Free Too Close For Comfort (Sweetrock Cowboy Romance Book 2) by Leighann Dobbs Page B

trust. Maybe Beulah was right. Maybe she should look up Derek and pay him a visit. But could her heart take that? She wasn't in love with Derek anymore, but why hadn't she been able to feel that same raw emotion with anyone else?
    Her thoughts drifted to the kiss again. She had felt something with Cash. Something more than with any other guy. But that was crazy—Cash was her longtime friend. Her feelings probably had more to do with what had happened prior. The way John's flirting had become more insistent and how Cash had shown up exactly when she'd needed him. Not to mention the drinks she'd had.
    Better not to think that way about Cash, anyway. They were only friends. He'd said as much just last night. And friends didn't get physically involved with each other.
    They drove over to the Campbell ranch in Cash's Jeep. They'd go together to the school and then he'd drop her off at her truck after they delivered the baby chicks to the school.
    Before collecting the eggs from Henrietta, Tessa ran into the barn to say hello to the horses. The Riley ranch wasn't a working ranch. They didn't have any horses. Her parents had gotten rid of them long ago when she went to college and she missed having them around. Maybe someday she'd have her own ranch or business that allowed for horses, but for now, it was nice to know she could pop over to the Campbell’s and get her fill. She lingered in front of Stardust, savoring the memory of their ride from a few nights before.
    "Maybe tonight, girl, huh? We'll beat them this time," she whispered as she stroked the soft part of the horse's nose.
    Stardust whinnied and flicked her tail as if in agreement.
    They collected the eggs from Henrietta and put them carefully in the brood box despite the hen's protesting squawks.
    By the time they were done, they were both picking feathers out of each other's hair and laughing. It was as if the years had fallen away and they were kids just enjoying each other's company. As if there was no underlying tension. As if the kiss had never happened. Things were back to normal between them.
    They parked behind the school and Tessa helped him slide the long, rectangular metal box out of the back of the truck. Heat lamps were attached to the top, partially obscuring her view. The box was filled with eggs cushioned inside special, thick egg cartons for the ride. They each grabbed an end and then carried it together toward the back door of the small school.
    Through the obstructed view, Tessa could see part of the side of the school. The door opened and a familiar, dark-haired woman came out, then her view was blocked. Tessa craned her neck to see around the obstruction.
    Was that Melina?
    She wanted to stop to see for sure, but Cash kept going with his end, pulling her along.
    "Hey, isn't that Melina over there?" Tessa jerked her chin toward the woman.
    Cash looked over then jerked his head forward. "Nope."
    "But it looks like..." Tessa turned around to double check but the woman was no longer in view. Weird. Probably not Melina. What would she be doing at the Kindergarten?
    Tessa forgot all about the woman as they pushed inside the steel doors of the school. She hadn't been inside there since she'd attended Kindergarten herself and the sight of the manila-colored walls dotted with colorful finger paintings, the smell of paste and animal crackers, and the squeaking of her rubber soles on the manila industrial tile floor brought back warm memories.
    They walked the box down the hall and found room 302. Inside the room, miniature desks with plastic seats were lined up in rows. Each seat held an eager-faced student. A pretty dark, haired woman who looked to be a few years younger than Tessa came out to greet them.
    "Mr. Campbell, thank you so much for coming." She smiled and nodded at them and then gestured toward a table over in the corner. "I've cleared a space for the box over there."
    Tessa and Cash carried the box over and got busy setting it up, plugging in the