Page 26 of Haystacks and Hoaxes

Rock pinned him with a hard look, hating how easily the guy had read his feelings on the topic. “She has a family of her own in town. Who says she’d even come?”

Johnny shoved his hands into his pockets, shifting from one boot to the other. “Her parents are on a cruise, and I overheard Decker say something about visiting his in-laws on Christmas morning. Bet that would feel even more awkward for her than this conversation does to me.”

Rock’s empathies stirred in her direction. “Then invite her.” Even though he wasn’t at liberty to cross that line and invite her himself, he didn’t hate the idea of spending Christmas with her.

“Are you serious?” A grin spread across Johnny’s rugged features.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Rock shrugged irritably. “You should still run it past Gage, of course. It’s his house.”

“Thanks, man.” Johnny rolled his shoulders back to loosen a kink. “Since Mila reports to you, I didn’t want to make Christmas weird for either of you guys.”

Rock snorted. “Weird seems to be right up your alley.”

“You’re probably not the only one who thinks that.” Johnny glanced away guiltily, making Rock feel guilty for pointing it out. “I get that private investigating isn’t a normal career progression for a bull rider. I wouldn’t have made it this far if Gage hadn’t taken me under his wing.”

A shadow passed over his features that made Rock wonder if he was in Heart Lake to stay. “You’re from Wyoming, aren’t you?” Texas was a long way from home for him.

“Yes and no.” Johnny pulled his hands out of his pockets to wave them vaguely. “That’s where my parents settled after Dad’s rodeo career. Before that, we went wherever the circuit took us.”

“Was he a bull rider like you?” Rock knew he was being nosy, but it was the first time Johnny had really opened up to him.

“Yep.” Johnny shielded his eyes from the morning sun as he continued gazing off toward the mountains. “It’s what I’d still be doing if I hadn’t run into Josh and Decker at the Western Hearts Livestock Show a couple of years back.”

Rock nodded, knowing Johnny was referring to the local rodeo run by Wayne Whitaker, who also served as the tribal leader of the Comanche reservation that butted up to the south end of town.

“They took a chance on me,” Johnny continued in a wry voice. “Most folks assume bull riders don’t have enough between their ears to button their own shirts, much less train as a PI.”

“Gage likes working with you,” Rock offered grudgingly, still jealous of the brotherly vibe they seemed to have between them.

Johnny looked surprised. “Did he say that?”

“In so many words.”Dude, you practically live at his house, and he allows it. What other conclusion could you possibly draw?

A grin smeared itself across Johnny’s face. “Well, what do ya think of that?”

I’m not thrilled about it, but I’ll get over it.“Sorry to cut this short, but I’ve gotta roll.”

Johnny slapped the side of his truck and stepped back. “I’ll let you know what Mila says about Christmas.”

A fresh stab of irritation sliced through Rock, but all he did was wave two fingers in dismissal. He had no choice but to act like Mila joining them for Christmas was no big deal, even though it was. He started driving before he finished rolling up his window.

To his surprise, the door of his office was open and the lights were on when he arrived. Stepping inside his office, he discovered why.

Mila was seated in one of the guest chairs in front of his desk. She sprang to her feet at the sight of him. “I know I’m invading your space. Sorry.”

“It’s fine.” He moved to his desk to drop his duffle bag on it, still not sure how she’d gotten in without a key. However, she’d nailed the standard uniform for PIs and forensic artists at Lonestar. Man, but she knew how to fill a pair of jeans! She’d pulled a creamy turtleneck sweater over them that emphasized her curvy figure even more. Gage had been right to warn him that working alongside Mila was going to feel different from working with the all-male squads of soldiers from his last job. He didn’t think it was simply because she was a woman, though. It was because she wasthis woman.

He wasn’t sure what it was about Mila Kingston that held him in such enthrall. He’d met and mingled with beautiful women before, even dated a few of them, but he’d never felt the powerful sense of awareness he experienced every time they were in the same room —during her interview, at her brother’s house, and right now. He wasn’tsimply aware of everything she did. He was hyper aware of her every word, every change of expression, every movement.

“Deck said he’s gonna clear out an office for me. Since it’s not ready yet, he used his master key to let me in here this morning.”

Mystery solved.Rock mentally pictured shrugging off his hyper awareness of her as he shrugged out of his insulated leather jacket. It didn’t work. The effort to do so left him feeling toastier than if he’d kept his jacket on. “Make yourself at home.” He wished he had a ceiling fan to turn on. “We’ll crank through the paperwork as fast as we can. I’m hoping to get it knocked out in an hour or two, so we can drive out to Canyon Creek Petroleum this morning.” As he opened his laptop and turned it on, he could feel her expressive hazel eyes studying him.

“Works for me!” She sounded as excited about getting started on their first case as she had the evening before.

Considering everything she’d been through during the past twenty-four hours, her answer was all the more admirable. He waggled his eyebrows playfully at her to hide his surge of protectiveness. “I hope you didn’t think I was gonna let you slack, just because it’s your first day.”

Her merry chuckle filled the room, teasing and taunting his senses. “While you prepare to bury me in paperwork, I have a sort of weird question to ask.”

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