Lissa has never seen the woman, she suspected this was Thelma McGee, the mother of the late mayor.
“Good morning. I’m Lissa Roarke,” she said, approaching the counter.
The woman looked up from behind her glasses. “Good morning to you. I’m Thelma McGee.”
“I’m honored to meet you,” Lissa said.
Thelma’s eyes softened. “Thank you. You must know about my son.”
“I do,” Lissa said. “Everyone talks about what a wonderful man he was.”
Thelma sighed. “He was,” she said. “And I’m just trying to help keep his office running. But it’s not easy.”
“Everyone appreciates your effort,” Lissa said. “I’m here with the Bootstraps organization to help the town get back on track.”
“I can’t tell you how much we appreciate your help,” Thelma said, rising from the computer. “Rust Creek Falls is a bit remote, so it’s hard for us to get enough help. Thank you for coming. We all thank you.”
Lissa shrugged. “I’m not sure everyone is all that excited about me being here to help.”
Thelma lifted her eyebrows and set a cup of coffee on the counter for Lissa. “Are you talking about Gage?”
Lissa felt a rush of heat rise to her cheeks. “I guess you could say that.”
“Gage blames himself for everything. He doesn’t understand that he doesn’t have the power to prevent a flash flood. He’s been through a lot. We all have, but he will come around. It just may take a bit longer.” Thelma put her hand over Lissa’s. “Give him time. Don’t pay attention to his crankiness.”
Lissa couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll work on it. I’ve heard so many good things about you. Now I understand why.”
Thelma waved her hand in dismissal. “Don’t flatter me. I just want to honor my son.”
Lissa’s heart twisted at the woman’s words and she felt her determination rise inside her even more strongly. She would help Rust Creek Falls. She would make a difference.
No matter what Gage Christensen thought about her.
Before he’d had his second cup of coffee, Gage saw Lissa Roarke walk through the door of his office. His stomach rolled. He wasn’t ready for this.
“Good morning,” she said. “I’m glad you’re here. I’ve thought about the day and I would like to do a little more research on the north side of the county. Do you think you could take me? Or should I ask Will?”
Gage’s head was spinning. “Whoa, whoa,” he said. “Why do you have to talk so fast? Talking fast isn’t going to get anything done faster.“
“I just want to get things done as quickly as possible for your town,” she said. “They’ve been waiting a long time.”
“True, but unless you have recruits ready today, there’s no need to rush,” he said.
Frustrated beyond measure, she barely resisted stomping her foot. “Why are you fighting me on this?” she asked. “Is this personal? Do you dislike what I’m trying to do? If I’m the one who’s causing a problem for you, then maybe I should just call my boss and ask for a replacement.”
“Why are you jumping off a cliff? I just said you talk way too fast. You just need to slow down,” he said.
“You haven’t done anything but give me a hard time. Maybe you would be happier with someone else heading up this project,” she said.
“You just don’t understand what you’re getting into. Your degrees may work in New York, but they won’t do much here,” he said.
“How dare you?” she asked. “I’m just trying to help and all you can do is criticize. You act like I personally made it rain here in Rust Creek Falls. I’m calling my boss so he can have someone else come here to help.”
Shaking all over, but trying to hide it, Lissa turned and headed for the door. She reached for it, but Gage’s hand covered hers.
“Don’t,” he said in a low voice.
She glanced back at him and he lowered his head toward her. He pressed his mouth against hers and her head and heart began to spin. She felt a crazy mix of anger, frustration, desperation and attraction, and her knees buckled from the force of the kiss.
Gage gripped her waist and pulled her against him, his breath heavy. Lissa’s stomach dipped. She couldn’t remember a time she’d felt like this.
Her gaze clung to his for a long moment. Finally, they both took a breath and she stumbled away from him. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her head.
She couldn’t take her eyes from his.
He shook his head and exhaled. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he said and walked away from her.
Lissa’s mind swirled. She locked her knees to keep from falling. She forced herself to pull herself together. How was she supposed to deal with all of this? How was she supposed to conquer her attraction to Gage and help the people of Rust Creek Falls? He’d been prickly enough that she’d been able to resist thinking about him all the time, but she knew there was something under Gage’s surface that she found way too compelling. It was more than his cowboy boots and his Stetson. She just couldn’t ignore the strength he emanated.
She steeled herself against her feelings. She just had to do it. Nothing, not even Gage Christensen, could or should keep her from her goal.
Lissa kept herself occupied at the desk she’d been given at the sheriff’s office with plans for repairs for the next day, but thoughts of Gage plagued her. She had never been kissed like that before. She’d never had such powerful feelings before. Lissa was trying to regain control. She tried to tell herself that Gage hadn’t shaken her to her bones, but it was hard.
At the end of the day when she went back to her room, she decided to give her cousin, Maggie, a call. Maggie was a lawyer and was working hard to negotiate a release for Arthur Swinton in Thunder Canyon. Although she was swamped, Maggie answered her cell phone. “How is it going, sweetie?” Maggie asked. “I hope you don’t feel like I got you shipped to outer Mongolia.”
“No. It’s not that bad,” Lissa said, laughing at Maggie’s reference to the rural nature of where she’d been assigned.
“I hope you don’t feel like you got pushed into this, but Rust Creek Falls needed some serious help and I thought you could give it,” Maggie said.
“It’s okay. Besides, you didn’t send me—my boss at Bootstraps sent me. You just used your influence to get Bootstraps involved. I’m glad to be the project coordinator for this job. Plus, you know what they say about cowboys. It’s all true. I have to say I have never been so thoroughly kissed,” Lissa said, giving a big sigh over the kiss she’d shared with Gage.
Maggie chuckled. “Well, congratulations on finding your real-life cowboy.”
Lissa rolled her eyes. “No
