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You and Jules."
    I kissed his head, got up and walked back to my room. The way he had pulled back, disgusted with my kiss, picked at me.
    I shouted down the stairs, "Mom, I'm hitting the shower. Okay?"
    "Sure, dear. I'm making muffins and cookies anyway."
    I smiled, desperate for the smell of her baking to fill the house and make it ours. When I got back into my bedroom, Ralph was chilling like a villain on my bed, purring and doing his laundry. I knelt at the bed, stroking his soft fur, “Hey buddy!” He seemed to be of the opinion the new house wasn’t such a big deal.
    I turned and shuffled into my bathroom, stripping only when the door was closed. I climbed into the shower, sat on the floor with my legs pulled into me and let the water rain down on me. It couldn’t rain fast enough though, the tears flooding my eyes blinded me. I cried until I couldn’t because there was nothing left inside of me.

Chapter Five
    Steve! Nope, still not scary!

    I drove past mom mowing the grass and waved. It was like a field. She was all excited about the lawnmower she could ride on and drive like it was a racetrack, and not a yard at all.
    I drove to the elementary school and parked down a block on the road. I grabbed my coffee and headed up the street to the park where I climbed into the fort on the playground and sat. It was overlooking the window I knew was hers. I didn’t know how long I had sat there or how long I'd done nothing but stare at the tree house, but when the lunch bell rang, I realized my butt was completely numb. I pushed myself to my knees and watched as the kids ran out into the schoolyard. My heart fluttered until I saw her. She looked like she was alone, no kids running and playing with her, until a blonde girl walked up. She pointed at the monkey bars. Jules nodded and followed her. I sighed with relief, she had made a friend.
    "Hey, champ! You want some more caffeine to add to the unimaginable amount you already have in there?"
    I smiled when I heard his voice and turned to see something that almost gave me heart failure. My jaw dropped and a noise came out, not a good noise. It made him smile wide and cheeky. Shit. "What are you wearing?"
    He glanced up at the cowboy hat on his head, "What? This? We're in Montana, Evie. These small towns are just like the military—fit in or fuck off. You know, F.I.F.O. We talked about this, Evie."
    I scowled, "For your information, I Googled that and it's a food safety acronym, not military. It means first in, first out." My eyes wandered down him like a lazy river. The dark cowboy hat and the blue eyes combined with the stubble and those lips, gahhhh. He looked like sex on a stick. Jesus, help me be strong!
    He wore a white t-shirt that hugged his chest and arms, arms I wanted to bite. The belt buckle was the worst. I felt like a raven staring at the shiny object, entranced in its location and size. The tight jeans were too much. I snatched the coffee from his huge hand and looked back at my kid, praying I didn’t just orgasm from sexy-guy overload.
    "What?"
    I shook my head, "Why are you all local yokel?"
    He nudged me, "Evie, believe it or not, my parents have a ranch. I've always been a cowboy. Montana was my choice. I love it here. Big skies, rolling hills, farms, and simple people who are kind and will always help a neighbor out. Besides, I'm the new owner of the tack shop. I am the cowboy riding expert."
    I couldn’t fight the good fight and keep my eyes to myself. In my peripheral, I could see his arms and jeans and gahhhh belt buckle. Shit.
    He started to laugh, "You are being so weird!"
    I shook my head, "No, uhm just tired."
    A lady crossed the street in front of the school and made her way into the gate for the park. She started laughing when she got closer, "Oh my goodness. I thought you all were some high schoolers."
    I started to laugh and gave Coop a grin, "Not me."
    He sighed at me but smiled at her. Even my heart melted when I saw his smile. She blushed