For Love of a Cowboy Read Online Free Page A

couldn’t resist stroking the glossy black fur, nor could she bring herself to move in any great hurry and push the cat away.
    Instead she spent the next hour reading her mother’s journal again. Even though the words were already imprinted in her mind, looking at the violet colored ink scrawled across the pages in her mother’s looping handwriting and seeing the fairground in front of her made her mother’s words come to life in a way they hadn’t before.
    She realized she’d dozed off when the sound of a truck backfiring brought her rudely awake again. The cat was long gone from her lap and the sun was now higher in the sky, building in warmth and brightness as the morning drew on. Willow cursed out loud. Judging by the change in the sun’s angle, she’d slept for well over two hours and now not only was her backside as numb as if she’d had a spinal block, she had a generous scattering of cat hair on her jeans as well.
    She got up and dusted herself off then rewrapped her mother’s journal and stowed it away again. It was only to be expected that after having read the journal that she’d dream of her mother, but instead of the usual closeness Willow experienced when she’d dreamed of her before, it had left Willow feeling unsettled, almost uneasy. A cloud passed over the sun and she fought a back a shiver. Her superstitious nature told her the dream had been a warning of some kind. But what?
    Grabbing her pack and making her way back into town, Willow pushed the dream, and the sense of unease it had left her with, to the back of her mind. She couldn’t let fear, or even her superstitions, rule her life. She was on the cusp of what she hoped would be a new beginning for her. She couldn’t let anything ruin that.
    Things were getting busier on the streets, she noticed, as she made her way down Main Street. The diner was bustling with patrons and the stores she passed were all open and busy. It seemed Marietta was a lively town. No wonder her mom had loved it here.
    Three blocks down, Willow found the place she was looking for. She looked up at the sign. “Superstitch’n’s.” She couldn’t help it. A broad smile wreathed her face. If ever there was a sign from the universe, this was it. And, to make things even better, a neatly printed “Help Wanted” sign sat in the front window. Things were definitely looking up, Willow thought as she squared her shoulders, pushed the door open and marched right on in.
    The young woman behind the counter near the front of the store was on the phone. Willow didn’t make a habit of eavesdropping but standing where she was, she couldn’t avoid hearing the one-sided conversation.
    “Little brother, you worry too much. I’m a big girl now and I’m quite capable of taking care of myself.”
    The woman put her hand over the mouthpiece for a second to smile in Willow’s direction.
    “Sorry about this. I’ll be right with you.”
    She rolled her eyes in a manner that reminded Willow strongly of Booth Lange. And Willow knew exactly why with what the woman said next.
    “Yes, she’s just walked in.”

Three
    S o, last night’s rescuer was already on the phone and probably warning the store’s owner all about the crazy woman driver who’d almost hit him head-on. Willow forced herself to loosen the tension that had crept into her shoulders at the thought of him and drifted away from the counter and through the store.
    Long and narrow, it was neatly fitted with rows of cubbyhole shelving on either side and had a run of stands staggered in a line in between. One side of the store appeared to be devoted to yarn and knitting and crochet, the other to crafts and quilting. A small area at the back was set up like a workroom. Perhaps for classes? It was perfect if that was the case.
    This was her kind of place. Willow’s fingers itched to reach out and stroke the mohair shawl draped on a store dummy. The pattern was intricate and lacy and exactly the kind of thing she loved