Read Second Chance Ranch: a Hope Springs novel (Entangled Bliss) for Free Online

told her they weren’t in need of any more waitresses, even part-time. Considering how much she sucked at waitressing, that was probably for the best.
    So she’d wandered into the bank, and now she wished she’d just skipped it. Gracie had never liked her much because she’d always had a thing for Royce. It was funny how that determined a girl not liking her, even all these years later when she wasn’t even with him. In fact, she was almost sure Gracie was married now. She wanted to ask if they could just grow up and get over it, but she really, really needed a job, so she put on a sugary smile. “Yeah, maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll have me back.” And eventually, I’ll get a recording contract and make you eat your words. “Before that, though, I need a job. Who would I talk to about the openings here?”
    “That’d be me.”
    “Great.” Damn it! “Do you have any openings? I’m willing to start at the bottom and work my way up. I’m great with customers, have lots of experience directing calls, and—”
    “We’re all filled up right now. In fact, we just had to downsize. The last person we let go had been here for three years.”
    This morning’s pep talk was a distant memory, and everything inside of her just sort of deflated. “Can I fill out an application in case something opens up?”
    Gracie looked like she was about to say no, but Sadie must’ve looked as desperate as she felt, because her old nemesis pursed her lips and slid a paper across the desk. “You can take it, fill it out, and then just drop it back by next time you come this way.”
    “Thanks.”
    Sadie took the application and stumbled out of the bank, lifting her hand to shield her eyes from the cornea-piercing sunshine. She wanted to kick off her shoes, sit down in the middle of the sidewalk, and call it quits. From the looks of things, there wasn’t an open job in all of Hope Springs. Apparently she needed to wait for someone to retire or die before she got a job. What a nice, cheery thought.
    If I wait for that to happen, I’ll just end up stuck here for years, my contacts and opportunities all dried up, and I can’t let that happen. I’m just going to have to convince someone—anyone—to give me a job.
    She spotted the Hope Springs Animal Clinic and figured she could try one more place before quitting for the day. Big breath in, chin up, a confident expression and…go.
    The second she stepped inside, her breath shot out of her, her mouth dropped, and her confidence fell in a puddle on the floor.
    “…guess I’ll just pick up the cat then,” Royce said, and one of the two girls working the front desk turned and disappeared into the back.
    It was worse than she’d expected, the inability to go anywhere without running into him. He seemed even larger in here than he had at the grocery store. Maybe it was his black cowboy hat, the dirty jeans that made it clear he’d worked all day, or his booted feet casually crossed at the ankle as he leaned his tall frame on the counter. Talk about the perfect image of a cowboy. At least she looked better than she had last night, although walking around in the heat all day had probably left her a little crumpled-looking.
    “Can I help you?” the girl behind the desk asked.
    Royce glanced over his shoulder. The smile died on his lips.
    Oh my gosh, he haaates me.
    “Miss Sadie?”
    Sadie turned her attention to the girl behind the desk. She looked so familiar, but it took a couple of seconds to put together the pieces now that the braces were gone and her long hair was dyed blond instead of the brown shade it used to be. “Brianna?”
    The girl Sadie used to babysit came from behind the desk and hugged her—they’d played Candy Land and colored in books filled with cartoon characters. Royce had even come over a few times while Sadie was babysitting. And here they all were standing in a circle.
    So freaking weird.
    “Guess what, I’m engaged now!” Brianna thrust her