An Excerpt from Falling for Dallas by Carolynn Carey
Beth Ann decided before breakfast the next morning that she was going to sell the cottage to Dallas.
She knew the dangers. In fact, she'd thought of little else all afternoon yesterday and well into the night, and she'd discovered that this particular temptation was one she simply couldn't resist. The thought of having Dallas Vance occasionally living in her back yard was just too appealing to ignore.
And the money would be a boon too. She had no idea how much to expect, but she didn't think it could be less than fifty thousand dollars for the cottage and its furnishings combined, which would go a long way toward paying off Trevor's medical bills.
She could hardly wait to tell Dallas, but the sun was barely up, and there were no lights on in Megan's house across the street.
She would come home for lunch again today, Beth Ann decided, and if Dallas wasn't working in her yard or visiting with Trevor, she's look him up and give him the news. She hoped he'd still be interested in buying now that she'd made up her mind to sell.
She brewed some coffee and settled down at the table in the kitchen to look over the morning's paper while she waited for Trevor to wake up. She liked to be sure he had a decent breakfast before she left for work in the mornings, but she didn't want to wake him for another hour or so.
Half an hour later, someone knocked on the back door. Beth Ann glanced at the clock and frowned. People didn't come calling in Barbourville at half past six in the morning unless something was wrong.
She tossed the newspaper onto the table and hurried to the door where she pulled the curtain aside and looked out. Dallas stood outside. When he saw Beth Ann looking through the glass, he smiled and held up a brown paper bag.
Beth Ann unlocked the door and opened it. "What's wrong?"
"I saw your light on and hoped you were up. How about some breakfast?"
"So nothing's wrong?"
"I'm pretty darn hungry. Does that count?"
"Not for much, no." But she smiled before she stepped back and motioned him in. "What's in the bag?"
"Bagels. But not just any bagels. Denver sent me a care package."
"Your brother sent you bagels from Chicago?"
"Yep."
"Why? You could get bagels in the grocery store here."
"Those are imitation bagels. These are the real thing. Do you have any coffee?"
"Yes, but... Do you know what time it is?"
"Is it too early? Should I leave and come back later?"
Beth Ann shrugged. "This is a little weird, that's all. Is everything okay at Megan's and Daniel's?"
"Great. Or so Megan informed me when I got out of bed to find out why three babies were screaming at the tops of their little but very powerful lungs. Megan soon got them settled down, but I was wide awake by that time. Then I saw your kitchen light on and decided to share my bagels with you. You should feel honored."
Beth Ann couldn't help but wish she'd slapped on a little make up this morning before she came downstairs. Thank goodness she'd pulled on jeans and a sweatshirt instead of wearing just her gown and robe. She nodded toward the table. "Sit down and make yourself at home. I'll get you some coffee."
"Great. I'll be setting the bagels and cream cheese out."
A few seconds later, Beth Ann returned with a steaming cup of coffee and a couple of table knives. "What else do we need?"
"Not a thing if you don't mind eating off of a napkin." He had spread two paper napkins out and placed a bagel on each. "Do you like bagels?"
"Sure." Beth Ann scooted Dallas's coffee across the table and seated herself. "I'm glad you came over."
"Because you love bagels?"
She took a bite of her bagel and chewed a minute. "Mmmm. This is good."
"I told you. Is that why you're glad I came over?"
"Not entirely. I wanted to tell you that I'll sell the cottage to you if you're still interested in buying."
Dallas laid his bagel down and stared at her. "You're serious?"
"Absolutely. Are you still interested?"
"Sure am." He grinned. "This is great. I'll want to get someone lined up to do an appraisal as soon as possible. Do you know anybody?"
"No, but Daniel could probably tell you who to see."
"I'll check into it this morning. See you later." He got up, walked around the table, and bent to surprise Beth Ann with a quick but torrid kiss. Then he straightened, grinned, and hurried across the kitchen to the back door. He disappeared without looking back.
Beth Ann touched her lips, which tingled from the lightning bolt of electricity that had leapt to life when Dallas kissed her. Yep, selling the cottage to him was definitely a dangerous move. She grinned and jumped to her feet, more eager to face the day than she had felt in a very long time.
Copyright © Sue Carey.
This excerpt is copyrighted material.
It may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the permission of the author, Sue Carey.