“Mom gave me a cowboy name so I might as well use it.”
“Good choice.”
At least she liked his name. So did he, when it came down to it. Rance was Jimmy Stewart’s character inThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.Being named after him didn’t suck.
He’d visualizedRANCE MCLINTOCKon the cover and liked the look of it. He’d considered creating a mockup of a Stetson lying on a bar along with a badge and an empty shot glass. But his computer skills for creating images weren’t great and he couldn’t farm it out since the project was top secret.
He started to tell Lani about his cover concept. Changed his mind when the swish of a page told him she’d moved on.Button your lip, idiot. Let your book do the talking.
He was so focused on what was happening behind him that he would have missed the turnoff coming up on his right. Thor didn’t. Thanks to the Belgian they left the road and were now moving through the trees.
He'd been part of a family work party a few years ago when they’d cleared a path that was specifically sleigh-friendly. While the sleigh could handle other trails leading directly from the ranch, this one provided a smoother experience with less chance of getting smacked by a branch. The meadow turnaround was handy, too.
On the most important sleigh ride of his life, he wanted the runners to glide like the blades of Olympic figure skaters. Which they did, leaving him free to concentrate on each turn of the page, every intake of breath. The little gasps were precious. He was proud of the suspense he’d created in the first few pages.
When she let out a soft chuckle, he treasured that even more. She was enjoying herself. Bartender Dooley and Sheriff Sophia were keeping her entertained. So far.
Pain in his jaw told him he was clenching his teeth. And tightening every muscle in his body, on top of it. He had a death grip on the lines, totally unnecessary when Thor knew the route and wasn’t the least bit skittish.
Time to relax. He loosened his grasp on the lines, gently pulled cold air into his lungs and let it out gradually. He should have brought earplugs. Turning up the thick collar of his jacket didn’t block the crackle of flipped pages, the rapid shifts in Lani’s breathing or her quick gasps and soft giggles.
Initially he congratulated himself on her laughter. Then paranoia set in. What if she was quietly giggling because the writing was ridiculously bad?
No. No, it wasn’t. He’d been trained from the age of two to separate good writing from dreck. He’d had a flair for this from the get-go. He’d aced every writing assignment in high school.
Then again, he loved this story, loved Dooley and Sophia. If love was blind, he wouldn’t be able to see their flaws or the plot holes he’d left for them to fall into. He… wait, why weren’t they moving?
Oh. They were in the meadow. Thor had circled the perimeter as he’d been trained to do. They were still in the clearing but pointed back the way they’d come. The Belgian snorted and turned his head to look at him, clearly questioning his lack of involvement in the program.
He took a cautious peek over his shoulder. Did Lani realize they’d stopped? She gave no indication of it. Head down, she appeared oblivious to her surroundings. Dear God, had she fallen asleep?
Then she quickly turned the page. Not asleep. Still reading.
He held his breath, mesmerized by the sight of Lani engrossed in his book. He couldn’t ask for more than this.
She wasn’t chuckling here, but she caught her breath a few times. An action scene? Or one where Dooley and Sophia try to resist the chemistry between them?
Leaning a little closer, he could almost see a section of the page, almost read the?—
She suddenly looked up. With a startled cry she fell back against the seat.
He straightened. “Sorry. I was just?—”
“I had no idea you were there!” She pressed a hand to her chest. “I’d just realized we’d stopped, and?—”
“My apologies. I glanced around to see how you were doing.”
“That was noglance.You were looming over me like… like you were ready to pounce or something.”
He grimaced. Way to screw up the moment. “I was trying to see where you were.”
Taking a quick breath, she focused on the manuscript on her lap. “I’m in the part where, um, she comes into the barafter closing to discuss the case and they’re, um, having a… a moment.”
“Ah.” With her head down he could barely see the pink on her cheeks. His pulse ratcheted up a notch. She’d been affected. Probably didn’t want to talk about it.
But he did. “The first kiss scene. What did you think?”
“It was good.”
