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to see herself as she really was. Everything was fine. She was going to be okay. She was careful to maintain good nutrition and eat an appropriate amount of calories each day. Despite her efforts, there was always a tightness in her chest, a fear of gaining weight, a struggle she dealt with day by day.
    People she’d known over the years had told her they’d rather have the problem of weighing too little than too much, that being anorexic was better than having an overeating disorder. Obesity carried with it a lot of health problems, but what they didn’t realize was that anorexia was just as dangerous if not more so. It caused fertility problems, a variety of heart problems, and even kidney failure. Anorexia killed.
    Jo took a deep breath and turned her thoughts back to today. Outside it was cool, so she chose an emerald green top with three-quarter length sleeves to go with the jeans and put on a pair of socks and sturdy athletic shoes. Rather than wearing her normal makeup, she only made up her eyes and put on a light shade of cinnamon lipstick. Jo braided her hair into a fishtail braid that fell down her back.
    She tried not to think of yesterday when Daphne had barged in on Jo’s almost-lunch with Tate. The woman was beautiful in a wholesome girl next door way. But the way she’d behaved had been anything but wholesome.
    But if Daphne and Tate had dated over a long period of time, would Tate consider going back into a relationship with the woman?
    Jo shook her head. She wasn’t sure why she was even thinking about it when she and Tate didn’t have a relationship to speak of.
    When the doorbell rang at ten, she grabbed her sling purse with the cross-body strap and headed to the front door. She took a deep breath and opened the door to see a handsome cowboy on her doorstep.
    Tingles prickled her skin as he gave her an appreciative look at the same time she took him in. He wore Wranglers and a snug black T-shirt. Instead of boots he had on athletic shoes and he wore a University of Arizona ball cap rather than a Stetson. He looked good in a rugged alpha male sort of way.
    He caught her off guard when he drew her out of the doorway and onto the porch and gave her a quick hug. The clean smell of his T-shirt and his masculine scent wrapped around her. The feel of his muscular body close to hers somehow felt comfortable and right.
    And that thought sent a moment of panic through her. It wasn’t good to be feeling that way, not at all. She stepped out of his embrace. “What was that for?”
    His grin was slightly mischievous. “You looked like you needed a hug.”
    “Uh-huh.” She couldn’t help smiling back at him as she used his line. “You always did like being close to me.”
    “You’ve got that right.” He stepped back as she closed the door and locked it before sliding her keys into her purse.
    They walked down the porch stairs together, and she looked at him from her side vision. He had a day’s stubble on his jaws, which made him even sexier.
    “Where are we going?” She waited as he unlocked the passenger side door and helped her into his big truck.
    “Somewhere we used to go when we were kids,” he said before closing the door behind her.
    Intrigued, she looked at him with amusement. “Are we going to swim in Old Man Johnson’s pond?”
    Tate gave her a quick grin. “We’ll do that another day.”
    They didn’t go far before arriving at the batting cages, which were on the opposite side of the building from the local arcade.
    Jo laughed. “It’s been a while since I’ve done any hitting. Many, many years.”
    “I’d say we’d better remedy that.” He climbed out and went around to her side of the truck and helped her out before reaching behind the passenger seat and grabbing a couple of bats and gloves.
    After he’d shut the truck doors she walked at his side to the batting cages with the automated pitch machines. Instead of going into one of those cages, he went up to the small