Tangled Up in Blue

eg

nd see some shirtless guy

, his forehead pressed into sagging boards. H

. And blocking

and let out an exasperated si

andmother, I left the Cooke Ranch just afte

with Virginia Cooke that I barely got any sle

est always has t

he same thing to her. It seems

th anybody, much less Mr. Drunk Mess here.

my car, I hear him talkin

ressed into the ric

s okay. You can come out now." His voic

sary, and walk toward the house. Even with my sunglass

on his feet, his hands wrapped around two of the porch posts, his

e. And I cannot h

or not, he is e

h dark hair and a square jaw. He's

can tell he's got amazing ey

ranch when it's been over 100 degrees for a month straigh

nd I'm just standing h

is face. "You our new roomie?"

Does he

iving at the house was a girl. I'd just assumed he was the boyfr

m," I mumble, feeling

, sticking out his hand. "I'm Blue Daniels

freaking tongue-tied, my stoma

ves here. In the same house

a fish, I manage to whirl toward my old Nissan Maxima. I yank o

to Blue Daniels

's also wearing an amused smirk. He can

te I'm holding to one hip and slip my fi

I've forgotte

add more forcefully,

ual for an August day in Oklahoma. But I'

lue says. "

g how I can subtly wipe my f

bsessed with Dylan when

he prompts, "You know. . .Ta

pid brain a mom

Yeah, I know that song

osses his face. "My mom loved everything

mine, and as usual, a wave of grief and guilt washe

awkwardly for

cts, I think I hear something

to move into. Does this pla

online. Some of the porch's boards are rotted throug

what my roo

. I waited too long to apply for campus housing at Ikan

uld find was a room

aze and again gives me his sexy smile. And sudd

s. "But we didn't expect you quite this ea

before noon. The property manager told me t

e phone. "I'll let them know you're coming, a

now how to answe

ng, stayed in my room, and avoided my grandmothe

drive away from the ran

ickory Flat. I've spent the last couple of hour

exactly 10 a.m. when I pulled

thoughts, "just standing here cha

heavy crate. "Let

e pulls the crate from me. I f

ping an arm across his forehead as he str

mission from my brain, fixat

op

my boxes as I rush over to yank open the other

't even know helping me. And I'm frea

al, I guess. He i

ege career by falling into bed with my roommate. Pret

t up to my room a

pes up, moving toward the porc

tation, I start to fo

et away, gasping as I take in the web of t

y look like burn marks. Or like he

werful as Blue be beaten badly en

. Or maybe it happened when he was much you

he thought. How could an

terrupts my thoughts, obviously

rd the quiet, sun-soaked street

to talk abou

no

we just met. And his words, not to mention t

e of my

up a hand and pushes open the front door, t

he says with a version of th

tter again to see it. I