Meredith McRae exited her Chevy Suburban to make a dash for the registration area. She’d been rushing around all morning and yet arrived at the estate auction with barely enough time to register.
As she ran up the steps leading to the auctioneer’s podium, she keeled forward full tilt when the heel of her fancy boot wedged in the old board decking. Drat! That’s all I need. She straightened and wiggled her foot to no avail.
“Need a hand, ma’am?”
She looked up to see a huge grin stretching across a cowboy’s face…an extremely rugged yet handsome face…and felt a blush warming her cheeks at her predicament.
“No, thank you. I can manage.” Meredith ignored him and his apparent amusement at her expense. She picked up a nearby stick and proceeded to lodge it between the boards next to her heel.
“Seems to me it’d be a mite easier to remove that pretty boot before you try prying it free.”
She glanced at his low-heeled cowboy boots. “And you’d be an expert how?”
He doffed his hat and chuckled. “Touché! Point taken.”
The stranger continued to watch her efforts, which were clumsy at best. “Don’t you have someplace else you’d rather be?”
“Nope.” He turned slightly to allow another person to pass. “Hi, Ralph. Good turnout today,” the cowboy said as another man mounted the steps to the podium.
“Sure is, Dusty. Hope you brought plenty of cash with you. Looks like we’re in for a bidding war if this many folks are interested.”
The cowboy grimaced. “Yeah, well maybe they’re just interested in the contents and antiques old man Roberts owned.”
“Could be. Got your paddle ready?”
The cowboy, Dusty, patted his hind pocket. “Sure do.”
The auction was about to start and she hadn’t even registered yet. Frantic, she gave one last mighty tug and the boot jerked free, which sent her flying backward—right into the handsome cowboy, and knocking them both to the ground. Embarrassed beyond belief, she nonetheless allowed herself a moment to enjoy his muscular arms holding her tight before she pushed up and tried to stand. That action succeeded in her righting herself only to sit on a very definite bulge. Oh, my heavens! She scurried off him and stood only to find her boot was minus the heel. Great! Just great!
“You all right?” he asked, his voice low, concerned.
“Yes, I’m fine, just a hint of bruised pride at being so clumsy. Thank you for breaking my fall,” she said with a smile.
“Anytime, but if you intend to bid you’d better sign up. The auction is about to start.”
“Oh, yes.” She registered, and considering the state of her footwear, limped over to a picnic table and took a seat, surprised that the cowboy, Dusty, hadn’t been waiting for her. Well, why would he? We are strangers after all. Although after having her body pressed against him so intimately, he didn’t seem like a stranger at all.
As she ran up the steps leading to the auctioneer’s podium, she keeled forward full tilt when the heel of her fancy boot wedged in the old board decking. Drat! That’s all I need. She straightened and wiggled her foot to no avail.
“Need a hand, ma’am?”
She looked up to see a huge grin stretching across a cowboy’s face…an extremely rugged yet handsome face…and felt a blush warming her cheeks at her predicament.
“No, thank you. I can manage.” Meredith ignored him and his apparent amusement at her expense. She picked up a nearby stick and proceeded to lodge it between the boards next to her heel.
“Seems to me it’d be a mite easier to remove that pretty boot before you try prying it free.”
She glanced at his low-heeled cowboy boots. “And you’d be an expert how?”
He doffed his hat and chuckled. “Touché! Point taken.”
The stranger continued to watch her efforts, which were clumsy at best. “Don’t you have someplace else you’d rather be?”
“Nope.” He turned slightly to allow another person to pass. “Hi, Ralph. Good turnout today,” the cowboy said as another man mounted the steps to the podium.
“Sure is, Dusty. Hope you brought plenty of cash with you. Looks like we’re in for a bidding war if this many folks are interested.”
The cowboy grimaced. “Yeah, well maybe they’re just interested in the contents and antiques old man Roberts owned.”
“Could be. Got your paddle ready?”
The cowboy, Dusty, patted his hind pocket. “Sure do.”
The auction was about to start and she hadn’t even registered yet. Frantic, she gave one last mighty tug and the boot jerked free, which sent her flying backward—right into the handsome cowboy, and knocking them both to the ground. Embarrassed beyond belief, she nonetheless allowed herself a moment to enjoy his muscular arms holding her tight before she pushed up and tried to stand. That action succeeded in her righting herself only to sit on a very definite bulge. Oh, my heavens! She scurried off him and stood only to find her boot was minus the heel. Great! Just great!
“You all right?” he asked, his voice low, concerned.
“Yes, I’m fine, just a hint of bruised pride at being so clumsy. Thank you for breaking my fall,” she said with a smile.
“Anytime, but if you intend to bid you’d better sign up. The auction is about to start.”
“Oh, yes.” She registered, and considering the state of her footwear, limped over to a picnic table and took a seat, surprised that the cowboy, Dusty, hadn’t been waiting for her. Well, why would he? We are strangers after all. Although after having her body pressed against him so intimately, he didn’t seem like a stranger at all.