Free Roughneck Cowboy by Marin Thomas Page A

spot next to her white compact. He flashed another smile—Lord, the man’s teeth were white. She left the school, the truck’s headlights burning into the back of her head. Ten minutes later she arrived at Beulah’s and parked by the patio.
    Beulah met them in the hallway when they entered through the back door. “Howdy, Sara.”
    â€œBeulah, you remember Travis Cartwright.”
    â€œSure do. Where’s that youngin’ of yours?”
    â€œWith her grandfather,” Travis said.
    They were escorted into the front room and seated by the window. “You plan to stick around for a while?” Beulah asked Travis.
    â€œAppears that way.” Travis nodded across the table. “Sara is Charlie’s new teacher.”
    â€œAin’t that interesting.” Beulah snagged the pencil protruding from her beehive hairdo. “Ready to order?”
    â€œI’ll have the shepherd’s pie and coffee.”
    â€œMake mine the same,” Travis said.
    â€œBe back in a jiffy.”
    As soon as Beulah walked out of earshot, Sara steered the conversation toward Christmas trees. “Last year, the room mothers purchased a real evergreen for the class party, but the tree dried out too quickly and became a fire hazard.”
    â€œWhat about an artificial tree?” Travis suggested.
    â€œI was hoping for something more unique. Would you be able to come up with an idea for a homemade tree? Not too large—just big enough to hold thirteen ornaments?”
    â€œSure. Charlie and I will brainstorm something. When do you need the tree?”
    â€œNext Friday.”
    Beulah delivered their coffee. “Food will be right up.”
    Christmas-tree talk exhausted, Sara avoided eye contact and sipped her coffee. “How—”
    â€œWhat’s—” They spoke at the same time.
    â€œYou go first,” he said.
    â€œWhat’s it like having a job in the middle of the ocean?”
    â€œNot as glamorous as people assume. I worked the second shift—6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. After I clocked out in the morning, I’d eat breakfast, then sleep until two.”
    â€œWhat did you do for entertainment?”
    â€œWatched movies, played pool, Ping-Pong or lifted weights.”
    Her eyes strayed to his biceps—he must have lifted a lot of iron. “You didn’t feel claustrophobic living in such close quarters?”
    â€œSometimes.” He didn’t elaborate.
    â€œI imagine your coworkers will miss you.” She wondered if any girlfriends would miss him, but Beulah returned with their food and a basket of warm bread, ending her line of questioning.
    â€œYou’ve lived here all your life, so you must know Matt and Samantha pretty well.” Travis buttered a roll.
    â€œMy brothers and I helped around the ranch a lot and didn’t have much of a social life outside of school.” Mostly true. She saw no reason to share with Travis that his sister had been popular and had hung out with the in-crowd, while she’d been a bookworm with few friends. “How was your first Thanksgiving at the Lazy River?”
    â€œCharlie had fun with her cousins.”
    Sara noticed Travis hadn’t said whether he’d enjoyed the gathering.
    â€œThe recent Cartwright weddings have been the talk of the town,” Sara said. “Duke this past February, then Matt in July and Samantha in September.” Sara had been green with envy when she’d heard Samantha and Wade Dawson were tying the knot. Sara’s wish to marry and have a family of her own seemed farther out of reach than ever these days.
    â€œThere’s still one Cartwright sibling that’s single.” Travis winked.
    Sara resisted the urge to ask why Charlie’s mother wasn’t in the picture, but the less she knew about Travis’s personal life the better.
    â€œHow long has my father been after you to sell the Bar T to him?”
    Travis didn’t