AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter One
Abbie shifted her weight from one foot to the other in the crowded store. She realized that it was a mistake to come on a busy Saturday. Everyone seemed to be there, including their family members and pets.
She glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of what was happening at the front of the line. She couldn’t see anything because the man in front of her was tall and she couldn’t see over him without leaving the line, which she would never do. All she could see was his back, covered by a sheepskin coat and on his head was a brown cowboy hat. His hair had streaks of gray and reached his collar.
Abbie tried to imagine what he looked like under the hat. As she tried to sneak a look at his face, she lost her balance and stumbled into him. He turned quickly, and their eyes met. His dark gaze reminded her of rich dark chocolate, framed by thick eyelashes. He scowled at her.
Despite his rugged features, he was not exactly gorgeous, his nose had been broken at some point and there was a thin, jagged scar running through his left cheekbone toward the corner of his mouth, but yet, there was something sexy about him. Abbie guessed he was in his forties based on his appearance.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, feeling embarrassed. He just nodded and turned back to the front. “Oh, that’s okay. No problem,” she added in a low voice, trying to sound like a man.
When he looked at her again, he raised an eyebrow. She shrugged and looked away quickly, relieved when he turned back around. The line moved along, and it was finally the unpleasant cowboy’s turn.
“Hey Creed, what can I get for you?” asked the clerk behind the counter.
Abbie wondered if Creed was his first or last name as she watched him place an order. He spoke in a deep voice that could rival Trace Adkins. Without any struggle, he picked up the large bag of dog food and placed it on the counter.
“Alright, we’ll let you know when your order is ready,” said Junior, the clerk.
Creed gave him a nod of thanks before turning to leave. As he walked past her, he glanced at Abbie once more, frowned, and then moved away.
Abbie let out a sigh of relief and stepped forward to place her own order for cat food before wandering through the store to wait for her turn. She took in the various scents of the feed store; leather, livestock feed, and probably some manure too.
Two years ago, her husband, Jeremy divorced her, and now he was engaged to the woman he cheated on her with. Despite being heartbroken, Abbie knew deep down that the divorce was for the best. It just took her some time to come to terms with it. Jeremy never loved her, or else he wouldn’t have had an affair. And not just a fling, but a long-term relationship with the other woman. The only satisfaction Abbie found in the situation was knowing that it wouldn’t last. Jeremy was in for a rude awakening. She knew the new woman would never be faithful; it was just who she was. But Jeremy couldn’t see it yet. He would eventually, though, Abbie thought with a small smile.
As she browsed around the quaint store, she froze when she saw the cowboy again. He was examining the tack hanging on the wall. She couldn’t help but stare at him. Tall men were one of her weaknesses. However, this particular one didn’t seem very pleasant.
When he grabbed a cinch and turned from the rack, she quickly spun around and pretended to be interested in the row of cowboy hats. Smirking, she reached for a black felt hat, removed her beanie, and placed it on her head.
She walked over to the mirror and studied her reflection, glancing into the mirror at the cowboy behind her. Raising an eyebrow at him, she asked playfully, “How do I look?”
“Looks good on you... for a city slicker,” he responded.
Abbie turned around to face him directly. “You think I’m a city slicker?”
“No ma’am,” he drawled. “I don’t think you are... I know you are.”
“Oh really? And how do you know that?” Abbie challenged.
His eyes wandered over her outfit before meeting hers again with a smirk. “Designer jeans, leather jacket, and I’d bet any money those snow boots were expensive.”
“That doesn’t mean anything,” Abbie retorted. “I’m sure many women around here dress the same.”
The cowboy shook his head. “Only the ones who recently moved here and want to play cowgirl without knowing how. Can you even ride a horse?”
“I fail to see how that’s any of your business,” Abbie snapped.
He chuckled, and it transformed his entire appearance. Abbie noticed for the first time how sexy his lips were, and despite the slight crooked nose and scar on his face, he was dangerously good-looking. His teeth were white and perfect. The more she looked at him, the more she found the scar only added to his allure, and she couldn’t deny her growing interest in him.
“It’s not my concern,” he replied nonchalantly. “But you just answered my question. You’re either a tourist or visiting someone—”
“I live here,” Abbie interjected. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“You need to learn how to fit in here, sweetheart. Clifton is not a place for fancy folks like you. We’re down-to-earth people, cowboys, ranchers, and farmers. You won’t blend in with those clothes.”
“I know it’s not a fancy town. I was born and raised in Spring City,” she snapped back as he raised an eyebrow.
“Is that so? Could have fooled me.”
