Breakfast with a Cowboy (2 page)

“Ma’am, you okay?” he asked again. He peered around
the gap where the curtain didn’t fit all the way around the window in the door.
Ma’am should have been
miss
because she couldn’t be
more than thirty. Prettiest thing he’d ever seen.

“I’m fine. Sorry if I disturbed you,” she called to
him.

He saw her glance his way and quickly stepped away
just in case she thought he was some type of peeping tom who went on train
journeys to spy on women traveling alone.

“Didn’t disturb me, miss. I just wanted to make sure
everything was okay.”

“Yes, really it’s okay and I’m fine.”

It hadn’t sounded like it and her voice was weak,
probably from crying. However, he would take her word for it and not push the
issue more.

“Have a good journey, miss.”

He touched his head, thinking his cowboy hat was
there to give her a polite goodbye, but realized he wasn’t wearing it.

Damn, he missed that thing. He walked back to his
compartment and sat down.

He pulled out his book and opened it, getting comfy
in the chair so he could read. But he just looked at the words without
comprehending them. The place was silent, no sobbing to interrupt his peace,
but now knowing he had a pretty woman just a few feet away disturbed him big
time.

Chapter
Two

Josie knew she couldn’t stay in her compartment for
the whole trip. She needed to stretch her legs, plus she was getting hungry.
She pulled out the mirror from her purse and checked her appearance. Her eyes
were still red and puffy from her sudden outburst a little less than an hour
ago.

She hadn’t realized her sobbing was so loud until
the man had knocked on her door. His voice had been deep and sexy. She’d also
gotten a peek at him through the gap in the curtains. Gorgeous is how she’d
describe him with his strong jawline and wavy dark hair. A cute guy had coming
calling and she’d sat there with a red and blotchy face.

One
lost opportunity.
She smiled thinking how she’d heard Jennifer’s
voice in her head just then, and not her own.

“Okay, I know, I know, I promised.”

Damn, she hoped no one overheard her talking to
herself.

She dabbed some blusher on her cheeks, put some
drops in her eyes, and blinked a few times. Now she looked at least half
respectable so she could to head to the restaurant for a quick bite.

Josie stepped into the corridor and remembered the
restaurant car was to the right. She headed that way, passing a few people and
having to squeeze past them in the tight fit of each of the train’s corridors.
She saw the glass door that had restaurant written in black lettering on it and
opened it back, letting a couple out before she stepped inside.

 
The place was
more crowded than she’d expected it to be. She glanced at her watch. She’d hung
around in her compartment longer than she’d thought, because it was already
close to eight and prime evening dinning. Maybe she’d dig out the energy bar
she’d stuffed in her bag and have an early breakfast tomorrow. She was about to
turn and leave when a lady called out to her.

“Would you like me to find a seat for you?”

Josie turned back to see her holding a menu.

“Are you sure? It looks pretty packed in here.”

“We can always find room for a single diner.”

That made it sound depressing, like she was the only
one dining alone tonight.

 
Her stomach
rumbled. The energy bar wasn’t looking that great right now.

“Okay,” said Josie.

She followed the hostess to the middle of the car
and her heart missed a beat when she saw him. The man who’d come calling at her
compartment. He was sitting eating a steak and reading a book while he did so.
He was also eating alone and the hostess was stopping by his table.

“Sir, do you mind if this lady joins you at your
table?”

“No, there’s really no need to disturb him,” Josie
whispered.

He looked up and her legs went weak. She hadn’t seen
his beautiful blue eyes when he’d spoken to her earlier. They were baby blues
if she ever saw them.

He smiled. “No problem at all. I’d be happy for some
company.”

He moved his book and bottle of beer so the hostess
could put the menu down on Josie’s side of the table. She sat, lost for words.
She was only thankful he hadn’t seen her earlier and therefore wouldn’t realize
she’d been the sobbing woman.

Josie smiled at him, and then quickly looked at the
menu.

“I can recommend the steak,” he said.

“It does look good.”

“Quinn Nolan.”

He extended his hand across the table to her.

“Josie Shaw.”

His handshake was firm, his hands calloused, yet in
a strange way the most comforting she’d come in contact with. And those
eyes,
and the long eyelashes as he looked across the table
at her made her blood pressure rise.

Blushing
big time.

She sipped the water the hostess had just dropped
off at the table, hoping it would cool her down.

“You feeling better now?” he asked.

“What?”

That question had thrown her. He knew it was her.
Shit, how had he known?

“You were crying earlier. I’m the guy who stopped by
your compartment. Sorry to say I took a peek through a gap in the curtain on
the door. I never forget a pretty face, even when it’s tear-stained.”

She didn’t know whether to be angry that he hadn’t
minded his own business, or flattered by his compliment about her looks. She
guessed the new Josie should opt for the latter.

“I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”

The waitress chose that minute to walk up to the
table.

“What can I get you?” she asked.

“I think I’ll have the grilled chicken breast.”

Josie saw him shaking his head as he read his book,
but he said nothing.

“That comes with two sides,” said the waitress.

Josie glanced at the menu. “I’ll have the baked
potato and green beans.”

“Anything to drink?”

“The water’s fine.”

“I’ll get that order in straight away for you.”

The waitress walked away as Quinn looked up and shook
his head again.
“Should have gone with the steak.
Here
try this. Maybe it’s not too late to change your order.”

He cut off a piece of meat, forked it, and held it
close to her mouth.

“Are you always this outgoing with strangers?” she
asked.

“Just the pretty ones.”

She was going to take the fork from him, but she
could almost hear her sister urging her to be brazen. Josie smiled, leaned across
the table, and took the meat off the fork with her mouth. She glanced at the
handsome guy as she chewed. Damn, he’d been right. The piece of steak melted in
her mouth.

“Told you,” he said.

She quickly swallowed it so she could answer him.

“I haven’t said I like it.”

“Oh, I know you do. It’s written all over your
face.”

He was borderline obnoxious, but she was beginning
to enjoy having him as a dinner companion.

“Written all over my face.
Really?”

“I can always tell when a woman’s enjoying something,
I interpret pleasure really well.”

She was blushing again. She could feel the burn in
her cheeks and not just because the dining compartment was jam packed and
heating up by the minute.

“You want another bite?”

Josie grinned at him. Had that been intended as an
innuendo? He smiled. Sure it had.

The waitress arrived with her meal, taking her mind
off his dimples. How she’d always loved a guy with those.

“Anything else I can get you?” asked the waitress.

“No, not right now, thanks.”

Quinn took another bite of his steak as Josie cut
off the first piece of chicken and put it into her mouth. There was no
comparison. The chicken, while tasty, didn’t match up to the steak.

“See. Told you,” he said without looking up.

“It’s delicious,” said Josie before taking another
bite.

“Like hell it is. I can also tell when a woman’s
not
enjoying something.”

Like
faking an orgasm.
How
many times have I had to do that?
Never, ever again.

Why she’d thought of that, was beyond her. No it wasn’t.
That had popped into her head because he was good looking, sexy, and his subtle
yet continual naughty way of saying things was corralling her in with each
passing minute.

“So what are you reading?” She pointed to the book
by his plate, hoping that would steer her mind into more neutral territory.

“A new biography about Buffalo
Bill Cody.”

“You like biographies?”

“I love all books. Have since I was old enough to read.
My mother used to read a story to me and my brothers every night without fail.”

“Glad to hear that because I’m a librarian.”

He put down his fork. “Then my stereotype of them
all being old and stuffy has been dispelled.”

It was her turn to smile.

 
“Maybe you
can recommend some good books for me to read.”

“I’d be happy to.”

“In fact, why don’t I buy you dinner tomorrow,
steaks of course…that is if you’re not getting off at the first stop?”

“I’m not, but you really don’t have to buy me a meal
just for my book recommendations.”

“I know, but you make good dinner company.”

She had to admit he did, too.

He finished off the last of his steak and then asked
the waitress for his bill.

“I hate to eat and run, but I’m dead on my feet. I
think I’ll be turning in for the night.” He stood and she realized just how
tall he was, had to be at least three inches over six feet. “If I don’t see you
before dinner tomorrow, I’ll come pick you up about seven.”

He wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and she
didn’t really want him to.

“See you then,” she said.

“Sweet dreams, and
enjoy
the rest of the chicken.”

He winked at her before he left.

She turned around to watch him walk away and knew
she shouldn’t have. Not only did she catch sight of his cute butt in the tight-fitting
jeans, but he must have somehow guessed she’d be tempted to watch him leave. He
turned around too, giving her another wink as he opened the restaurant car
door.

 
She’d been
caught red-handed.

Chapter
Three

Quinn had been unable to keep his eyes open once he
got back to his compartment. He’d settled down for the night, sensing he’d
drift away as soon as his head hit the pillow, but he’d been wrong. He’d
stirred for the first thirty minutes and then woken, thinking about Josie and the
fact she was in the next compartment. Technically they were neighbors. He’d
never had such a cute one before.

Wondering if she was asleep or maybe even reading,
he put his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. He realized he’d
been a little over the top during dinner with his sexual play on words, but
she’d ignited something deep in his soul and yes, if he was honest, his groin,
too. Those pretty eyes and the strawberry blonde hair set his heart aflutter.
He smiled, recalling how when he’d turned to leave he’d glanced back and caught
her looking, too. Mutual interest…definitely.

Quinn reached up and snapped on the overhead light.
Despite feeling dead on his feet, he knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep, so he
might as well read more of his book. He pulled it out from his bag, opened it,
and sat it on his chest so the beam of light could focus on the words.

He was a few pages in when he heard what sounded
like sobbing again.

Josie.

He sat up, letting the book fall to the ground. What
was up with her? Had she been dumped by some guy? Was that why she was on the
train? Was she running away from it all? Who in their right mind would dump a
lady like that?

He distinctly heard the words, ‘oh no’, and then
more sobbing.

He stood up, walked out of his compartment, and went
to her door.

“Hey Josie, everything okay in
there?”

“Sorry, did I wake you? Geez, I hope I haven’t woken
everyone. I didn’t realize the time.”

“You need some help?”

He thought she’d tell him once again that she was
fine, but she opened the door to him.
 
He
took that as a sign he was welcome to step inside. Not that there was much room
for both of them. Quinn immediately noticed a pile of ashes on the floor and an
overturned urn close by. She burst into tears.