Her Hidden Falls Bodyguard Billionaire Cowboy - Taylor Hart Page 0,5
Angela’s heart racing, and she hated that she was blushing. “No.”
Madison laughed at her. “For your information, there is no resisting a Hardman man when they’ve decided something.”
“I’m not you,” Angela said a little wistfully. Angela thought of Madison’s story, of how she and Kane had finally found each other after ten years apart.
Jewel wagged a finger at her. “It’s true. Who knew Kent and I would ever be together after I broke his heart when we were young? Sometimes life gives us the perfect lemonade, even when we think we’re in the middle of a lemon.”
Angela held up her arm and pointed to a bracelet with a star. “Actually, I’m fending off love at the moment.”
All the women erupted into laughter.
Angela couldn’t help but laugh herself. She stood and waved goodbye. “I don’t have to stay and endure this torture.”
“Wait,” Charlotte said. “We just want true love for you.”
“Yeah,” Star added. “You pushed me into true love, don’t you remember?”
Angela pushed at the door and gave them all a withering glare. A mock one, but a glare nonetheless. "I told you. Marriage, love, babies? Not gonna happen, ladies!”
They heckled after her, but she let the door close and marched back to her shop, coffee in hand.
Too bad she couldn’t maintain her fake pride for long, because the man standing at the door of her shop was the exact man they’d all been teasing her about. He was in uniform, too, which always added another layer of attraction and panic for her.
“Sean?” she breathed.
He pulled his sunglasses down and grinned at her. “I just got some news. Can we talk?”
Chapter 4
This was nothing less than the best worst day of Sean’s life. He had big news to share, news that he’d never thought he’d get.
“Of course.” Angela opened her shop and waved him in. “Sorry, the scent of orange zest is strong. I’ve been making new blinds.” She quickly moved and adjusted a fan by the diffuser, then rushed back to the door and propped it open.
The scent hit Sean hard enough that he almost reeled back. “Wow, that is strong.” He spotted the coffee cup from Charlotte’s and grinned. “Been talking to the girls, have you?” He didn’t really want to do small talk, but he didn’t know how to get to the big news any sooner without it. He wasn’t sure how to tell Angela what he wanted to tell her—what he needed to tell her. The biggest news he’d ever received.
“Yep,” she said, holding her large mug out to him. “Want some?”
He hesitated, then accepted the mug and took a sip. With a grimace, he said, “Too much cream.” Lately, they had fallen into this habit, swapping food or coffee or whatever and then explaining why they didn’t like what the other had.
She grunted. “Your black coffee is brutal for me.”
“I know.”
Their eyes met, and he felt that zing of attraction that he always felt around her.
Abruptly, she turned to the package on her desk and busied herself with opening it.
He wanted her attention. “Angela.”
She glanced at him. “Yes.”
“Can you hold still for a second?” Sean moved to her side.
She put the package down and faced him. “Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
He grinned at her, feeing all kinds of things he hadn’t wanted to feel for this woman. “I’m going in. I just needed to tell you my news.” And maybe he was hoping for another kiss. But he wouldn’t say that to her. His palms were sweaty, and his palms were never sweaty.
“Okay.” Angela leaned back on her little desk. “I’m ready.”
He let out a long breath. “For a few years, I’ve been trying to get on with the FBI.”
“I remember you mentioning that a time or two,” she said carefully.
“Well, today I got the news. They want me.”
Her eyebrows rose.
“They want to recruit me, have me go to the academy to train in Virginia, and then I’d be a field agent.”
Angela said nothing. She just looked at him.
It was a lot to take in, he knew. He stumbled on. “I haven’t even told my family yet. Of course, they know I’ve tried out in years past, but I’ve never gotten it. For the life of me, I can’t understand why they are coming to call at this point.” Excitement pulsed through him. “This has been my dream for a long, long time. I have to decide soon, because it’s saddle up in three days.”
Angela put her coffee down, crossing her arms and looking thoughtful.