Rebecca waited, hoping to hear that she was wildly attracted to a mild-mannered sweet man who would never cause her angst or fear, never make her see red, never leave her furniture out on the lawn—
“The type of man who attracts you seems inscrutable and has a kind of magnetic charisma that hints at smoldering sexuality and passion,” Buddy read.
Smoldering sexuality? “Go on,” Rebecca said, feeling a slight glitch in her enthusiasm. Obviously, he hadn’t gotten to the part that talked about him.
“You’re strong-willed and possessive,” he continued, “and like the same in a mate, for you have a deep-felt need to be wanted. A subtle power struggle may be a seductive aspect of the attraction. Men who seem mysterious or brooding or have ‘deep dark secrets’ could intrigue and entice you. You are often attracted to men who seem powerful or dangerous—”
“Powerful?” she said.
“Well, I interpret powerful to mean confident. And I’m confident, right?”
“Right. That could be you,” she said, because she didn’t know what else to say. So far none of Buddy’s stronger characteristics had been mentioned.
“I thought the first part was a little more applicable, but I suppose some women might say I’m a man of secrets,” Buddy said. “Still waters run deep and all that, you know?”
Sometimes still waters were simply what they appeared to be—still waters. Rebecca had realized that with Buddy. But she certainly didn’t want to make him feel bad if he imagined himself as enigmatic. “Um…you’re—” she cleared her throat “—sort of mysterious, I guess. I wouldn’t call you brooding, exactly.”
“Wait till you hear this. ‘If you have Mars in Scorpio, you will have extra-strong passions and sexual magnetism that is sensed by others, especially Scorpio types.”’
“Why would you read me that?” she said, her voice slightly shrill. “You’re not a Scorpio.” Rebecca wasn’t sure whether she had Mars in Scorpio or not, but Josh Hill was the only male Scorpio she knew. Not that she’d ever share that information with Buddy. Her fiancé wasn’t the type to understand illicit attraction—or lifelong feuds. And she was definitely leaving her past behind when she moved to Nebraska.
“You interrupted before I got to the good part,” he said. “This is the good part: ‘You are the ultimate seductress and may be especially aroused by the raw sexual energy of a passionate man.”’
Rebecca sat staring at nothing. Had she called the right number? Was this Josh and not Buddy, playing some kind of cruel joke?
“Hello? Rebecca?”
“I’m here.”
“What do you think of that? You’re a seductress.”
“And…you’re the man with the raw sexual energy?”
“Of course.”
Then why had she conjured up Josh’s face when Buddy was spouting that silly horoscope?
“After a reading like that, the extra money we’re spending for me to come for your party should be money well spent, huh?”
Rebecca took a deep breath and tried to gain some perspective. It was just a horoscope. It didn’t mean anything. “I’m looking forward to seeing you, Buddy,” she said numbly. “But I’m exhausted. I’d better talk to you tomorrow.”
“Goodbye, my little seductress.”
She shook her head and hung up. Whatever had possessed Buddy to read her that? Didn’t he know there probably wasn’t a woman on earth who’d classify him as sexually intense? As dark and brooding? He had plenty of strengths; he was going to make a great husband. But sexual intensity wasn’t one of those strengths. Neither were any of the other things he’d read her.
It was Josh’s fault. If he hadn’t gotten sick last night and made her feel obligated to give him that massage, she wouldn’t be picturing him at every mention of sexual desire….
Grabbing the telephone book, she looked up his number at the ranch he owned with his brother. She didn’t appreciate what he’d done to her furniture, and she wanted to let him know it.
The phone rang twelve times before someone answered, but Rebecca knew it was Josh and not Mike. She recognized the voice.
“Hello?”
She opened her mouth to say something about the furniture, but what was really on her mind was that stupid horoscope. If you have Mars in Scorpio, you will have extra-strong passions and sexual magnetism that is sensed by others, especially Scorpio types.
“Hello? Is anyone there?”
Rebecca hesitated. Even sleepy, Josh sounded sexy. The slight rasp to his voice seemed to spiral through her, making her long to close her eyes and just listen to him talk…
But she wouldn’t give in to his appeal. No way in hell.
“You have no sexual energy,” she blurted. “None. You’re not strong-willed or possessive—well, maybe you are strong-willed and possessive—but you’re not seductive and you don’t entice me. As a matter of fact—”
“Rebecca?”
“What?”
“I don’t know about any of that other stuff, but I have plenty of sexual energy,” he said. “Anytime you want to let that fiancé of yours off the hook and find out how much, come on over.”
Anger and frustration combined to make her clench her fists. “I wouldn’t sleep with you if you were the last man on earth!” she cried and hung up.
“WHO WAS THAT?” Mike said, coming to stand in the doorway of Josh’s room, his hair sticking up on one side.
Josh chuckled and set the phone back on its cradle. “Just Rebecca thanking us for helping her move.”
CHAPTER TEN
CITY HALL SAT on a large shady lot next to the post office only a block away from the salon. Rebecca finished her eleven o’clock color for Mrs. Dobbins, told Katie she was going out to grab a sandwich and walked to her father’s office, frowning at the sky. Dark clouds were forming overhead and the wind was picking up, which concerned her. She and Booker wouldn’t be able to move her furniture inside until after she got off work. But the people from the trailer park at the end of the street would probably have carted it all away by then, so she wasn’t sure why she was bothering to worry about rain.
Josh Hill…Rebecca felt her mood darken. To think she’d even considered becoming his friend.
Ignoring the elevator in the lobby, she took the stairs to the second floor and slipped through the double doors of the mayor’s office. Ruth, the receptionist, immediately glanced up from behind the tall mahogany desk that shielded most of her birdlike body. “Your father will be available in a moment, Rebecca,” she said stiffly.