Free In the Cowboy's Bed (Pleasure Ridge Ranch) by Ava Flynn

Football, bowls of chips, takeout pizza."
    "Sounds like fun. I was more into college football until I moved to San Fran."
    "You lived in San Francisco?"
    He hadn’t even really realized he’d said it until she pointed it out. It was so easy to talk to Erin, so much so that he seemed to divulge things he’d never shared with a ranch guest before. "Uh, yeah. For a few years before I came here."
    "I visited with a friend a couple of years ago. I absolutely loved Muir Woods. You go to places like that, and it’s easy to marvel at the beauty of Mother Nature."
    Her words made him even more sure about his plan for the day. "You ever been to Lake Tahoe?"
    She shook her head. "But I hear it’s beautiful."
    "It is. Would you like to go today?"
    She looked up at him with excitement bright in her blue eyes. "Could we?" She sounded like a kid being tempted with the possibility of going to see the famous mouse.
    He couldn’t help smiling at her as he nodded. "But I think you’ll need to wear a little bit more than that robe."
    When she started to clear the table, he stopped her. "I’ll do it. You go get ready."
    A couple of hours later, he guided his truck into a pull-off with a stunning view of Lake Tahoe.
    "Oh, my," Erin said as she leaned forward. "It’s gorgeous." She opened her door and slid out. She walked to the edge of the overlook and scanned the view spread out before. "I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life."
    "I’m glad you like it."
    "Like it?" she said, looking over at him. "I’m ready to move here right now."
    She laughed a little, but a part of his heart sparked to life at her words. How could that part suddenly want that so much? A few days with her, and everything he’d done for the past two years was ready to drift away like fog in the morning.
    They took their time driving around the lake, stopping now and then to take pictures and to explore the little towns hugging the coastline. When they reached Azure Bay, Erin pointed out the window at a line of shops nestled together. "Can we stop here?"
    "Sure." He parked in front of the grouping of five shops, all connected by an old-fashioned wooden sidewalk.
    When Erin got out of the truck, she headed straight for an antique store. Once inside, her eyes lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning.
    "You like antiques?" he asked.
    "I love antiquing. I’ve been going with my mom since I was young, though I haven’t been able to go with her as much since she and dad took to the road in their RV after retiring. It’s like a treasure hunt each time I step through the front door of an antique store. My favorite TV show is Antiques Roadshow ."
    As they picked their way through tables and shelves laden with all manner of old stuff, he couldn’t pick a true antique worth real money from junk from someone’s barn. But Erin, she knew her stuff. She rattled off stats and values like a pro.
    "You really know your merchandise," said an older man when they moved close enough for him to hear their conversation.
    Erin and the guy, the store’s owner, chatted for a few minutes about the business and the town. Justin stood to the side and admired the excitement filling Erin’s face.
    "Any chance you might want to take this place off my hands?" the guy said. "Been trying to sell it for five years, no takers."
    Erin looked around with yearning. "I’d love to, but unfortunately I live in Virginia." She looked genuinely disappointed, so much so that Justin took her to the old-time soda fountain next door and bought her a big chocolate sundae. It was so huge that they shared it and took turns feeding each other bites.
    He realized he was going to miss her when she left. And that for the first time since he’d started at Pleasure Ridge, he wasn’t looking forward to burying the past with his next client. He didn’t want to move on from this one.
    * * * *
    "This has been a wonderful day," Erin said as Justin steered away from the lake and back toward Nevada.
    "I’m