watching the tree lights sparkle. Actually, she thought Joey’s idea about a kiss had been a good one, and quite opportune. The thought had occurred to her as she’d hung the mistletoe up in its customary place that perhaps something fortuitous might come of it.
The very way Dustin and Jill had reacted to the notion made Eunice smile. Electricity had sparked through the air as the two of them had stood stock-still, frozen with unconscious desire. It had been a rather unique moment to witness, those two people becoming aware of each other as .they hadn’t been before. Eunice pushed a tiny tendril of Holly’s hair away from her temple. She liked Jill. She wouldn’t mind at all if a little romance sprung up around the ranch, although neither Dustin nor Jill were exactly ready—or willing—for that to happen.
However, more than one romance had started during the season of giving, and even the most carefully sealed hearts had been known to unwrap.
After touring his big-city spenders around the ranch to show them the cattle and the way the operation was run, Dustin took them out to dinner. It was an experience he’d rather have foregone under normal circumstances, but with these two gentlemen ready to move the existing cattle stock they already had to his ranch, and perhaps buy a few of his steers to add to theirs, Dustin stood to add another layer of profit margin to the ranch account.
But it was tough to entertain when his mind was on Jill. He hadn’t liked slipping out the front door without saying goodbye to her. Didn’t seem right somehow. At the time, of course, it had felt like the best thing to do. Now, sitting in the dimly lit interior of The Cattle Drive restaurant, across from two city slickers who thought they were hot stuff by wheeling and dealing in the commodity of beef, Dustin regretted his cowardice.
The woman deserved at least a goodbye called to her in the kitchen as he walked out the front door. It wouldn’t have hurt anything. Dustin swallowed half his beer, then acknowledged that he’d been protecting his pride. A black-hearted monster inside him had whispered that Jill had looked mighty horrified that he might kiss her. That wasn’t the usual reaction a woman had to getting close to him. Delighted, expectant, hopeful, he’d prefer to think though not to be bragging. But he’d never yet seen a woman with the look that Jill had been wearing.
It was a bit discouraging.
The dime-store cowboys seated at his table were enjoying nodding at the local women who had no more brains than to be flirting with men they didn’t know. The fact that the men were with Dustin probably gave the waitress and her friend the notion that the strangers were okay dudes. But Dustin couldn’t help thinking that Jill wouldn’t openly flirt with a man she didn’t know.
Hell. She wouldn’t even let her boots warm the floor under a mistletoe branch long enough to consider play-kissing a man she did know.
Half an hour later, Dustin had said goodbye to the men and waved them off onto the main road where they could head back to Houston. They’d been impressed with his outfit, as he’d expected. The Reed Ranch was a fine place to keep stock and Dustin was proud that they’d agreed on a good deal. All in all, it had been a very prosperous evening.
He paid his bill, then left the dinner table to sit at the bar. There was a television high up in the corner and a football game was on the screen. Just one more beer—five more minutes to give Jill time to be in bed so he wouldn’t have to see her—and he’d head on home. He knew it was chicken-hearted, plain and simple.
“Hey, Dustin.”
The sheriff slid onto the barstool next him. Dustin was glad to see him.
“You off duty?”
“Yep.” Marsh whisked a hand over his checked shirt and grinned. “Even the sheriff gets an occasional Saturday night off.”
“You got a date?”
“Naw. Looks like you’re having a dry night as well.”
Dustin
The very way Dustin and Jill had reacted to the notion made Eunice smile. Electricity had sparked through the air as the two of them had stood stock-still, frozen with unconscious desire. It had been a rather unique moment to witness, those two people becoming aware of each other as .they hadn’t been before. Eunice pushed a tiny tendril of Holly’s hair away from her temple. She liked Jill. She wouldn’t mind at all if a little romance sprung up around the ranch, although neither Dustin nor Jill were exactly ready—or willing—for that to happen.
However, more than one romance had started during the season of giving, and even the most carefully sealed hearts had been known to unwrap.
After touring his big-city spenders around the ranch to show them the cattle and the way the operation was run, Dustin took them out to dinner. It was an experience he’d rather have foregone under normal circumstances, but with these two gentlemen ready to move the existing cattle stock they already had to his ranch, and perhaps buy a few of his steers to add to theirs, Dustin stood to add another layer of profit margin to the ranch account.
But it was tough to entertain when his mind was on Jill. He hadn’t liked slipping out the front door without saying goodbye to her. Didn’t seem right somehow. At the time, of course, it had felt like the best thing to do. Now, sitting in the dimly lit interior of The Cattle Drive restaurant, across from two city slickers who thought they were hot stuff by wheeling and dealing in the commodity of beef, Dustin regretted his cowardice.
The woman deserved at least a goodbye called to her in the kitchen as he walked out the front door. It wouldn’t have hurt anything. Dustin swallowed half his beer, then acknowledged that he’d been protecting his pride. A black-hearted monster inside him had whispered that Jill had looked mighty horrified that he might kiss her. That wasn’t the usual reaction a woman had to getting close to him. Delighted, expectant, hopeful, he’d prefer to think though not to be bragging. But he’d never yet seen a woman with the look that Jill had been wearing.
It was a bit discouraging.
The dime-store cowboys seated at his table were enjoying nodding at the local women who had no more brains than to be flirting with men they didn’t know. The fact that the men were with Dustin probably gave the waitress and her friend the notion that the strangers were okay dudes. But Dustin couldn’t help thinking that Jill wouldn’t openly flirt with a man she didn’t know.
Hell. She wouldn’t even let her boots warm the floor under a mistletoe branch long enough to consider play-kissing a man she did know.
Half an hour later, Dustin had said goodbye to the men and waved them off onto the main road where they could head back to Houston. They’d been impressed with his outfit, as he’d expected. The Reed Ranch was a fine place to keep stock and Dustin was proud that they’d agreed on a good deal. All in all, it had been a very prosperous evening.
He paid his bill, then left the dinner table to sit at the bar. There was a television high up in the corner and a football game was on the screen. Just one more beer—five more minutes to give Jill time to be in bed so he wouldn’t have to see her—and he’d head on home. He knew it was chicken-hearted, plain and simple.
“Hey, Dustin.”
The sheriff slid onto the barstool next him. Dustin was glad to see him.
“You off duty?”
“Yep.” Marsh whisked a hand over his checked shirt and grinned. “Even the sheriff gets an occasional Saturday night off.”
“You got a date?”
“Naw. Looks like you’re having a dry night as well.”
Dustin
Similar Books
