Be My Guest (3 page)

The two ate in silence for a few moments.
Aurora glanced at him from under her lashes, hoping he wouldn't
notice her interest. Visions appeared in her mind with him as the
cowboy in a western movie. In her mind's eye she saw him calmly
riding across the range into the sunset, or racing after the bad
guys. I wouldn't mind being rescued by this cowboy. Not at all.

Finally, she raised her eyes and flashed him
a devilish smile, "Will, huh? Not Billy Bob?"

Will glared at her. Just when he forgave
her, she started in on him again. This woman got under his skin in
more ways than one. He put down his burger and wiped his hand on
his jeans before he offered her the hand. In the confined space of
the booth, this required placing his hand almost in her lap.
"William Riley Harrison here."

Aurora wiped her hands with a napkin and
twisted to accept the hand he offered. "Aurora Kathleen
O'Shaughnessy," she said as their eyes met again, "and please don't
make any Irish jokes--believe me, I've heard them all. It really is
my name, and I'm as American as you are."

As he grasped her hand and peered into her
eyes, prickles moved along the back of her neck. Even her toes
tingled. She gasped for breath. Could everyone in the restaurant
hear her heart pounding? Get yourself under control. You're a
mature woman of twenty-eight, not a school girl of thirteen.

Will chuckled and released her hand. "I
guess a lot of people comment on your name. I don't think I've ever
before met an Aurora."

"It's a family name. Grandmother Aurora was
named after the town of Aurora. That's what Port Arthur, where I'm
from, was first called."

"And what are you doing in Snyder?" Before
she could answer, he nodded toward the guidebook that lay on the
table. "You must be new in town. I saw you studying the guidebook
when I came in."

She nodded and waited until she finished
chewing a French fry. "Actually, I'm just passing through. I'm on
my way west. I plan to join old Route 66 at Amarillo and follow it
to Flagstaff, Arizona. Then I'm heading back north and east through
Colorado to Aurora to see my namesake town there. I'll come back
east a little to end up in the Durango area."

Was that disappointment she saw on Will's
face? It flashed across his face before he countered, "Why
Colorado?"

"I went to the area north of Fort Worth that
once housed a community called Aurora. Maybe you remember the
historical trivia about a space ship hoax there in the late 1800's.
Anyway, now I want to see Aurora, Colorado. After that, I thought
maybe I'd like to settle down in Durango."

Again Will countered with a question. "There
are other towns named Aurora. Why stop in Colorado and settle in
Durango?"

"My family vacationed there several times.
My folks have a friend in Durango who plans to sell her gift store.
I'll work with her at the store for a few months to decide if I
want to buy the place. She plans to retire in January."

Aurora took the last bite of her hamburger
and swallowed it before asking, "What about you? Do you live in
Snyder?"

Will leaned back in his seat. "No, I have
the Flying Horseshoes Ranch about thirty miles from here. It's
closer to Post than to Snyder."

"Hmm. You look like a cowboy, but you don't
talk like a cowboy. Aren't you supposed to say things like yup and
dogie?"

His meal finished, he hooked his thumbs in
his belt loops and leaned against the back of the seat. In spite of
her solemn her face, Aurora's eyes sparkled. Surely those sparkles
indicated at least a little interest in him as a man. Maybe this
dating thing wouldn't be so hard after all.

He spoke thoughtfully, as if considering her
question carefully. "Well, I guess I'm a real disappointment to
anyone who expects the Hollywood image of the simple, rustic
cowboy. Gary Cooper I'm not."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, you mean
like in that movie Along Came Jones? I love that old movie, don't
you? Okay, so you're not limited to yup and nope. What kind of
cowboy are you?"

"Hmm, well, a business man/cowboy
combination, I guess." He acted as if he’d never before categorized
himself. "Officially, my undergraduate degree from Texas A and M is
in Ranch Management, and I have a Master's in Business." He gave a
shrug of his shoulder. "I think I'm just a typical West Texas
rancher. I'm in town today as guest lecturer on local history to a
class at the college."

Excitement bubbled up in Aurora. He neither
looked nor acted typical to her. Aurora forgot her earlier resolve
and hoped this handsome cowboy would volunteer to show her around
the area personally.

"Oh, really? I'm a devoted history buff
myself. Maybe you could make a few suggestions for a half day's
tour of the town," As he reached for her guidebook across the
table, Aurora saw the gold band on the third finger of his left
hand. The depth of disappointment shooting through her surprised
her as her eyes scanned his deeply tanned face. Yes, definitely
very handsome in a rugged way, and intelligent too. What a
combination. Just as well he's taken, she said to herself. You
don't need to complicate your life right now.

Silent while he glanced at the information
for Snyder and Post, she saw his eyes move as he quickly took in
the information. When he returned to the Snyder portion of the
guidebook, he half-turned and leaned toward her. It seemed as if he
folded her into his body while he pointed to items on the page.

Will recognized in a blinding flash as the
implications of his action hit him. This was exactly what he
wanted, he realized with a shock, to gather her in his arms. Could
it have only been a few hours ago he thought he would never find a
woman to interest him? Here he sat, responding to this woman as if
he'd known her all of his life. How could he recognize a kindred
spirit after a chance meeting?

"You should see the museum at the
college--that's the Scurry County Museum here at Western Texas
College. Oh, don't miss the statue of the white buffalo on the
court house square if you didn't see it earlier."

He glanced at his watch, "I've an
appointment in a little while to get this cast changed. If you plan
to be around later, I'd like to be your guide for the area. There
are quite a few interesting places in Scurry and Garza counties
omitted from this book."

Aurora fumed to herself. What would you tell
your wife, you handsome rat? The nerve of this man! Her answer came
cool and remote. "Thanks, but on second thought I'll just spend a
few hours here and head on to Lubbock. I'm already behind
schedule." Aurora wiped her lips and hands with a fresh napkin from
the dispenser on the table. She pasted a frosty smile on her lips.
"This time, however, I'm staying on the main highway."

As she reached for the check, a large hand
covered hers. Will slid the check from her with his other hand. An
electric shock traveled from her hand and spread throughout her
body. The touch of his hands jolted her entire being.

So this is what you've come to, she thought.
Now you're turned-on by a married man. Have you gone crazy? She
quickly withdrew her hand and slipped the strap of her handbag onto
her shoulder.

His voice came firm and friendly. "I told
you I recanted on making you pay the check. After all, you're a
guest in the area." Her stomach flip-flopped when Will flashed his
devastating smile again. "I guess I'd also better withdraw on my
vow to have you make good on that kiss you blew to me outside."

"Thank you." Aurora flushed and chewed on
her bottom lip, then became distant once more. "Since you're being
gracious, I'll let you take care of the check. Well, thanks again
for the food and sightseeing tips. It's difficult for you to get
up, so I'll just use an unconventional exit route."

Aurora quickly stood on the seat and stepped
over the back of her booth onto the now empty seat of the booth
behind them. She stepped down onto the floor and escaped, ignoring
the stares of the staff and the other diners.

Will sat a few minutes longer, puzzled by
Aurora's change in attitude and hasty exit. While they ate, they
talked pleasantly and--once his initial anger subsided--he enjoyed
her company. Obviously they shared some things in common and
certainly he saw an interested sparkle in her eyes several times.
He knew his lack of practice could not have mistaken the
flirtatious twinkle in her emerald eyes or the inviting smile of
her rosy lips. Out of practice he might be, but he sure wasn’t
dead.

Why did her manner suddenly change? Had he
become so rusty in communication with women that he completely
misread her interest? No, something changed about the time they
finished eating. He reviewed their conversation but found nothing
he said or did to cause the sudden frost in her attitude. Will
reached for the crutches and, in doing so, looked down at his own
hand. The wedding ring--that must be it! Damn! He grabbed the
crutches angrily and cursed to himself. His discussion with Kelly
earlier that morning flashed through his mind. That wedding ring
had scared her off just as Kelly predicted it would.

For the first time since the death of his
wife, he wanted to spend time with a woman. Now that he’d met a
woman who actually interested him, not only was she just passing
through town but she thought him a philandering heel--a married man
ready to cheat on his wife. No wonder her attitude changed. Will
ran his hand through his hair and wished for a second chance with
the auburn haired beauty.

The impulse to rush to the college museum,
find her, and explain receded. His leg hurt like hell, and reminded
him of his doctor's appointment in fifteen minutes. Reluctantly, he
paid and went to the orthopedic clinic nearby, and the office there
of his friend Nick Harris. Maybe he could catch up with Aurora at
the museum after his appointment with Nick.

Of all times, Nick and his staff picked this
one to move in slow motion. Will thought they planned to waste all
afternoon taking care of his leg. Finally Nick changed the cast on
Will's left leg to a shorter, lighter one. Will hurried to the
college museum parking lot to searching for the blue Mustang Aurora
drove. No luck. It was nowhere in sight.

After a pass by the courthouse with no sight
of Aurora or her car, Will gave up and started home. All day
thunderclouds gathered overhead. Now they turned ominous with loud
rumbles and lightning flashed across the sky. Rain fell in giant
drops, slowly at first but rapidly increased in intensity. Damned
if the weather didn’t match his mood.

* * *

After a quick tour of the college museum,
Aurora decided to visit the college library to research some
history of the area. She became so engrossed in taking notes she
lost track of time. The sound of rolling thunder caught her
attention. With only a glance at the library clock, she continued
her research for several minutes more. Flickering lights convinced
her she needed to be on her way.

With regret Aurora thought of the handsome
cowboy she had hurriedly left in the restaurant. He seemed so nice
and shared many of her interests. In addition, he appeared both
literate and intelligent. Wouldn't it be great to have someone like
him as a guide of the area as he offered? She sighed. Wouldn't it
be great to have someone like him for anything?

Just goes to show you're not as good a judge
of character as you thought. Better stick to your plans. Business
and independence first, then romance--on your terms.

The rational part of her mind realized the
town of Snyder and its residents could not be blamed for her near
abduction nor for her encounter with a cheating husband. In her
current emotional state, though, the day's experiences soured her
on Snyder.

Eager to move on and put all reminders of
her unpleasant experiences behind her, she decided if it meant
missing something interesting here, so be it. The next town of Post
seemed the perfect destination for the night. Tomorrow she could
explore the area using her notes from the library.

Thoughts of cheating men opened old wounds.
In her mind she heard her last conversation with Russell Carpenter,
her former fiancé. Okay, she knew she seemed prone to overwork, to
push herself too hard to achieve her goals. She refused to accept
the label a cold, calculating machine as Russell accused. In fact,
she decided from her reaction to that cowboy today that she
remained very much a flesh and blood woman.

Wait. How could this be? Never had Russell's
touch made her tingle as she did today at the touch of that cowboy.
In retrospect she realized no man ever affected her in that way
before Will Harrison. Long ago she decided such feelings occurred
only in story books. Until today. Now she must revise that opinion.
This information rocked her so that she stopped in her steps,
oblivious to the pouring rain.

So, what were her feelings for Russell?
Comfortable. She found his kisses pleasant, but they evoked no
skyrockets or bells. True, Russell's smile reassured her, but it
never made her stomach do those weird flip flops. His touch aroused
her, but sent no tingles coursing through her body. In fact, the
feeling most evoked by Russell was one of being comfortable, not
arduous. Was that all?

Russell represented safety and comfort. How
could she have been so stupid? It never occurred to her to expect
more. He might as well be her brother or cousin.

Whoa! How could a chance encounter with a
stranger induce such tingling in her if Russell never had that
effect? Oh, my, obviously Russell had not been the right man for
her, after all. She thanked her lucky stars they hadn't married.
How weird to consider herself fortunate he’d jilted her.

Today’s encounter gave her broken romance a
new perspective. A whole range of emotions she formerly thought of
as improbable, if not impossible, now seemed attainable.
Hallelujah!