“Sure, but it’s hardly adventurous. Unless you count the time Frida Connelly told everyone she’d seen a mountain lion.”
Penny snickered in spite of herself. “And it was only Peggy Sue.”
“How she can’t tell the difference between a mountain lion and Bill Tucker’s pet pig, I’ll never know.” He shook his head in bemusement. “What else do you have?”
“Well…” Penny glanced at her notes, her confidence wavering. “What about one of Millie’s dance classes?”
“I hardly think doing the waltz with a ninety-year-old woman will get your adrenaline pumping.”
“What if it’s the tango?”
“Maybe,” he chuckled. “Is the rest of your list just as death-defying?”
Defensive, Penny jutted her chin a little higher. “It’s a perfectly respectable list.”
“Sure.Ifyou’re writing Beverly’s original article. You’ve come up with quite the itinerary for rowdy senior citizens.” His intense turquoise-blue eyes twinkled with humor, and for a moment, Penny forgot to be outraged.
But only for a moment.
“I’m sorry you find it so boring,” she said stiffly. “If you want to quit, I completely understand.”
“I’m not going to quit. But what about my ideas? I thought we were a team.” Colt flashed his dimple, rattling her resolve.
“Technically, this was my assignment first. Which means my vote should count for more than yours.”
“But Burns made me your partner specifically for my expertise. We both know he’ll never approve your list. C’mon. Just take a tiny peek at mine.” He leaned forward, pinning her with his most persuasive smile. “Besides, the sooner Burns approves the list, the sooner we can get it over with. Youdowant to get it over with, don’t you? Unless you’re secretly looking forward to spending time with me.”
Her spine rigid, she thrust out her hand. “Let me see it.”
Grinning, Colt reached into his back pocket and retrieved a single sheet of paper folded in fours and crumpled beyond belief.
Penny rolled her eyes as she yanked it from his grasp. Smoothing it out on the table, she scanned his chicken scratch, her eyes widening in horror. Shoving the paper toward him, she shook her head. “There’s no way I’m doing anything on that list.”
“C’mon. You barely looked at it,” he cajoled, sliding it back toward her.
She folded her arms in front of her chest. “Nothing in the world could convince me to do any of those things.”
“Not even Beverly?”
Seething, she narrowed her eyes into slits. That was a low blow. Mostly because he was right. She couldn’t go back on her promise to Beverly. Even if Mayor Burnshadchanged everything at the last minute.
“Here. I’ll make a compromise,” Colt offered, grabbing her notebook.
“What kind of compromise?”
“I’ll add one of your ideas to my list.” He trailed his finger down the page, pausing halfway toward the bottom. “Here. This could work. It’s completely different from the activities I chose, but it’s thrilling in its own way. And I’m kind of partial to the culinary angle.” Plucking the pen resting in the spine, he scratched out the last item on his list and added hers. “Perfect. It’s all settled.” Refolding the sheet of paper, he stuffed it back inside his pocket before helping himself to another muffin.
Dumbfounded, Penny stared as he tore off a sizable chunk and tossed it to a pair of sparrows scrounging the ground for insects. Colt smiled to himself as they eagerly gobbled up the scattered crumbs.
She blinked at the unexpectedly warmhearted gesture.
Finishing the baked good, Colt rose, beaming down at her. “I’ll run the list by Burns before I head back to Frank’s. I’ll be by to pick you up tomorrow morning.”
“What time?”
“I’ll be here at eight o’clock sharp. With spurs on.” To her chagrin, he actually winked. “See you then, partner.”
Glowering, she resisted the urge to protest. Arguing with Colt was obviously futile. So much for standing her ground.
