Her Hidden Falls Bodyguard Billionaire Cowboy - Taylor Hart Page 0,2

where Charlotte and Ryan had their organic farm and some real estate development against the falls. Kane and Jewel had built a nice home along the river. Sean was glad that they seemed to be settling in nicely.

He gazed out at the other side of the valley. Kent’s house—a vacation home, more or less—was almost finished. Kent worked as a surgeon in Charleston, and Madison worked at a law firm part time. They weren’t in Hidden Falls nearly as much as Sean would have liked, but they were all here currently.

He pulled in a long breath. Satisfaction, he figured, would be the word for the day.

Unless he thought of Angela and that kiss last night.

Heaviness settled in the center of his chest. After kissing him a long time, Angela had gently pushed him back and told him a relationship wasn’t in the cards for her.

What the heck did cards have to do with it?

Sometimes, when they were together, he saw flashes of what they could be. It had been a very slow process. Sean was fine with slow. His brothers had teased him his whole life about his romantic side, about how he quoted poetry and yearned to find someone and settle down. If it took some time, that was fine. Nothing bothered him too much. Yet now, with Angela, he wanted it to go faster. They’d been dating on and off for over two years.

Strike that. He’d been wanting to date her that long.

The truth was that they’d just become close friends. Every time he tried to get close to her, she threw up a million walls, so he’d relegated himself to being her friend. It felt like that was the only way she’d tolerate a continual presence in her life.

So fine. Friends they were.

He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and rubbed the sweat budding on his forehead. He’d told the ranch foreman, Tom, that he would help do some branding this morning. He had a shift at the police station at four, and he wanted to stop at Angela’s before that. And maybe after, too, depending on her mood. He took off, riding back toward his home. The brand-new, empty home that he’d just finished.

He pressed Pepper faster, not wanting to strain the horse, but needing some speed. As the wind whipped at his face, he thought of the words of Hamlet. My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go.

Ugh. Not even Shakespeare was helping.

He said a little prayer. “Lord, help show me the way with Angela.”

Chapter 3

After her little episode that morning, Angela had pulled herself together. She was fine. Just fine. She’d scanned the dark web again, making sure that nothing else was said about her or the picture. Who could have recognized her?

Rafael. Her gut knew that had to be the answer. Of course, she had her bug-out bag ready to go. It was hidden beneath her bed and stuffed with all of the necessary things she would need to start over again, if she had to.

S. Was this S enough to leave her life?

Her gut told her yes, she should go. Her heart told her no, she should stay. The warring options sparked turmoil within her. She hesitated with the inventory, putting down a new box of oils she’d received yesterday. Could she do it again? Start over?

What did this S know? Was someone watching her? It must be some fluke. Some mistake. Or, if they had found her through that picture, they didn’t know where she was … yet.

She squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to plaster on a smile. Angela Orion needed to wear this smile around town, greeting her friends and her customers later that day. Mothers would come in for oils to treat ailments for themselves or their families, and teenagers after school would want to ask for a love potion—which she never gave them. She would often give them some orange zest and a confidence boost, but she always reminded them that true love had to take its own course.

Again, Sean’s face flashed into her mind. No. She wouldn’t think of Sean or his lips. But the memory couldn’t be denied, and she closed her eyes for a second and relived the kiss. Warmth rushed through her, and it was with reluctance that she pushed all of those feelings away. She wouldn’t think of the kind way he held every door for her when he was around. Or the