Page 46 of Christmas with the Cowgirl
“You did fine.If you were applying, I’d hire you.”
He blinked.His smile changed, all self-mockery vanishing.“You make me wish I was.”
The silence returned for a long, drawn-out moment.But this silence was different.An edge had come into it, a sort of tension he hadn’t felt in a long time.And he realized with a jolt the only thing that was stopping him from trying to kiss her was fear.Fear that she’d hate it, and him, and order him off her ranch with a “don’t come back” thrown in for emphasis.
He wasn’t used to this.Or he was out of practice, given he’d sworn off some time ago, after deciding there wasn’t a woman in Hollywood he would trust not to be after something else, something he, with his recent string of successes, could provide her.
Riley Garrett couldn’t give a damn about who he was back there, because she didn’t want or need anything he could offer.Here, all he could offer was what he’d already given, some basic manual labor.
I’d hire you.
That made it pretty clear, didn’t it?That’s how she saw him—as somebody helping out.
“I think you need to try a full-on Valencia’s meal,” Riley said suddenly.“Let’s go.”
He drew back slightly, startled.Had she just asked him out to dinner?
You’re not that lucky, Flint.
He gave an inward shake of his head.He’d always spent a lot of time—way too much, Swiffer said—figuring out the motivation of characters.But right now he felt lost, because he had no idea what had motivated her to make that offer.He did, however, know exactly why he accepted.Because no way in hell was he going to turn down the chance to extend this time spent with her.
“I need to stop byYippee Ki Yay, anyway,” she went on, casually enough to tamp down his response to the invitation a bit.“Dad’s new boots, his Christmas present, came in.”
“Okay,” he said, because he didn’t know what else to say.
As he was cleaning up from the day’s work, he found himself wondering if perhaps the chance would arise for him to broach the subject that had been nibbling at him for some time now.It seemed so logical, so reasonable, so beneficial to both sides.It would help him, placate a lot of people, and judging by what he’d heard of the financial strain of running a big ranch, it would help her, too.
And the fact that it would mean you seeing a lot more of her doesn’t play into it at all, right?
He grimaced at that annoying inner voice that had become all too active since his arrival in Last Stand and, with a rather foul mental exclamation, told it to shut up.
It was a good thing that inner voice didn’t have a face, because if it did, he knew it would be smirking.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Riley was gladMiles had agreed to a walk around town after that meal.She always seemed to lose any sense of portion control when the luscious food Valencia’s served was in front of her.And she needed to walk some of this off, at least.Besides, now that all the decorations and lights were up, she wanted to soak in some Christmas.
As they walked down Main Street and passed Kolaches, the town bakery, she caught herself smiling.
“What?”he asked.
“This is probably the only time I can walk past that place and not give in to the smell of cinnamon rolls.”
He chuckled, and she liked that he did that so easily.She’d always figured someone at his level in his business would be far above such simple amusements.
Wrong again?
They continued walking.The third time he looked around and let out an audible breath, Riley couldn’t stop herself from asking him why.He gave a one-shouldered shrug.She thought that was going to be all the answer she would get when a moment later he spoke.
“It’s just…it’s different here.The whole Christmas thing, I mean.”He gestured at the colorful lights that ran along the sidewalk, and every block crossed the street in an arch of lights and tinsel and delicate shapes formed by each.
“Different how?”
“In Hollywood they do it up just as big, but there it’s all a big show.A production, because it’s that time of year and it’s expected.Here it’s…real.You can feel the difference.Here it’s joy, celebration, not a push to make people remember you when your next project premieres.”
Riley laughed.“I get your point, but believe me, Last Stand has had its moments.For a few years there, there was a big contest between all the businesses for who put up the best Christmas display.And the spirit of Christmas had a lot less to do with it than the spirit of competition.”
He smiled.“Did everybody get to vote?”
