âThereâs an old inn legend,â Abby said.
She glanced at Josh in his heavy coat and boots as he stood in the innâs yard, white snow surrounding him. He was focused intently on her. âIf two people kiss in the heart-shaped shadow the rising full moon creates on this tree, they will fall in love with each other for the rest of their lives.â
âHave you ever kissed in the shadow?â a deep voice asked beside her.
She turned to peek at Josh, thankful for the darkness that hid the blush warming her cheeks. âNo, I havenât. Thereâlook, Josh, I think the shadow is forming,â she whispered, watching the shifting dark patterns on the dazzling white snow.
âWe canât waste that,â Josh said, taking her hand and hurrying down the steps.
âJosh, we canâtââ
He rushed her over to stand in the heart-shaped shadow. âItâs only a kiss.â
âThis is absurd,â she said, laughing, her heart pounding wildly. âSuppose it comes true? We donât even know each other. Youâre tempting fate.â
He smiled at her, then pulled her to him.
* * *
Kissed by a Rancher is part of USA TODAY bestselling author Sara Orwigâs Lone Star Legends series.
One
Josh Calhoun glanced at the red neon sign glowing through the swirling snow. The windows of the Beckett Café were frosted, so he couldnât see if it had closed for the night. As hungry as he was, he was far more interested in finding a bed. Highway patrol troopers had closed the roads, and he couldnât even get back to the tiny airport to sleep on a cold hangar floor or inside his plane. He glanced at the cabâs clock: a few minutes past ten. He felt as if it should be around 1:00 a.m.
The taxi left the two blocks of one-story buildings, shops and neon behind as the main street of Beckett, Texas, was swallowed in a white world of howling wind and blowing snow. In spite of the warmth of the cab, Josh shivered. He pulled his jacket collar up while he peered outside at the uninviting storm.
In minutes he spotted a sign swinging in the wind, a spotlight on the ground throwing a strong beam over the announcement of the Donovan Bed and Breakfast Inn. Glumly he stared at the bright red No Vacancy part of the sign.
Even wind-whipped snow could not hide the three-story Victorian-style house that loomed into view. A light glowed over the wraparound porch. Dark shutters flanked the wide windows spilling warm yellow light outside into the stormy night. The driver pulled to the curb.
âAsk for Abby Donovan. She runs the place,â the driver said.
âWill do. Iâll be right back.â
âIâll wait. Abbyâs a nice person. I donât think sheâll turn you out in the cold. Youâll see.â
Placing a broad-brimmed Stetson on his head, Josh stepped out of the warmth of the cab into the driving wind and streaming snow. Holding his hat against the battering wind, he trudged to the house to ring the bell. Through a window he could see a big living room with people inside and an inviting roaring fire in the fireplace.
When the door swung open, he momentarily forgot why he was there. A slender woman with huge, thickly lashed cornflower-blue eyes faced him. She wore a powder-blue sweater and jeans. He forgot the time, the howling storm and even his plight. Too captivated by eyes that widened and held him, Josh stood immobilized and silent until he realized how he stared at her.
âAbby Donovan?â His voice was husky, and he still was lost in her gaze.
She blinked as if as captured as he had been. âIâm Abby.â
âIâm Josh Calhoun. I flew in to see someone about buying a horse, and then I couldnât get back to the airport. I was told to see you about a place to stay. I know you have a No Vacancy sign out, but at this point, Iâm willing to sleep on the floor just to get in out of this blizzard.â
âIâm so sorry, but weâre overbooked. I already have people sleeping on the floor.â
âMy cabdriver canât get back to the airport. Theyâve closed the roads.â
âIâm sorry, but even the overflow space is taken here. Iâve let two people come in tonight who will sleep on sofas, and we have two on pallets on the floor. Thatâs the most I can possibly accommodate. I have eighteen adults in rooms, plus nine children. Four other people live here at least part of the time. I donât have extra blankets or pillows nowââ
âI stopped and bought blankets and a pillow at the only store open in this town just as they closed. Iâm desperate.â