Page 45 of A Rancher's Heart
They both laughed.
Then someone tall, broad shouldered and most definitely male tapped Brooke on the shoulder. He had a buddy at his side, and the next thing Tamara knew, she was twirling around the room in the arms of a handsome stranger.
It was fun and lighthearted, and even when he stepped on her toes for the second time, she somehow kept from laughing.
The next couple hours flew by between dancing and chatting, and when midnight rolled around, Tamara was ready to call it a night. Kelli came willingly enough, pressing up on her tiptoes to plant a kiss to her favourite dance partner’s cheek before cleverly evading his grasp.
They slipped outside and said their farewells to Tansy and Rose.
“Stop by the shop anytime,” Rose ordered.
“And I’ll bring out that thingy I promised later this week,” Tansy reminded her. They took off, striding back to their shared apartment over the stores.
Brooke walked with her and Kelli to where they were parked close to each other.
Kelli rolled down the window. “Come out to the ranch tomorrow,” she said. “I can show you—”
They all cringed as Tamara turned over the engine and a horrible grinding sound rang out.
Brooke’s brows rose. “Lovely.”
Tamara swore. “I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Pop the hood,” Brooke ordered. Before long she was clicking her tongue in that annoying way mechanics always did when the trouble was something more complicated than adjusting a few screws. She shut the hood and walked forward, brushing her hands together. “Come on. Lock it up and I’ll drive you guys home tonight. I’ll check it out tomorrow.”
Tamara and Kelli climbed into Brooke’s vehicle. “Do you need me to get the guys to tow it over for you?”
Brooke shook her head. “I’ll get it to the shop easily enough in the morning. I’ll call to let you know what’s wrong and the cost before I do any work.”
The trip home went quickly, with more conversation and laughter, and when Brooke dropped them off, it was easy to agree to get together again soon.
Tamara accepted a hug from Kelli, the young woman squeezing her before stepping back with a grin. “You were good company.”
“Thanks, Kelli. I had a great time. You have awesome friends.”
“They’re your friends now too,” Kelli pointed out. She waved goodbye then sauntered toward the bunkhouse.
Tamara snuck into the house, hoping she wasn’t going to disturb anyone. She glanced into the living room, but there was no sign of Caleb, so she headed down the hallway, pausing to peek in the girls’ rooms.
Emma lay flat on her back, an old, worn-out stuffed monkey sharing her pillow. Her lashes rested easily on against her cheeks, but the sheets were tangled, so Tamara covered her up again carefully.
She smiled as she closed the door and slipped down the hall. One quick peek into the next room she discovered Sasha sitting upright on her bed, flashlight in her hand as she stared across the room at the closet.
Tamara didn’t want to scare her, so she made a little extra commotion before twisting the door farther open.
“You okay?”
Sasha glanced up, chin rising. “I heard a noise,” she complained.
“I hate when that happens,” Tamara said. “Did it wake you?”
Sasha nodded again.
Tamara opened the door a little wider. “Can I come in?
Sasha’s gaze darted toward the closet.
Tamara took that as a yes. “I can take a peek.”
