Page 73 of The Cowboy's Country Charm

His mother had a way of making him feel ten years old. “If I did go to Cheyenne, we’d work it out. You didn’t see much of me for ten years. Cheyenne is not as far as the Middle East.”

“But you’re not going, so we’ve nothing to work out. Now, did you get a tux for Boots and Bells yet?”

“On my list.”

“I contacted the rental shop and gave them sizes for both Cort and Rusty,” Lexi said. “I just hope things go well. For Kristy’s sake and mine. I may not be the chair, but I’ve done so much to make this happen that I feel like I might as well be.”

Rusty had to wonder whether, when it was over, Kristy would stay in Gillette or head back to Cheyenne. She said a lot hinged on how well the gala went. If she went back, his commander’s offer would look a lot more attractive.

They’d offered him a civilian training job when he’d first left the air force. He’d wanted to be in the action, not training others to be in the action, so he’d turned it down. Apparently they were hurting for instructors and, according to his commander, Rusty’s name had risen to the top of the list of people they wanted.

He still wanted to be in the middle of the action. He was tough. Physically and mentally, as he’d proven time and again. But lately he’d come to question whether being in the action was good for the nightmares that still haunted him.

Standing outside her office, Rusty texted her. While his news was ballooning his insides, he wanted to be respectful of her time. It was only days away from the gala, and he hadn’t seen her since their tryst at the cabin, because she’d been so busy.

But she was the person he most wanted to share his news with. To know she would wait for him while he went through the academy. Because he wasn’t sure of her reaction. Their relationship was untested. And he wasn’t even sure she considered what they had an actual relationship yet.

He scanned her reply, which was to come up to the office.

He bounded up the stairwell two steps at a time. Reaching the office door, he swung it open and, not waiting for it to close, headed to her door. He didn’t knock. She was expecting him, after all.

As the door opened, she was standing alone behind her disheveled desk. A sure sign that things were hectic.

She stood there in her pink T-shirt and denim jeans and smiled, waiting for him to say something.

His heart was drumming, his body humming. “I’m in. It’s official.”

She darted from behind the desk, stood before him, placed a hand on each side of his face, and kissed him. It was a no-holds-barred kiss that matched the joy he felt. When she stepped back, he rested his hands on her hips. She laid her hands on his shoulders.

“I’m so proud of you,” she said. “When do you have to report?”

“The academy starts right after Labor Day.” He hesitated a second, but he needed to be sure she understood. “It’s three months of training. I’ll only be home on weekends.” When she’d likely have client events to organize.

“We’ll make it work.”

Music to his ears. “I like your attitude, Miss Winslow.”

“I think we should celebrate. At my place.” Her hands traveled from his shoulders to cradle his face, again. “Ariel is going to be out late tonight dancing.” Her smile was filled with promise.

“So we could do some dancing of our own.” He went in for another kiss, when her cell phone rang.

She held up a hand. “That’s Lexi.”

His sister always did have lousy timing.

Kristy answered it, holding the phone to her ear and stepping out of his embrace. “Great. Thank you so much.”

When the call ended, she stepped right back into his arms.

“It’s confirmed. Greta Hutchins is going to be our film narrator. I owe you and your family a lot.”

Stetson would love to know that. He’d been trying to track Greta down, but the email he had for her was no longer working, and he didn’t have her phone number.

“I’ve got a lot of ways you can repay me.” Rusty figured it was a good time to make his request. “There’s one thing you could do for me. Actually, for a friend of mine.”

“Name it.” A relaxed smile was on her face.

“You might be sorry you said that.”

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