“You just did.”
Eyeing him warily, she put on her coat. She wasn’t certain if she wanted to fight or find an empty stall and really finish what he had started.
“Maybe I was just feeling a little Christmas spirit.”
“We can test that out.” He took a step toward her. She held up a hand.
“I think it’s best we leave this where it is for right now.”
He just slid his hands into his pockets. “Like I said. I can wait.”
“April’s a ways off. We can both change our minds before then.”
“I don’t think so. But we’ll see come spring.”
“All right.” She’d consider it a kind of agenda. Come spring, they’d see. “Are you coming in?”
“I’m going to go clean up some first.”
“Then I’ll see you after you do.” She strode down the concrete. “You know, Skinner,” she said, without turning around, “I might sleep with you just because of your horse. Keep that in mind.”
As the door closed behind her, Callen looked at Sundown. “You’re not why.”
Sundown proved a horse could guffaw.
*
Linda-Sue’s wedding, even with the additional pomp and circumstance, proved a major success—and a big, fat feather in Jessica’s cap. Or, at least, in the flat-brimmed Stetson Bodine had given her for Christmas.
She handled the bride and her party, assigned Will to the groom and his, and with Chelsea’s help tackled the biggest issue.
The mother of the bride.
From arrivals to wardrobe emergencies, from flowers to decor to music—and a harpist—the wedding kept Jessica and her team scrambling, adjusting, consoling, cheerleading, and coordinating for three solid days.
The wedding rolled right into the New Year’s Eve package: the menu of activities, the entertainment, and the big, rowdy party.
She didn’t argue when Bodine ordered her to take two full days off afterward, and slept through nearly half of them.
Once, popping awake at two A.M., foggy and disoriented, she got out of bed, glancing out the window on her way to her little kitchen for a bottle of water. She noticed an unfamiliar pickup on the road in front of the Village rather than in the designated parking area.
Idly, she wondered if Chelsea—her nearest neighbor—had an overnight guest, and why they had parked on the road.
But when she came back, the truck was gone. Without giving it another thought, she slid back into bed and sleep.
The early January lull drove straight into the writers conference—another feather in her cap—and that slammed straight into the Snow Sculpture Extravaganza.
Every time another booking came in, Rory bounced into Jessica’s office to do a victory dance.
Local media interest didn’t hurt a thing.
With the field behind her filled with people, horse-drawn sleighs jingling by holding even more, and younger kids taking pony rides in the near paddock, Bodine did an on-site interview for local TV.
“We’re thrilled to host our first annual Snow Sculpture Extravaganza here at Bodine Resort. We have guests from all over the country, and from Canada. We have a couple honeymooning here from England who decided to participate today.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Callen hitch a kid onto his back while the boy waited for his turn on a pony, and wondered where he’d gotten that smooth way with kids.
But she kept her attention on the reporter, answered questions.
“I want to say everybody associated with the Bodine Resort worked hard, really got into the spirit to make this event something special, to make it fun for everyone participating. And we’re happy to see so many of our friends and neighbors joining in, either as contestants or just to watch the show. We’re pleased to have Anna Langtree and the Mountain Men providing entertainment this afternoon from two to three-thirty and again this evening at nine, in the Mill.”
When she wrapped it up, Bodine wandered over to Jessica.
“You’re great at that,” Jessica commented. “Getting the message and details across while looking and sounding relaxed at the same time.”
“It’s just talking. You know, some of these are starting to look pretty impressive. Looks like a whole snow family being built over there, a couple of castles going up. I think that may be a horse—a really big one. And … I don’t know what that is, right out at twelve o’clock.”
“It looks like a big snake.”
“Not fond of snakes, but it takes all kinds.” Smiling, she tapped the brim of Jessica’s hat. “You know, that suits you.”
“I really kind of love it. Who knew? Well, you. If anybody had suggested a year ago I’d be in Montana, wearing a Stetson and watching somebody build a snake out of snow, I’d’ve laughed until I broke a rib. And here I am.”
“That suits you, too. Since it does, and so well, we’re changing your title to events director, and giving you a raise.”
“Well.” Jessica took off her sunglasses, narrowed her eyes against the bounce of light off the snow. “Wow. We were going to talk about that after I was here a year.”
“We moved it up. You earned it.”
“Thank you.” On a laugh, Jessica pulled Bodine in for a hug. “Thank you, all of you. I—” She broke off as her phone signaled an incoming text. “Chelsea,” she said, “right on time. They’re setting up the buffet in the Mill. You can announce that in fifteen minutes. I’m going to go make sure everything’s in order.”
“That’s why you’re director.”
At a burst of laughter, Bodine looked over at the paddock, saw Callen and Sundown doing an impromptu show. Currently Callen sat backward in the saddle while the horse hung his head, shook it sadly.
“You gotta turn around, mister!” one of the kids shouted.
“I gotta what?”
“Turn around,” several chorused.
“Maybe he should turn around.”
Obliging, Sundown reversed direction.
“That better?” Callen asked, and had the kids squealing with laughter as they shouted: No!
He listened, with apparent interest, as several kids explained he had to sit facing the front of the horse.
“All right, all right, I gotta figure out how to get from here to there.”
He twisted one way, twisted the other while Sundown let out a snort that spoke of derision. He half slid out of the saddle left, overcompensated right while the kids laughed or covered their eyes.
“Okay, all right, I think I’ve puzzled this out.”
He swung his legs over the side of the horse, sat facing three o’clock. Sundown turned his head, blew.
“I don’t wanna hear anything out of you. I almost got this.”
In answer the horse bucked his back legs—giving Bodine a little jolt. As if the movement had bounced him up, Callen swung into the saddle.
At the cheers, Sundown danced right, danced left, then took a bow.
Callen looked straight over at Bodine, and winked.