see if the man he’d become stood a chance with Elly or if he had to put away that fantasy for good.
Delia gave him a knowing smile when he walked in the front door.
“I’m still deciding how much to dock you,” he said as he walked by her toward his office.
“A happy man doesn’t dock his hardworking secretary’s check.”
She had a point.
When he sank into his chair, he noticed Delia leaning against the doorframe.
“So? Dish. What happened after you and Elly snuck out the back?”
“We didn’t sneak.”
Delia waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Semantics. Romance under the stars?”
Will rolled his eyes. “You do realize I’m not a girl, right?”
“I noticed. And so did Elly.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Will motioned toward the outer office. “Don’t you have something to do?”
Delia pouted. “Party pooper. You’re no fun.” She spun and retreated toward her desk.
“I’m your boss. I’m not supposed to be fun.”
He laughed when he heard her grumble some unintelligible response.
A few minutes later, Delia came in and dropped the day’s mail on his desk. “Your mail, sir.”
“Sir? Really? Just because I don’t kiss and tell?”
Delia’s eyes widened. “I knew it!”
Will sighed.
Though she was still smiling, Delia’s tone dropped the teasing when she said, “I’m glad.”
Will stared at her for a moment, waiting for a punchline, but one never came. “Thanks. Me, too.”
“So, you two going out?”
“This for the local gossip mill?”
“I wouldn’t call it a mill exactly. A few close friends perhaps.”
“Which means all of Park County. Honestly, I don’t know how you haven’t put the Enterprise out of business.”
Delia scrunched her nose at him, but he could tell she wanted to stick out her tongue. “It’s a good thing I like you and think the two of you make a good pair.”
“You do?”
“Well, duh. I wouldn’t be curious otherwise. I know you’ve liked her forever. And, no, you weren’t good at hiding it in high school. I think everyone knew but her.”
“Nice to know I’m so obvious. That’ll do wonders for my law career.”
“Ah, you’re not so moony-eyed anymore. I mean, anyone with eyes would have known how you felt last night, but you weren’t so woe-is-me about it.”
Will crossed his arms. “I was never ‘woe is me.’”
“Whatever you’ve got to tell yourself.”
Now it was his turn to feel like sticking his tongue out.
“Doesn’t matter anymore,” Delia said. “You grew up well, and now Elly’s not so blind. You weren’t the only one looking like you two were the last two people on the dance floor.”
Delia’s observation made excitement surge through him.
As Delia retreated toward her desk again, she said, “Take flowers when you go to pick her up for your date. I hear girls like that.”
Will smiled and shook his head. Life wouldn’t be anywhere near as entertaining with anyone else manning his front office. Delia told it like it was, and he enjoyed that about her. He didn’t even mind her gossip. Let the entire state of Wyoming know how he felt about Elly. Now that he’d decided to give it a second chance, he liked the idea of yelling it from the top of Grand Teton himself.
He worked on finishing the last of the paperwork on one of his other cases. Determined not to let anything dampen his good mood, he did his best not to think about how wrapping up the case would drop him back down to two.
His cell phone rang, and the display revealed a familiar number. Kate. Nothing she’d done or said made him feel like he could keep avoiding her, so he answered the call on its third ring.
“Hey, Kate.”
“Will, I was beginning to think a bear had eaten you or something.”
“Nah. They’re too busy sleeping this time of year.”
She laughed that musical laugh of hers that turned male heads for blocks in all directions. It had turned his once upon a time, had even made him think he could get past his
Delia gave him a knowing smile when he walked in the front door.
“I’m still deciding how much to dock you,” he said as he walked by her toward his office.
“A happy man doesn’t dock his hardworking secretary’s check.”
She had a point.
When he sank into his chair, he noticed Delia leaning against the doorframe.
“So? Dish. What happened after you and Elly snuck out the back?”
“We didn’t sneak.”
Delia waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. “Semantics. Romance under the stars?”
Will rolled his eyes. “You do realize I’m not a girl, right?”
“I noticed. And so did Elly.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Will motioned toward the outer office. “Don’t you have something to do?”
Delia pouted. “Party pooper. You’re no fun.” She spun and retreated toward her desk.
“I’m your boss. I’m not supposed to be fun.”
He laughed when he heard her grumble some unintelligible response.
A few minutes later, Delia came in and dropped the day’s mail on his desk. “Your mail, sir.”
“Sir? Really? Just because I don’t kiss and tell?”
Delia’s eyes widened. “I knew it!”
Will sighed.
Though she was still smiling, Delia’s tone dropped the teasing when she said, “I’m glad.”
Will stared at her for a moment, waiting for a punchline, but one never came. “Thanks. Me, too.”
“So, you two going out?”
“This for the local gossip mill?”
“I wouldn’t call it a mill exactly. A few close friends perhaps.”
“Which means all of Park County. Honestly, I don’t know how you haven’t put the Enterprise out of business.”
Delia scrunched her nose at him, but he could tell she wanted to stick out her tongue. “It’s a good thing I like you and think the two of you make a good pair.”
“You do?”
“Well, duh. I wouldn’t be curious otherwise. I know you’ve liked her forever. And, no, you weren’t good at hiding it in high school. I think everyone knew but her.”
“Nice to know I’m so obvious. That’ll do wonders for my law career.”
“Ah, you’re not so moony-eyed anymore. I mean, anyone with eyes would have known how you felt last night, but you weren’t so woe-is-me about it.”
Will crossed his arms. “I was never ‘woe is me.’”
“Whatever you’ve got to tell yourself.”
Now it was his turn to feel like sticking his tongue out.
“Doesn’t matter anymore,” Delia said. “You grew up well, and now Elly’s not so blind. You weren’t the only one looking like you two were the last two people on the dance floor.”
Delia’s observation made excitement surge through him.
As Delia retreated toward her desk again, she said, “Take flowers when you go to pick her up for your date. I hear girls like that.”
Will smiled and shook his head. Life wouldn’t be anywhere near as entertaining with anyone else manning his front office. Delia told it like it was, and he enjoyed that about her. He didn’t even mind her gossip. Let the entire state of Wyoming know how he felt about Elly. Now that he’d decided to give it a second chance, he liked the idea of yelling it from the top of Grand Teton himself.
He worked on finishing the last of the paperwork on one of his other cases. Determined not to let anything dampen his good mood, he did his best not to think about how wrapping up the case would drop him back down to two.
His cell phone rang, and the display revealed a familiar number. Kate. Nothing she’d done or said made him feel like he could keep avoiding her, so he answered the call on its third ring.
“Hey, Kate.”
“Will, I was beginning to think a bear had eaten you or something.”
“Nah. They’re too busy sleeping this time of year.”
She laughed that musical laugh of hers that turned male heads for blocks in all directions. It had turned his once upon a time, had even made him think he could get past his
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