LITMIR.BIZ

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“I’m Landon. But don’t mind me, I’m just getting more coffee.”

      Rachel stared, her mouth slightly open.

      Mallory chuckled. “I don’t believe it. Rachel is speechless.”

      “Oh, my God,” Rachel said, with a quick glance at Kylie. “You have so much to tell us.”

      “Thanks, Mallory. You couldn’t leave well enough alone?” Kylie saw that Landon had drained the coffee and was about to make another pot. “Go,” she said, taking the filters from him and pointing to the kitchen. “I’ll take care of this.”

      “Oh, no.” Rachel pressed a hand to her tummy. “The smell will kill me.”

      “Then you’d better leave,” Kylie said, already measuring the grounds.

      “That’s so mean.”

      “I’ll talk to you later.”

      “Come on, Rach.” Mallory took her arm and steered her toward the door.

      “I’m Rachel Gunderson,” she called to Landon. “I look forward to visiting with you.”

      He stopped and turned. “Any relation to Matt Gunderson?”

      “Who do you think knocked me up?” Rubbing her stomach, she sighed as Mallory dragged her outside.

      “Matt’s wife?” Landon asked once the door closed.

      Kylie nodded. “They have a ranch south of here. Do you know him?”

      “I’ve met him. I used to see him around before he left the tour. I’d forgotten he was from around here.” He glanced out the window. “Matt’s a champion bull rider. He was at the top of his game when he just up and quit. He shocked everybody.”

      “Oh, you mean because there really is life after rodeo?” She immediately regretted her sarcasm but there was nothing to do about it now.

      Landon shook his head. “It’s not unheard of. What’s he doing these days? Raising cattle?”

      “Primarily. The Lone Wolf has been in his family for generations, but I think his focus is on raising rodeo stock. He’s already produced two champion bulls.”

      “So you are keeping up with rodeo news?”

      “No. They’re my friends. I keep up with them.” Kylie poured in the water, grateful she had a reason to avoid Landon’s gaze.

      He wasn’t so quick to fill the silence. He leaned against the counter, watching her. “What’s going on here, Kylie?”

      “Nothing.”

      “I understand why you’re hurt and angry with Gary but—”

      “Was hurt and angry. Past tense. I rarely think about him anymore.” She saw doubt in his eyes and shrugged. “Believe what you want but that’s the truth. I’m happy here. I have friends. Real friends.” She noticed his slight cringe. She hadn’t meant it as a jab.

      “Are you staying with your aunt?”

      “I did for the first couple months. Then Mallory, the woman with Rachel, moved, and I took over the house she’d been renting. It’s small, just two bedrooms, but it has a big porch, a nice backyard, and it’s right off Main Street.”

      “Sounds perfect for you.”

      “It is.” She noticed he’d shifted his weight. “Let’s go back to the kitchen so you can sit down.”

      Without arguing, he turned around. “Mind grabbing that crutch for me?”

      It was the one he’d left behind so he could carry his mug. Instead of waiting for her to pass it to him, he limped into the kitchen ahead of her.

      Kylie shot a glance out the window to make sure no customers were about to come in before she followed him. “Something’s wrong with this picture.”

      He looked at the crutch she held up. “I don’t need it. I just didn’t want it in your way.” He sure looked relieved when he sank onto the chair, though.

      “So what, it’s just for decoration?”

      “I meant I didn’t need it for this short a distance.”

      “Ah.” She leaned the crutch on the island where he could reach it.

      “Hey, I’ve been doing everything the physical therapist instructed me to do. You think I wanna stay benched? Every rodeo I sit out costs me money and a chance at the finals.”

      Kylie darted him a look but he’d shut down. His expression went blank. “You must be ranked high to be thinking about the finals.”

      He shrugged. “I was doing pretty well until this happened.” He gestured to the injured leg and practically snarled. “Talk about lousy timing.”

      “I can’t imagine there’s ever a good time for a broken leg,” she said, and went to the sink and washed her hands. “I, on the other hand, do have a timing issue. I need to have this order ready by twelve-thirty.”

      Landon looked at the old clock on the wall beside the pantry and smiled. The picture of a fancy cupcake was captioned with I Bake in big bold letters, followed by so I don’t strangle people in a dainty cursive used to hang in her kitchen. “You still have that.”

      “I tried getting rid of it but somehow it just wouldn’t stay in the donation box.” Her laugh ended in a sigh at the sight of the mangled cupcake. “Too bad you don’t like chocolate cupcakes.”

      “Who says I don’t?”

      “Are you kidding? I must have made thousands of cupcakes over the years, and I don’t think you touched a single one of them.”

      “Only because I knew you were filling orders. I didn’t want to screw up your count.”

      She hadn’t yet iced the six extra she’d made for the display case, so she snitched one from under the dish towel, then turned to Landon. “Well, you were the only one.” She should’ve known, she thought. Landon had always been considerate like that. And Gary, who should’ve been supportive of her fledgling home business, well, he’d been just as bad as the rest of his thoughtless buddies.

      At times he’d treated her like his personal maid, minus a paycheck. And what had Kylie done about it? Nothing. She’d made excuses for him, to herself, to her friends, to her mom...although that was easy. Her mother never had a problem giving a man a pass.

      Thinking back to those horrible days shamed Kylie to her core. She couldn’t bear to imagine what Landon had thought of her lack of backbone. And then to make things worse, she had a sudden flashback to that day she and Landon had almost kissed.

      At the memory, her cheeks flamed. Why did her brain have to dig all that up now? This was exactly why Kevin was the right kind of man for her. She’d always know where he stood, and that job emergencies notwithstanding, when he’d be home each night.

      “Kylie?” Landon’s tone suggested this wasn’t the first time he’d tried to get her attention.

      Finally she looked at him, but it wasn’t easy.

      “What are you gonna do with that?” he asked, nodding at the ruined cupcake. “I’d be happy to take it off your hands.”

      “I thought you watched what you ate.”

      “Yeah, well, I’m allowed to cheat now and then. Especially when something smells this good.”

      Kylie heard the jingle of the bell over the door and handed Landon the cupcake. “I’ll be right out,” she called as she took off her apron.

      “Take your time,” Joe Hopkins replied in a gravelly voice.

      “Stay here while I talk to Joe.”

      Landon put his hands up. “Whatever you say.”

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