Page 20 of A Rancher's Bride
The dark-haired woman raised her brows and attempted to look innocent. “Oops?”
“CSI addiction?” Hanna Lane asked.
“Don’t mind my sister, she reads the encyclopedia for fun,” Tamara teased. “Come on, Kelli. What horrible things has my brother-in-law jotted on that teeny note that’s making you grimace so hard?”
He’d handed her the note when he’d told her they were going to the gala. She’d nearly fallen over between the rush of panic and hopefulness that had slammed her.
He’d grinned then left immediately to deal with scheduling, which was probably a good thing because she’d been tempted to grab hold of his plaid shirt and climb up him to plant a kiss right then and there.
Which would have been awkward, to say the least.
She focused on the issue at hand, which seemed to be that girls-night-out had become “let’s figure out how to send Kelli to a shiny event without embarrassing herself” night.
It seemed her guess about artsy-fartsy activities hadn’t been far off.
She looked over the note again so she could give an answer, but the mess didn’t become any clearer. “That’s part of the problem. His handwriting is the shits, always has been. One time he left a note for Ashton that looked as if we were supposed to get the cattle out from the far lane. We spent all day hunting for invisible beasts only to discover he wanted us to move thecatsout of the far loft.” She waved the teeny bit of blue paper in the air. “I can make out the words swimming pool, dancing and formal, but if that means we’re going to a ball, he’s taking the wrong person with him.”
“I think he’s taking exactly right person,” Tansy said, tossing her head cheekily. “Honey, you know how to dance, and you know horses. Bullshit your way through the rest.”
Tamara was on the phone even as she nodded her agreement. “Exactly. I couldn’t agree with Tansy more.”
“Bullshit I can do,” Kelli muttered.
Tamara held up a finger as someone at the other end answered. “Luke, we’ve got a couple questions. We’re helping Kelli get together clothes for the trip, and I want to make sure we’ve got everything covered.” She listened for a minute. “Okay, we can deal with that. Do you need anything? I don’t know if Caleb’s got anything fancier in his closet than what’s hanging in yours.”
She listened, nodding in silence. She said goodbye before looking up at Kelli with a long-suffering expression. “Good thing we checked. Luke talked to a friend who will be there. There’s only one formal event. The rest of it is business casual, and there is a swimming pool.”
“What the hell is business casual?” Kelli demanded.
“It means you can’t wear jeans,” Hanna informed her.
There had to be some mistake. “How is that even possible? Is that something people do on a regular basis?”
The only description for the expression on Tansy’s and Lisa’s faces wassmirk. “They really do. It’s only one week,” Lisa offered in consolation. “Just think, you can eat all the steak you want. The Palisade has a really good restaurant. I looked it up online,” she said before Tansy could make some smartass comment.
Kelli dropped into a chair and rested her head in her hands. “Nothing is worth this much hassle.”
“Sure it is. By the way, what’s Luke giving you for helping him?” Tansy asked.
“Not enough,” Kelli responded, hauling out her phone and finding his number. She hit call before she had time to think it through.
Seduction 101 might be on the books, but some atrocities were pushing it a little too far.
Luke didn’t even bother with the niceties. “What?”
“Hi to you, too. When we get back, I am in charge ofallof Pepper’s training,” she demanded, turning her back on the rest of the room as the girls pretended to get busy. They were probably writing down lists of tutus and ballerina slippers and other horrible things she needed to pack. “You didn’t tell me I couldn’t wear jeans.”
His chuckle carried over the line. It was annoying how the sound alone was enough to make her skin quiver as if he were in the room, stroking her body. “If it makes it any better, I don’t get to wear jeans, either.”
Okay, her brain was really not being her friend, because the options it slapped up involved him, a pair of boxers, and nothing else. Probably not business casual, but something her imagination had dreamed up far too many times for it to be healthy.
“Kelli? You still there?”
She shook herself alert. “I’m glad we get to suffer together, but I mean it. That’s what I want for payment for attending the event. I’m going to do the best job possible, just like you know I will with Pepper’s training, but I want you to promise.”
He let out a long sigh. “Yes. Anything else?”
She wasn’t fast enough on the uptake to come up with something terrible on the spot.
