ROXANNE
Since I spentthe morning staring at my computer screen, I decide to answer a few emails and then head back to the lodge. The smell of coffee draws me into the dining area before I’m fully awake. Allie and Leo are already seated at the table, mid-banter and halfway through a shared cinnamon roll the size of a bowling ball. I slide into the seat across from them and wrap my hands around a coffee mug like it’s an anchor.
“Good morning, darling,” Leo sings. “Sleepless night?”
I glance up. “Why do you ask?”
“You’re hitting that coffee pretty hard,” Allie says.
“I haven’t been sleeping well since the camp out,” I say.
“It’s no wonder. Have you spoken to Duke since?”
I shake my head.
“I’m sorry,” Leo says, cupping his hand over mine.
“It’s my own fault.”
“Can’t you, I don’t know, storm up to him and demand he talk to you?” Allie asks, licking frosting off her finger.
“I’ve tried. It’s not working,” I say, cutting off a piece of the cinnamon roll. “My mother thinks I should try somethingelse.”
“And what did she suggest?” Leo asks after a sip of coffee.
“She told me to flirt with him. To throw on a red dress and walk by in the hopes of getting his attention.”
“I’m swooning. I love this,” Allie says.
“Except that you are slightly rusty in that area, are you not?” Leo asks.
“A little … and a lot. I mean, I have thrown myself at him a few times, but I’m not sure that counts as flirting.”
“Maybe for some, but I think you can do better,” Leo offers.
Allie claps her hands so fast she looks like a toddler who just spotted a puppy. “Roxanne! Yes! I’ve been waiting for this version of you to make her comeback.”
“I’m here for it,” Leo says, raising his mug.
Allie leans across the table. “What’s the plan?”
I hesitate. “That’s where you come in. I may need a few more head-turning outfits and maybe a few pointers.”
“Guess we get to take the afternoon off from shooting and go shopping,” Allie says. “Sigh, I suppose I can make time for it.”
“I don’t know…” I trail off, pretending not to smile.
Out the kitchen window, Duke rides out across the pasture with Topper. The sunlight hits just right, haloing the dust, backlighting his shoulders, catching the motion of his horse’s stride.
I stop breathing.
He’s in his element, completely unaware of me, hat pulled low, riding like he was born in the saddle. Something inside me … clicks.
Allie follows my gaze, then leans in close. “You were saying?”
I finish my coffee and stand. “You’re right. I need a dress. Possibly several.”
Leo stands, too. “That’s the spirit!”
