with Mason. He says he’s probably headed to Alaska.”
“This was supposed to be a simple visit to hire Hawk and Jelly to do the search!” Bandera was outraged. “How do you know all this?”
“Marielle told me. She wanted to know when I might be by to look at her land. I said I was traveling with you for a bit, and she said she wouldn’t look for me for at least a week, since Mason was going to Alaska.”
“That snake! I’m not only going to push him in the lake, I’m gonna give him the dunking of his life!”
“Hold on,” Holly said, laughing at him. “Can’t you give him a chance to tell you?”
“No. Because he’s not going to until it’s too late, obviously.” Bandera was so annoyed he didn’t know what to do. “Hey, that means…you should have goneback with Cousin Mike and Marielle. How come you didn’t?”
She raised her chin. “There are planes, buses, trains and rental cars from just about anywhere, Bandera Jefferson. I felt like traveling a little longer, but don’t get any cockier than you already are. I am happy right now just to be on the road.”
He put a finger under her chin. “You may be telling a bit of a story, Holly Henshaw. I think you like me more than you’re letting on.”
She pulled away from him. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to tell you.” Her gaze went to the shore, where they could make out Mimi and Mason talking in the gathering dusk. “They’ve got a great thing going.”
“No, Holly, they have a really confused thing going.”
“They’re friends, aren’t they?”
“Awesome friends. They love each other like brother and sister.”
“No, they don’t,” she said, laughing. “They want to love each other that way. But something’s keeping them apart.”
“Mason’s fat head,” he said gruffly.
“You’re so mean to your brother.” She gave him a tiny pop on the arm, which he thought was cute. She was out in a canoe in the middle of a creek, alone with a man she didn’t know very well, and she felt comfortable enough to be playful.
“If I win the bet,” he said, “you have to tell me what color your underwear is.”
“It’s colors,” she said slyly, “and you’re naughty for asking.”
“Colors plural?” He sat up.
“Actually, the absence of all light, and something more,” she said cryptically.
He thought about her wedding garter and went totally still. “Not black and white polka dots?”
“You haven’t won the bet so I’m not telling,” she said. “You have absolutely no regard for rules.”
“Oh, man.” What was the silly wager, anyway? He couldn’t remember. Squeezing Holly’s fingers between his, he thought about her softness and her petite bones. She’d be soft and petite all over. His breath stopped; his blood hummed. “I forgot the rules,” he said helplessly. “Let’s wager something about you and me instead.”
“All right,” she said, pulling her hand away. “What?”
He blinked, still thinking about what color her undies were. What did a bride wear under her wedding dress? What sort of satin or silk and lace had she planned to reveal to her groom as a gift on their wedding night?
Bandera wasn’t sure he could handle knowing.
He wasn’t sure he could handle not knowing.
“Holly,” he said softly, “I’ll give you a thousanddollars to start your business if you tell me what’s under those shorts you’re wearing.
She stared at him, shocked. “Bandera.”
He had never been more serious in his life. “I don’t have to see it,” he said, putting a dare-you glint in his eyes, “but I want excruciating detail. Color, style, size, fit.”
“You’re insane.”
But she liked him being insane, he noticed, because her skin had goose bumps all over it, even along her delicate arms. One day, he told himself, I’m going to kiss all the way from her wrist up to that fragile white underarm, before I make my way—
He was lost in his fantasy, so he was a bit slow to
“This was supposed to be a simple visit to hire Hawk and Jelly to do the search!” Bandera was outraged. “How do you know all this?”
“Marielle told me. She wanted to know when I might be by to look at her land. I said I was traveling with you for a bit, and she said she wouldn’t look for me for at least a week, since Mason was going to Alaska.”
“That snake! I’m not only going to push him in the lake, I’m gonna give him the dunking of his life!”
“Hold on,” Holly said, laughing at him. “Can’t you give him a chance to tell you?”
“No. Because he’s not going to until it’s too late, obviously.” Bandera was so annoyed he didn’t know what to do. “Hey, that means…you should have goneback with Cousin Mike and Marielle. How come you didn’t?”
She raised her chin. “There are planes, buses, trains and rental cars from just about anywhere, Bandera Jefferson. I felt like traveling a little longer, but don’t get any cockier than you already are. I am happy right now just to be on the road.”
He put a finger under her chin. “You may be telling a bit of a story, Holly Henshaw. I think you like me more than you’re letting on.”
She pulled away from him. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to tell you.” Her gaze went to the shore, where they could make out Mimi and Mason talking in the gathering dusk. “They’ve got a great thing going.”
“No, Holly, they have a really confused thing going.”
“They’re friends, aren’t they?”
“Awesome friends. They love each other like brother and sister.”
“No, they don’t,” she said, laughing. “They want to love each other that way. But something’s keeping them apart.”
“Mason’s fat head,” he said gruffly.
“You’re so mean to your brother.” She gave him a tiny pop on the arm, which he thought was cute. She was out in a canoe in the middle of a creek, alone with a man she didn’t know very well, and she felt comfortable enough to be playful.
“If I win the bet,” he said, “you have to tell me what color your underwear is.”
“It’s colors,” she said slyly, “and you’re naughty for asking.”
“Colors plural?” He sat up.
“Actually, the absence of all light, and something more,” she said cryptically.
He thought about her wedding garter and went totally still. “Not black and white polka dots?”
“You haven’t won the bet so I’m not telling,” she said. “You have absolutely no regard for rules.”
“Oh, man.” What was the silly wager, anyway? He couldn’t remember. Squeezing Holly’s fingers between his, he thought about her softness and her petite bones. She’d be soft and petite all over. His breath stopped; his blood hummed. “I forgot the rules,” he said helplessly. “Let’s wager something about you and me instead.”
“All right,” she said, pulling her hand away. “What?”
He blinked, still thinking about what color her undies were. What did a bride wear under her wedding dress? What sort of satin or silk and lace had she planned to reveal to her groom as a gift on their wedding night?
Bandera wasn’t sure he could handle knowing.
He wasn’t sure he could handle not knowing.
“Holly,” he said softly, “I’ll give you a thousanddollars to start your business if you tell me what’s under those shorts you’re wearing.
She stared at him, shocked. “Bandera.”
He had never been more serious in his life. “I don’t have to see it,” he said, putting a dare-you glint in his eyes, “but I want excruciating detail. Color, style, size, fit.”
“You’re insane.”
But she liked him being insane, he noticed, because her skin had goose bumps all over it, even along her delicate arms. One day, he told himself, I’m going to kiss all the way from her wrist up to that fragile white underarm, before I make my way—
He was lost in his fantasy, so he was a bit slow to
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