Spurs and Heels (2 page)

* * * *

Ash gently grasped her wrist. “At least tell Grace good-bye.” He might be a man, but he understood Juliana was fighting tears and wouldn’t want him to see her like that.

Trying to egg her on a little and get her to show some of the spunk and spirit he knew she hid beneath her cool exterior, he said, “Don’t run like a coward.” Unfortunately, she didn’t take it the way he planned.

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“I am no coward,
Mister Helper,
and you can kiss my lily-white ass!” she hissed. She yanked her arm away from him and stomped down to the end of the wraparound porch.

Ash smiled as he watched that gorgeous redhead disappear from sight. He’d been partially successful. She’d shown that there was definitely a fire burning in there, but he’d not succeeded in getting her to stay. His consolation, however, was in watching the aforementioned ass twitch and sway as she angrily walked away.

“Mm-mm-mm. I’d gladly pay money to kiss that sexy ass.” He’d replay that lovely image in his mind later.
Left, right, left.

She had a body that wouldn’t quit, she was newly single, and she had him hard as a steel pole. His cock didn’t appreciate being blocked, and he reminded himself she wasn’t the type to put out easily anyway. “Down, boy.”

* * * *

Juliana glumly stared at the box of Lawrence’s personal effects sitting on the chair opposite her desk when Leah Woodworth walked in, clipboard under her arm. Leah had graduated from Baylor University the month before and returned to Divine with a freshly inked degree in business management. Juliana was under orders from Doug Woodworth, the store’s owner and Leah’s father, to allow her to implement some of the knowledge she’d acquired. Doug wanted to put some of that book learning he’d spent so much money on to good use.

Juliana’s stress level increased with every change. Leah had
a lot
of ideas. She’d known Leah since she was a little girl and had even hired her to work at the store while she was a high school student. But her head was filled with theory, some of which was not proven in a small town environment.

“Hi, sweetie. What’s up?” Juliana asked as Leah sat down and smiled at her.

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“Is Daddy making you crazy?”

Juliana chuckled and nodded. “A little, but he’s always done that.

I agreed to try your ideas, but you have to give me solid proof before I lay a single soul off. I know you’ve been observing operations. Can I give you one piece of advice?”

“Sure!” Leah was a good-natured young woman, and Juliana could not fault her for wanting to put her degree to good use. After all, the store belonged to her family, and she only wanted the best for it. Understanding what was best might call for adjusting some of her ideas.

“Rather than spending time observing the employees, you should be getting to know them better. Half of them have known you since you were in diapers, but you’re making all of them nervous with this watching and taking notes routine,” Juliana said, gesturing to the clipboard in Leah’s hands.

“I promise I’ll do that, first chance I get. I have a manpower management newsletter to put together for them, with helpful hints for making more profitable use of the hours they spend here.”

“Um, okay.” Juliana had a sinking feeling she would come to hate the words “manpower management.” They discussed the layoffs Leah proposed, and Juliana had to admit the two employees that Leah pinpointed had not been pulling their weight, by her own observations.

All the documentation and paperwork was in place, and Juliana pinpointed a date in mid-January for the deed to be done. Nobody got laid off the week after Christmas. Juliana groaned when Leah once again brought up the sore subject of doing away with commission sales. Juliana had an excellent staff of well-trained sales people and knew that would pull the rug out from under them. She put the decision off until later, and Leah backed off—for now.

Juliana needed to get the box over to Lawrence’s front porch.

She’d gone on a tear through the house the night before, finding all his things, surprised that the items filled only one box. After she’d
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finished the clean-out, she’d sat down with a pint of java mocha ice cream and watched
Sense and Sensibility
, berating the female lead, Marianne, for choosing Willoughby over the faithful and steadfast Colonel. Juliana put on
Godzilla
instead. A pint of ice cream and two and a half hours later, she was numb and suffering from a sugar crash.

She didn’t feel any better in the morning and was slightly nauseated from all the ice cream. After a breakfast taco, she felt much better, if still a little depressed. She felt no real loss, even over the fact that the son of a bitch had been cheating on her, merely an ever-growing irritation that she hadn’t figured it out sooner.

Checking the time, she stood wearily from her desk and picked up the box as Evelyn, her Yoda-like right-hand person, cleared her throat. The elderly sprite stood in the office door, looking over her reading glasses, wearing a Cheshire cat grin. In her wrinkled little hands was a small arrangement of miniature roses and dark green foliage displayed in a floral teacup and saucer.

“Someone has an admirer,” Evelyn announced in her uncharacteristically gravelly voice.

Juliana took the flowers from her. “Who are they from?” she asked, smelling the lovely yellow roses.

“Now how would I know that, missy?” Evelyn asked innocently as Juliana placed the arrangement on her desk.

Scoffing, Juliana eyed her and said, “Oh,
puh-lease
, don’t bullshit a bullshitter.”

“Who is Ash?” Evelyn asked, cutting the crap.

“Someone I met at Grace’s last night. He had flowers delivered?”

Interesting. She thought after her rudeness last night, he wouldn’t want to have anything further to do with her.

“Actually, he delivered them himself. His card says, and I quote,

‘Sorry, darling. I was just trying to help last night. Sincerely, Ash.’ He also brought you lunch, and he’s out in the store right now. I told him you had someone in your office, and he didn’t want to interrupt you.”

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With a grin, she added, “I helpfully suggested that maybe you’d want to thank him yourself and that he should hang around a bit.”

Juliana couldn’t help but smile, looking at the flowers. He’d sort of stuck his foot in his mouth last night, but he’d had good intentions.

The flowers did brighten her mood. Lifting the box containing Lawrence’s stuff, she stepped out of her office to go look for him while she tried to formulate an apology for her behavior the night before.

An employee stopped her to ask a question outside the hallway that led to her office. Answering the question, she was distracted by an unusual rhythmic sound and looked up the main aisle that ran the length of the store.

Walking toward her from the front of the store, looking like sex on a stick, was that tall, hot cowboy. She had to confess that he was a sight for sore eyes, dressed in faded blue jeans, dusty cowboy boots, a red Western shirt, a dark blue barn jacket, and his black felt cowboy hat. She realized from the telltale sound that he’d left his spurs on.

Tingling heat spread over her cheeks, and she cursed her red hair and fair skin.

He walked down the aisle to her, a knowing smile in his eyes and on his lips. Her insides quivered, and she felt the heat in her cheeks spread to her clit. Despite her blush, she continued her perusal, her panties dampening slightly at the sight of the telltale bulge at his groin and the sound of his spurs. Why the sound of spurs could get her a little wet, she wasn’t sure. He chuckled as he came to a stop and extricated the box from her hands.

“Darlin’, you keep looking at me like that and
I
might start blushing. I don’t think I’d look quite as pretty doing it, though.

What’s in the box?”

“It’s Lawrence’s things. I plan to drop them by his house this afternoon. I need to put it in my car.”

“Want me to put it in the dumpster instead?”

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Juliana smirked. “Tempting offer. Thank you for the flowers and my lunch. That was thoughtful of you.”

“Just trying to make amends for upsetting you last night. I figure if you’re looking at me like you want to eat
me
for lunch, I must be forgiven. Yeah?”

Juliana knew she could’ve just laughed and said yes, made more light conversation, and maybe flirted a little with the good-looking cowboy. For some reason, his words had the opposite effect, angering her as did his egotistical assumption. Her emotions were on the ragged edge and she took it all out on him.

“Don’t think so highly of yourself, Mr. Peterson. I find that unattractive.” Snatching the box out of his hands, she strode away from him. Did he have to be so coarse? So egotistical? Did he
really
think so highly of himself? She heard his surprised exhalation of air, but he didn’t follow her as she flounced out the front door to take the damned box to her car.

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* * * *

Juliana angrily threw the box in the car and shot from the parking lot in her white Camaro like a scalded-ass dog. Carrying the box up to the front steps of Lawrence’s condo, she placed it in front of his door.

Staring at it for a few seconds, she wondered why she’d invested five years in their relationship and all she had to show for it was one box.

She hated the little twist of guilt she felt when she looked at it and remembered his words. He’d all but called her a workaholic. She shared a small portion of culpability at the demise of their

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relationship. Sure, he was a lying, cheating dickhead, but maybe there was some truth to what he’d said.

Juliana returned to the store and ate her now-cold lunch in miserable silence, grunting when Evelyn imparted Ash’s message to her.
I am such a bitch
. She looked morosely at the cheerful yellow roses in the pretty porcelain teacup. Her brain had completely short-circuited at the smart words that had come out of his mouth. The embarrassing part was that she
had
thought that he looked good enough to eat. Literally mouth-watering, “get me a spoon” good enough to
eat
. Resting her head in her hand, she sighed heavily and continued eating her lunch. She was certain now she’d never hear from the cowboy again.

Juliana came awake with a start, still holding her fork in her hand.

She’d dozed off, only for a few seconds, but she’d actually fallen asleep while
eating
. That was probably part of her problem. She was tired, and he set her on edge. She was usually good-humored and ready with a quick comeback, but she was off her game. Ash had flustered her, and she’d reacted poorly. She could just as easily have invited him back to the office to sit and visit while she ate. Yeah, she was a bitch all right.

She slipped her hand in her pocket when it vibrated, pulled out her cell phone and opened the new text message.

I heard about this new disease. Maybe you heard of it, too?

Foot-in-mouth syndrome? It’s terrible. I’m sorry.

She sighed, chuckled, and began typing her reply.

Well, at least it doesn’t have as negative a connotation as
another condition I’ve heard of. Hellacious Bitch syndrome.

It’s hard to be cured of and may have cost me a
friendship today. I’m sorry.

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Her phone vibrated again.

I forgive you, if you forgive me.

I know you’re tired. You need to rest.

See you Wednesday, pretty lady.

Why did that endearment set her heart to fluttering? How could he forgive her so easily? Where was he going to be Wednesday?

Wednesday?

I’m helping the guys move some furniture and boxes for Teresa.

Oh.