Leaving Liberty, a Western Romance (Book 5) (Texas Hearts) Read Online Free PDF

her a reason to talk to the storeowner.
    The day she’d met Mr. Duncan as a child, he was standing behind the counter like he was now. He always busied himself straightening items that didn’t need straightening, rearranging things on another shelf, or swapping something else out for an item that had sat there too long. Busy work her father had called it. Every once in a while the teenage boy who’d started working at the store last summer would come out with a fresh batch of goods for Mr. Duncan to rearrange on another shelf.
    When he caught Libby coming his way, Mr. Duncan straightened his shirt and walked to the register.
    “It’s good to see you out and about, Libby.”
    “Were you afraid I’d become a vampire and shield myself from the sunlight?” she teased.
    “Well, you sure could use a little more color,” he said in a fatherly tone. “It’s good to see you in good spirits. What do you have there? Andy get Libby a basket before her arm breaks and she drops these items all over the floor.”
    The teen rushed behind the counter and grabbed a small blue shopping basket. One by one he took the items from Libby’s arms and dropped them inside the basket.
    “Here you go, ma’am,” he said.
    “Thank you.”
    Satisfied, Mr. Duncan waved Andy back to his task and turned to Libby. “You usually send Cole out for supplies but he hasn’t been here in a few days. I hope he’s not under the weather.”
    Her stomach sunk. “He’s out of town. On business.”
    The worried look on Mr. Duncan’s face changed to sympathy. “So you’re alone at the house?”
    She tried to make light of it. “I can finally have a long bubble bath without anyone complaining I’m taking too long.”
    Mr. Duncan looked at her warmly. She was glad he didn’t push. “Let’s get this rung up so you can get back to your day.”
    “I appreciate that.”
    She remembered what it was like after John died. Every time she’d stepped off the ranch someone would give her condolences. People meant well. She knew that. But she needed normal in her life. The best way to get back to normal was to get back to ranch business and get on with life.
    Thirty minutes of walking around town would show the world around her that she had. And if she kept telling herself that, maybe she’d believe it too.
    * * *
    Jackson hadn’t expected the “back in thirty minutes” sign on the town hall door. He glanced at his watch. It was five past noon. Sighing his frustration, he turned and read the signs of all the small businesses along Main Street.
    The diner may be a good place to look for the town clerk. Rumor was Mrs. Estabrooks had been working the same desk for the last thirty years. If there was anyone in town who knew everything about what happened in Liberty, it would be her. He wanted more information about Cole Rivers. As the town clerk, she’d known something about every resident in Liberty. And what better place for him to connect with her in a non-threatening way than down at the local diner?
    As Jackson walked down the sidewalk toward the diner, his stomach growled. If Mrs. Estabrooks was there, he may as well get a meal while he was at it. Just as the thought crossed his mind, he saw Libby walking out of the general store carrying a bag that looked too large for her frame. He quickly ran down the sidewalk toward her and grabbed the bag from her hands.
    With the movement, she tripped over her foot as she stumbled. Then caught her footing again. Wide-eyed with surprise, she glared up at him. “What are you doing?”
    “Helping you.”
    “Do what? Fall flat on my face? I nearly landed on the ground when you yanked the bag out of my arms.”
    “I was trying to keep you from dropping it.”
    She sputtered. “I’ve been lugging bags of feed and lifting hay bales all my life. I think I can handle a little bag from the hardware store. Don’t you think you’re being a little—”
    “Gentlemanly? There must not be very many of them around