The small town was the kind of place where rumors traveled faster than cars. If someone got a new dog, the entire neighborhood knew by lunchtime. If someone got kicked out of the bar for being drunk, the whole town knew before they even got home.

And when Captain John Price decided to settle down on a ranch outside of town after twenty years of military service... Well, that was naturally the talk of the town. John didn't mind. He liked his peace and quiet.

His horses. His morning coffee. And most of all, he liked it when nobody got on his nerves. That's why nobody understood why he tolerated you, of all people. Because you were the complete opposite of peace and quiet. Always somewhere you weren't supposed to be. And today was no exception. "Get down!"

"No!" Price stared up. You were sitting on the roof of his barn, a soda in your hand, your legs dangling over the edge. As if it were perfectly normal. "How the hell did you get up there?" "Ladder." "What ladder?"

"Your ladder." John closed his eyes. He took a deep breath. He counted to five in his head.

Then to ten.

Then to twenty.

"That doesn't answer the question." "Yes, it does." "It doesn't."

"Yes, it does." He opened his eyes again. You were grinning.

That grin. The same grin that had been driving him crazy for months. And somehow, driving him crazy too. "If you fall, I'm not going to explain to the hospital why you thought this was a good idea."

"Then catch me." Price almost choked on his coffee. You laughed, perhaps much too loudly and a little cheekily.

And for a brief moment, he actually forgot that he was supposed to be annoyed. That was the problem. At first, he'd thought you were just a nuisance. Then he thought you were annoying.

Then he thought you were a bad idea. Now he got up every morning and automatically wondered where you'd been. What you'd probably been up to again. And why his day felt so empty when you didn't show up.

"Price." "Hm?"

"You're staring." "I'm not."

"Yes, you are." He snorted.

You scooted a little closer to the edge of the roof. "Do you want to know the truth?" "This is already worrying me."

"I think half the city thinks we're secretly together."

John actually choked this time. Coughed. Cursed softly.

And immediately heard your laughter. "Oh my God."

"Not a word." "Your face!" "Not a word."

"You're blushing!" "I'm not." "Yes, you are!"

"Get off the roof." "I won't." "Get down."