Page 18 of PenPal Hero

“Kissing,” she confessed breathlessly. “I didn’t know it would be…so intense.”

His head came up in astonishment. “Are you telling me?—?”

“Yes.” Warmth infused her from head to toe. “You’re my first boyfriend. My first kiss.”

“Unbelievable!” He hugged her tightly. “How is that even possible? I mean…come on, Bonnie.” He buried his face against the side of her neck. “You’re sweet, gorgeous, and irresistible.”

“Brothers,” she reminded with a sigh.

He chuckled. “I’ll be sure to thank them the next time I see them.”

“Please don’t,” she begged. “They’re already impossible to deal with. Their egos don’t need a boost.”

“But they saved you for me, babe.” His voice was muffled against her neck. “I’ll always be grateful for that.”

They stood there, wrapped in each other’s arms by the side of his truck, until a chattering group of real estate agents spilled from the building into the parking lot.

Bonnie slipped out of Holt’s embrace. “We’ve got company,” she hissed.

He grinned down at her. “We’re official now. We don’t need to hide our relationship any longer.”

“Right.” She peeked at the group of agents from beneath her lashes. Though she’d met every one of them throughout the course of the retreat, they were some of the attendees she was least familiar with — a group from Houston.

The senior partner of their firm, an older gentleman, waved at her. She waved back, feeling conspicuous.

“We should probably get going on our hike.” She met Holt’s gaze again, feeling shy. “I don’t want to be late for our dinner date.”

“Now you’re talking!” He reached for her hand as they retraced her steps from earlier across the pastureland toward the distant hills. They paused a few times to talk to the horses grazing in the fields.

Holt had a way of nickering at them that made them come right up to him. One of the trail riding horses pressed her nose against his palm.

“Sorry, Trixie.” He ran a hand down her long, sleek, reddish-brown neck. “I didn’t bring you any snacks today.”

“Oh, wow!” Bonnie exclaimed, making the horse’s head swivel in her direction. “How’d you know her name?”

Holt’s expression grew shuttered. “I give trail rides out here now and then.”

“Since when?” She gave him an incredulous look, wondering when he had the time for something like that. He already worked two other jobs.

“Since I signed on at K&G Security,” he returned carefully. “They have staff on duty at nearly all the events here. Every employee takes their turn working security at Anderson Ranch.”

That made sense. “Alice told me we have guards embedded at the retreat, too.”

“I don’t doubt it.” He didn’t look the least bit surprised.

“Are you one of them?” She slapped her hands down on her hips.

“Nope. I’m with my girl.” He broke into a celebratory two-step before hiking the final stretch of pastureland with her toward their destination. He paused as they faced the tree line together. “Where exactly was that flash of light coming from?”

She tipped her head back and gazed up at the trees. “There.” She pointed at a massive oak. “I’m sure of it.”

“Okay.” Holt took a running jump and hefted himself into the lowest set of branches. From there, he began to climb. “Tell me when to stop.”

She pointed and called out directions until he reached the general area she remembered the flash coming from. Shading her eyes, she shouted up to him, “Did you find anything?”

“Yep.” He climbed down a few minutes later to show her a cigarette butt inside a clear plastic bag. “Found this jammed in a crevice between two branches. Someone was smoking up there.”

She eyed the cigarette butt curiously. “What are you going to do with it?”

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