“Have you ever been thrown?”
“Not what you’d call thrown. Slid off once and landed on the ground. But we were riding bareback, Cal and me, and half-drunk with it. A long while back,” he added when Jessica looked at him.
“Your family really wants me to do this.”
“Nobody’s going to make you do something if you’re afraid of it, or just plain don’t want to.”
“I should try it. Have the experience.” She backed up. “I’ll think about it anyway.” She jolted a bit, turned, at the snort behind her. “Who’s that one?”
“That’s the famous Sundown.”
“Sundown the wonder horse.” She approached warily, but she approached. “He’s beautiful. And big. He’s big.”
“Runs seventeen hands, so some bigger than most. Smart, like Dad said, and he can be sly. But he’s got no mean in him.”
To test her mettle, she moved closer. Her hand paused halfway up, hesitating. Could a horse look amused? she wondered, making herself lift her hand all the way to his cheek.
“Okay, two for two. You’re really big, very impressive, and very, very handsome.”
Sundown turned his head, angling it down, as if suddenly shy. Chase laughed.
“I swear I don’t know how he does it. It’s like he understands every word we say.”
Smiling, Jessica turned around. “Maybe he does. I think—”
This time she didn’t just jolt, she all but leaped and landed hard against Chase.
“He was just sniffing your hair.” To steady her, Chase put his arms around her—or told himself that was why. “It’s pretty, and it smells good. He didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I was startled. He just startled me.” Still a little breathless, she looked up. His eyes were so green, she thought, so strongly green and flecked with gold.
“It’s pretty,” Chase said again. “Your hair’s pretty.”
And lowered his mouth to hers.
He smelled of the horses, she thought. Soft and warm. His mouth was the same, warm and soft against hers. A quiet kiss, one that might have been peaceful if not for the rapid drumming of her heart. Despite the drumming, leaning into him, into the moment, was the easiest thing she’d ever done.
He pulled back, stepped back. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t’ve … taken advantage like that.”
The soft, shiny bubble popped. “Like what?”
“Well, I … It might seem like I lured you in here, and then I grabbed hold of you.”
Now she lifted her eyebrows. “I think I did the initial grabbing.”
“That was—” He broke off, pulled off his hat, raked his fingers through his hair. “I’m not sure what to … I’m not sure.”
“I can see that. I guess you should let me know whenever you are. We should get back.”
He shoved his hat back on, caught up with her. “It’s just I don’t want you to feel I’d take advantage, that you’d feel obligated—”
She stopped in her tracks, froze him with a look. “Don’t insult me.”
“I wasn’t. I didn’t mean … Christ almighty, I can talk to people better than this. Women. I’m not saying what I mean to say.”
“If you think for one minute that I believe you did, or you would, pressure me into a physical or sexual relationship because you’re a member of the family that employs me, you’re insulting my intelligence and my character judgment. And I’m saying exactly what I mean to say.”
“All right.”
“If you think I’d encourage or allow the same, you’re an idiot.”
“I think I got your point, all the way through. I only wanted to apologize if I crossed a line. I didn’t mean to cross it, right or wrong. You smell good.”
“We established that last part, thank you. And I’ll let you know if and when you cross a line.”
“All right.” Deciding it was safer all around to leave it at that, Chase opened the door for her.
He glanced back, saw Sundown watching the human drama with apparent delight.
Chase snapped off the lights, shut the door.
CHAPTER TEN
December rushed in with a flurry of events, parties, the madness of decorating, juggling schedules when a number of key staff were out with a twenty-four-hour virus, and for Bodine, the annual frustration of shopping.
She didn’t mind shopping, especially the point-and-click style of online. But Christmas raised her gift-giving bar. She couldn’t and wouldn’t settle for adequate or good enough or even not bad at all when it came to Christmas.
When it came to selecting Christmas gifts, she demanded perfection.
She had her father’s—two dozen Cohiba cigars and an antique humidor she’d battled for fiercely on eBay. She topped it off with a bottle of Three Ships single-malt whisky. She had her brothers’ presents in the bag, and the grannies’. She’d ordered the managers’ gifts and would shortly hand sign the cards that would hold Christmas bonuses for staff.
A couple more gifts for friends, and some gag gifts—a Longbow tradition for stocking stuffers—didn’t worry her. But she’d yet to hit on the perfect gift for her mother.
That worry and weak spot left her vulnerable for Jessica’s not-very-subtle push for a shopping trip to Missoula.
So on a rare day off—when she’d have preferred to sleep late, to take a long, solo ride on Leo—Bodine searched for an empty slot in a parking garage in town.
Since every mother’s son and daughter seemed to have the same idea, it took some doing.
At least the morning held clear, she thought as she finally maneuvered her truck into a slot. Cold turned into bitter, but it was bright and cloudless.
After she climbed out, hung her purse cross-body over her coat, she eyed Jessica. “When I find my mother’s perfect gift, and I will, we’re going for pizza at Biga.”
“All right.”
“You’ve eaten there, haven’t you?”
“No.” Jessica pulled out a lipstick, and without benefit of a mirror, perfectly retouched her lips.
“How’d you do that?” Bodine demanded.
“Do what?”
“Put on that lipstick without looking?”
“Well, I know where my lips are.”
Bodine knew where hers were, too, but she’d like to learn that particular trick. “Did you say you haven’t eaten at Biga’s? Ever?”
“If I end up eating in Missoula, I usually have a salad.”
“That’s just sad.” Bodine took the stairs to street level. “You come in here a couple times a month, but haven’t had the best pizza in Montana—and likely anywhere else.”
Jessica answered with a pitying look. “I have to remind you I’m from New York. There’s no better pizza than New York pizza.”