Page 37 of Eighteen Bowties and Counting

He made the wide, arcing turn and the ranch came into view. The two homesteads, the big Courage Reins building, with Bowman’s Breeds on her left-hand side.

“The energy with you changed,” he said. “What is it?”

She knew exactly what it was, and she’d be stunned if he didn’t too. So she didn’t say anything.

“It’s your heart, isn’t it?” he asked, and he had that teasing quality in his voice. “It’s growing and giving room to fall in love with me, isn’t it?” He chuckled and added, “Don’t admit it, okay? Just let it happen, sweetheart.”

Charlotte looked over to him, wondering how he could joke about this.

“Or maybe you’re just real nervous about kissin’ me,” he said. “So I’ll just say right now—I’m not going to kiss you tonight.”

Ice filled her chest, and she struggled to breathe against it. “You’re not?”

“No, ma’am,” he said. “So stop worrying, and let’s go back to having a good time.”

So easy for him to say. He went down past the barns and stables and around the administration building to their private parking against the back of the cabin. She didn’t wait for him to come open her door for her, and instead, she met him at the corner of the truck and let him take her hand in his.

“I love the moon,” he said, looking up into the sky at the gentle giant of an orb. “She’s almost full tonight, but I think she’s got a sliver left to go.” Beau looked at her, and Charlotte stopped admiring the yellow glow of the moon to meet his eyes.

He didn’t hesitate, and he didn’t say anything. He simply lifted his hand and slid it along her jaw, then around to the back of her neck. He leaned down and touched his mouth to hers in a sweet kiss.

Beau stayed there for only a moment, barely long enough for the burn to start tingling in her lips. Then he pulled away, whispered, “Sorry I lied,” and kissed her like he meant it.

Chapter Thirteen

Beau had imagined kissing Charlotte. Plenty of times. When he should’ve been getting paperwork ready, or paying more attention to what was going on with the vaccinations of their cattle dogs.

When he’d felt her mood shift so violently, he’d told himself sternly that he would not kiss her tonight. Not if it was going to make everything inside her into an earthquake. He’d told himself he could look up at the moon, and hold her hand as they walked along the fields of alfalfa, the scent of the good earth, and the dark sky above them.

But one look at her in the moonlight, and he’d just acted. He’d done what he knew how to do, and oh, kissing Charlotte in real life instead of in his fantasies was a hundred times better than anything he could’ve dreamed up.

She matched him stroke for stroke, and he cradled her face in both of his hands, feeling something shift powerfully inside him. He breathed in and pulled back. Charlotte edged forward, and he touched his lips to hers again, so much inside him now soaring as high as the moon above him.

He pulled away further and tucked Charlotte against his chest. He didn’t mind looking a woman in the eye after he kissed her, but he thought Charlotte would like a few moments to herself. She sighed and nestled right into the space inside his arms he hadn’t realized was shaped exactly like her.

“Wow,” he whispered. “You’re really good at kissing for not having done it for a while.”

She jerked up and blinked at him. He grinned at her, and she caught on to his teasing a moment too late. “You’re such a tease.” She pushed against his chest with one palm while simultaneously fitting herself back against him. “Do you really want to go for a walk?”

“Not really,” he said. “I can see the moon from here.” He glanced up to it again, and it was so bright, it actually hurt his eyes a little. “Do I get another date?”

“Mm, yes,” she said.

“Maybe we can take the horses out to the stream and have sandwiches tomorrow after work,” he said. “Saves us the drive in and back.”

“If I can take New Yorker, it’s a deal.”

He chuckled, because she had talked about the pretty bay several times in the two weeks she’d been working at the ranch.

“And.” She pushed away from him again and searched his face. “You’re not picking me up like you did tonight.”

“Deal on both counts,” he said. “Now, let’s go see what the dogs have torn up and then get to bed.”

“You keep saying your dogs are naughty when you’re gone, but I’ve never seen it.”

He turned around and tucked her against his side as they made their way around the side of the house to the front steps. “Pepper has a wolfish streak every now and then,” he said. “You stay around long enough, you’ll see it.”

He opened the door to the cabin and guided her inside first. Charlotte took three steps, maybe enough to go behind the couch that he’d positioned facing the wall to his right.

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