âOkay,â Nick said. âLetâs replay this. Body language 101. When you want to show a man youâre interested, face him.â He paused. âFace me.â
âOh,â she said and turned her body toward his.
âFlip your hair,â he said. âGuys like it when you mess with your hair,â he said.
Cecelia twirled a strand of her hair. âIs this okay?â
Nick felt a weird tug of attraction. âYeah, thatâs good. Remember to lean in and look like youâre listening to everything heâs saying,â he said.
Cecelia leaned in and twisted her hair again. âLike this?â
âYeah,â he said and met her gaze. Something strange flashed between them. He felt drawn to her in a way heâd never felt before. He lowered his head. âYeah,â he repeated and pressed his mouth against hers. Her lips were so soft, so sweet, and he wanted so much more.
Cecelia drew back. âYou kissed me,â she whispered. âWhy did you do that?â
âI donât know,â he said, pulling back and mentally swearing at himself. Why had he kissed her? He had clearly gone crazy.
Chapter One
Thank goodness she wasnât attracted to him, Cecelia Clifton thought as she looked at Nick Pritchett. Sheâd known the carpenter for what felt like forever. They went all the way back to a shared childhood in Thunder Canyon. And now she frequently shared an after-work beer or water with him at the Ace in the Hole, the local backcountry bar in Rust Creek Falls, Montana. Built like a football player, Nick was all muscle. With blond hair and blue eyes full of humor and flirtatiousness, he wore his all-American looks with ease. Cecelia knew better than to fall for him, though. Nick had a good heart, but he wasnât interested in marriage.
Cecelia tossed another dart at the board and smiled.
Nick groaned in pain. âGive me a break, Cece. A guy needs a win every now and then.â
âFrom what I hear, youâre winning all the time with all the women you have wrapped around your finger,â she said. Ever since Lissa Rourke, a volunteer with a charitable organization from New York, had blogged about the cowboys in Rust Creek after last summerâs Great Flood, a new type of visitor had been gracing the streets of townâyoung single ladies from around the country looking for love. As Lissa had spent time working hard to help Rust Creek Falls, sheâd also found love with the local sheriff. Cecelia couldnât deny part of the reason sheâd come to Rust Creek was for a boost in her love life, but so far, sheâd experienced zip in the romance department.
âDo you ever think about going back to Thunder Canyon?â she asked as she watched him send a dart soaring.
She noticed his dart landed closer to the bullâs-eye than hers had.
Nick frowned at her. âWhy would I do that? Rust Creek is still bailing out from the big flood. Plus, theyâve welcomed me with open arms,â he said with a scalawag grin.
âYes, they have,â Cecelia said drily and took her turn. She hit the closest to a bullâs-eye ever in this game.
Nick cursed under his breath. âYou havenât fallen in love with the town?â
âI have,â she said. âIn a way.â She paused. âBut...â
He glanced at her. âBut what?â
âI donât know,â she said. âI came here with wide eyes with Jazzy. Sheâs married and super busy now. I feel, well...â She didnât want to say the rest.
Cecelia and her best friend, Jasmine âJazzyâ Cates, had come to Rust Creek Falls together to find romanceâand, of course, help the town with the recovery efforts after the flood the previous summer. Along the way, Jazzy had taken a job with local vet Brooks Smith. Their working relationship soon led to wedding bells. Only Cecelia knew the truthâthat their quick vows were really a marriage of convenience, so that Brooks could convince his ailing father to let him take over the practice. Soon though, true love won out, and Brooks and Jazzy were as much in love as could be.
âDonât tell me you were hoping for a Rust Creek cowboy,â Nick said.
âI was hoping for a fresh start and maybe a relationship,â she said and took a sip of her water. âWhatâs wrong with that?â