True Blue Cowboy (The Cash Brothers) (18 page)

He turned and walked away with enough of a tight-jeaned swagger to make her breath catch.

She leaned back against the sun-warmed truck, bombarded by memories she’d tried for so long to forget. Memories of that innocent, insecure high-school girl who always blended into the woodwork. Who had felt lost in the crowd of her own family. And who could never push away the vision of herself as a little girl her own mother couldn’t love.

At least, not enough to make her stay.

Not even being the apple of her daddy’s eye could make up for all that.

Just once, she’d wanted someone to single her out, to notice her differences, to see her as an individual, not as simply one of the Baron brood.

She had thought she’d found that someone in Luke Nobel.

She couldn’t have been more wrong. Or been so betrayed.

Pushing herself away from the truck, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him as he made his retreat. Their first meeting in seven years had gone no better than she’d expected, no worse than she’d feared.

Regardless of what he thought, she had grown up since the days they were together. Toughened up, too. And yet she wished this could be the last time she would ever see him.

All the needs and secrets and sorrows she kept from her family had to be kept from Luke, as well.

Especially from Luke.

He was a big part of the reason she had so much to hide.

Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Books S.A.

ISBN-13: 9781460337325

TRUE BLUE COWBOY

Copyright © 2014 by Brenda Smith-Beagley

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