He responded with a smiling emoji wearing a cowboy hat, followed by another message. I’ll text you when I’m almost finished with the gate hinge. If it’s not too late, we could grab lunch in town.
Love to. Will you be working alone out there?
Why do you ask?
I might take Sol for a ride. I could come check on you.
I’d love the company.
Then I will. See you then.
Can’t wait.
The simple exchange made her shiver with eagerness. Pictures were nice, but she’d rather interact with the real thing.
“Aha!”
Mila jumped and turned in her chair. “No fair sneaking up on me!”
“How else could I confirm that you’re in here mooning over that cowboy? I was feeling guilty thinking you were working and then I saw him.” Claudie pointed toward the screen. “You’re welcome, by the way. Adding that section to the website was my idea.” She took a sip from the mug in her hand. “I took the pictures, too.”
“That’s what made me worry that you liked him. Great pictures.”
“He’s a good subject. Very masculine. Not your pretty-boy type. I appreciate him aesthetically, but he doesn’t get my panties wet.”
“Well, I’m grateful. I would’ve hated to have to fight you for him.”
Her sister laughed. “I’ll bet you would have hated it. We’ve established I’m a better fighter.”
“The hairclip fight? That must have been—geez, seventeen years ago.”
“See? It stuck in your mind, too. That was our last real fight and I won. I have the hairclip to prove it.”
“Still? I never see you wear it.”
“My tastes have changed since then.”
“If you don’t like it anymore, why keep it?”
“Because I fought hard for it.”
“I remember. I ended up with a bloody nose. That’s when I gave up.” She gazed at her beautiful, fierce, creative and sentimental sister.
Claudie had on her usual winter morning outfit, flannel pjs and the bathrobe their dad had given her at least ten Christmases ago. It was permanently stained from various projects and one end of the sash was charred from the time she’d caught it on fire. Nobody dared suggest she get rid of it.
She waved at the screen, which had now gone dark. “I assume you’ll be going with him to the party tonight.”
“I am. In fact, he just texted that he’s volunteered to be a designated driver, so if you want to ride with us, you’d better text him and say so before his back seat fills up with our brothers.”
“Abso-fudging-lutely.” She pulled her phone out of her pocket and tapped rapidly on the screen. “I’m dying to see how you guys navigate this gathering.”
“To be honest, I’d forgotten about it until he texted me just now.”
“You forgot the Raccoon Christmas party?” She looked up from her phone. “Girl, you never forget a major holiday event!”
“Yeah, I know. Surprised me, too. We cooked up this plan so I could legitimately be at his place while I made the additional item I’m adding to his secret project. I thought I’d be working on that tonight.”
“Or not. Why work when you could be doing the horizontal Electric Slide?”
