Free Defiant by Bobbi Smith Page B

combination! A man would be crazy not to want you.”
    “Sure. That’s why Nick’s been courting me so wildly all these weeks,” Michelle said sarcastically.
    “He hasn’t come courting because he probably doesn’t know you like him. We’ll figure something out tonight at the dance. You just wait and see.”
    “Well, what about you? Since Kane’s left town . . .”
    The moment of intrigue and excitement Rachel had felt for her friend faded. “I don’t know. I just wonder if I’ll ever get to see him again.”
    “You could always go looking for him. You could find out where he was heading and go after him,” Michelle suggested daringly.
    Both girls shared a look as Rachel actually considered doing just that, and then they both started laughing. They could well imagine what would happen to Rachel’s reputation if she cast her fate to the wind and boldly chased after a man.
    “I think that just might raise a few eyebrows around town,” Rachel remarked wryly.
    “I think you’re right.”
    “And then there is the matter of my father. You know, I don’t think he’d approve.”
    Michelle was beginning to realize just how much Rachel really did care about the stranger.
    “What was there about Kane that attracted you so?” Michelle asked.
    “I don’t know. He was handsome—there’s no doubt about that. But I’ve been around handsome men before, and never felt this way about any of them. It’s strange, because I really didn’t spend much time with him. I don’t know him at all. But there’s just something about him.”
    “Maybe it was love at first sight for you. Why don’t you start praying that he comes back to town?” Michelle encouraged her. “Your father’s the minister, so you’ve got special connections.”
    “I may just do that,” Rachel said, her mood lightening. Then, wanting to have some fun, shechanged the topic. “Come on, let’s go see if we can win a quilt down at the quilting booth.”
    “There are some pretty ones. Eilleen and Cyrilla have been working on them for months,” Michelle agreed.
    They started off to visit the quilters. There were a lot of activities going on that day, and the girls wanted to enjoy them all.
    It was much later that afternoon when Rachel and Michelle approached the lemonade stand. They’d been having such a good time that they were tired and ready to sit down with a cool drink at one of the picnic tables.
    They were waiting in line when Rachel caught sight of Nick Evans walking by. Michelle was standing with her back to him, so she didn’t know he was there. Brazenly, Rachel decided to make the first move for her friend.
    Smiling sweetly, she called out, “Deputy Evans—would you like to join us for some lemonade?”
    Michelle was shocked by her friend’s bold action. She froze for a moment, but then realized she had no choice but to go along with her. She turned quickly around to smile at her dream man.
    Rachel’s invitation had taken Nick by surprise. He saw Rachel at church on Sundays and around town, but had never socialized with her or with Michelle Lofton, the hotel owner’s daughter, who was standing beside her at the lemonade stand. But just because they hadn’t socialized in the past, that didn’t mean they couldn’t start today.Rachel and Michelle were two of the prettiest women in town, and he wasn’t about to miss the opportunity to spend some time with them. He smiled as he walked over to join them.
    “Thank you for the invitation, Miss Hammond. I’d be glad to join you, but only if you let me buy,” he offered.
    “Well, first of all, please call me Rachel, and you know Michelle, don’t you?”
    “Of course—we’ve met.”
    Nick smiled down at Michelle.
    Michelle felt her heartbeat quicken as she returned his smile.
    “And,” Rachel went on, “ we invited you , so your lemonade is on us.”
    “It’s not Sadie Hawkins Day,” he insisted. “It’s my treat.”
    Rachel knew when to back down and let a man be a