By the time she stepped out of the car and walked toward the barn it had turned into a beautiful day. A smile sat on her lips at the thought. She walked through the weathered wooden doors and saw Russell and her father stacking bags of feed on the new shelves her father had assembled. Her dad had an organization obsession like no one she’d ever known and with Russell around to help, he was taking full advantage of getting ready for winter.They hadn’t noticed her at the opposite end of the barn and she took the moment to gaze at Russell. He’d changed into some of his new clothes and the dark jeans and gray t-shirt fit him perfectly. Valerie wanted to pull her eyes away from his large biceps and the outline of the muscles in his back but it was too difficult. She watched as he swiped his glistening brow and dragged his hands through his wavy hair. He turned instinctively and when he met her stare, he smiled beautifully.He wet his lips quickly, still keeping his eyes on her, and she felt a pulse roll through her inexplicably.
