore low over his eyes. It looked completely at home on his head, as did the rest of the Western attire he wore. She wondered what he would say if she told him about the anger that was rolling around in her gut. The anger toward her father that she couldn’t seem to shake. He seemed like he would offer some good advice. As she was leaving the service, the need to talk to someone tugged at her.

      She hesitated as she shook hands with him. “It was a great sermon,” was all she could bring herself to say.

      “Yes, it was,” Lacy agreed. “Chance always has a way of looking into hearts and touching on things we need to hear. I’m going to run and get Tate from the nursery. I’ll be right back.”

      She saw a flicker in the pastor’s eyes when he looked back at her, as if he knew something was going on in her head—or her heart. Did he realize that she was fighting a war inside?

      “I’m glad you enjoyed the service,” he said, his smile fading to a more serious one. “Is there anything I can do for you, Montana?”

      Her stomach went bottomless. “N … no. I’m fine.” Liar, liar pants on fire—the childhood chant rang in her ears.

      His eyes narrowed slightly, digging, as if he’d heard through her denial. He smiled encouragingly. “I’m sure you are. But if you change your mind, I’m easy to find and I’m always ready to listen.”

      “Thank you, Pastor Turner.”

      “We’re pretty laid-back here. Call me Chance. Did you get to meet my wife, Lynn?”

      “I did, and your boys, too.”

      He smiled. “You have to watch out for those two.”

      “They’re boys. It was nice to meet you.” She turned to leave.

      “Remember, if you need to talk, the door is always open. Lynn helps out up here, too, and she’s here if you wanted to talk to her.”

      “I’ll remember that. Bye.” She couldn’t get away quick enough. Her heart was reeling with the heaviness and confusion she was carrying inside of it. What to do?

      She was almost running to find Lacy as she rounded the corner, getting away from Chance’s knowing gaze. She very nearly ran over Luke in the process.

      “Whoa! You running barrels without your horse?” he asked, dodging her, jumping off the sidewalk.

      “Um, yes. I mean no.” There was nowhere for her to go, though she would have liked to avoid the cowboy. Small towns made avoiding a person hard. But it really didn’t matter, she told herself. After all, she’d made her position on dating clear. She hadn’t seen him during the service, though she’d been looking around for him—there was no denying that she’d been looking for his handsome face in the crowd.

      “You look like you’re in a hurry. Is everything all right?”

      “Yes. I was going to look for Lacy and then head out. I’m planning on riding this afternoon.” Why was she explaining herself? What was it about the man that made her so defensive. Then again, maybe it was the entire morning that made her defensive. Attending church when

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