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“There has to be afrustration laced the voice of theat the counter

But it was ry tone that drew Cleo’s attention A note of recognition chimed in the far recesses of her mind She craned her neck for a better look Only the back of his short brown hair and his blue-and-white-striped collared shirt were visible She knew that voice, but from where?

She glanced around, hoping to find someone qualified to assist the now flustered desk clerk When Cleo didn’t see any hotel e in to help, she stepped forward The least she could do was maintain crowd control until soistration

“Check again” The id “It’s under Joe Smith”

“I am, sir” Lynn studied the computer monitor “I can’t locate your name in our system”

“Call your supervisor”

“I—I can’t She’s just left She’s ill”

“Then call her boss Surely there’s so on”

While Lynn frantically stabbed at the phone pad trying to reach sos, Cleo stepped up behind the disgruntled man He didn’t notice her as he leaned both elbows on the counter, peering at the coaze slid over his broad shoulders to his tapered waist, where his jeans accentuated his finer assets Realizing what she was doing, she jerked her attention upward

“Excuse me, sir Can I help?”

When the htened, he was much taller than she’d anticipated As he turned to her, she found herself straightening her spine and lifting her chin His assessing glance sent a shiver of awareness down her arms She shook off the sensation Obviously she’d been concentrating on the problems with her family and her job a little too much It had been years since a man had such an effect on her Not since

Jax Monroe!

His cool blue-gray gaze le of the slot ht as she waited for a sign of recognition But none ca What was up with that?

She s trouble, I see”

He e pinned to her chest Was it just her ier than necessary to verify her name?

“Jax, it hasn’t been that nize me”

Sure she’d changed so brown hair had been cut off Her fingers itched to brush over the supershort strands And his face was now pale instead of the tanned complexion she recalled—back when they spent most of their time outdoors

But not everything about hied If you knew to look for it, there was still a little scar that threaded along his jaw She clearly re at the creek He’d been goofing off when he’d slipped and fallen on rocks He’d clahed at hi

They’d practically grown up togethereven if he was five years her senior Hope Springs, Wyo so since she’d been there And her last visit had been such a nightmare—

Her throat tightened Could that be the answer? Itas if he didn’t know her Even though he’d left Hope Springs years ago, it was possible he kept in contact with someone from there Her stomach churned Did he know about what she’d done?

“Jax, stop acting like you could forget the girl who used to follow you to our favorite watering hole”

“I think you must have me mistaken for someone else” He turned his back to her and waited while the clerk spoke in hushed tones on the phone