Shane rolled his eyes. “The two of you are already making me sick to my stomach with all the puppy dog eyes you’re shooting at each other. Don’t worry. Some of the Mustang Mountain Riders are coming up to stake the place out with him. I wouldn’t have him here at all except he’s the only one who can tell if the same guy who threatened him in town is involved.”
“I still don’t like it.” My bottom lip pushed out in a slight pout.
“You don’t have to like it, but I’d appreciate it if you’d go along with it,” Shane said. “The sooner we catch the bastards involved, the better off we’ll all be.”
“You really think you’ll be able to stop them with those spiky things?” I bent down to take a closer look at the long metal barbs. “Where did you get these?”
“Your boyfriend made them.” Shane nodded toward Aiden.
The wordboyfriendmade me feel all warm and tingly inside. I liked it. Aiden must have too. He pulled me into a hug and slanted his mouth over mine.
“Are we going to get back to work or are you going to stand there making out all day?” Shane asked.
I pulled back, feeling a little guilty for interrupting them. “Is Caitlin up yet?”
“Yeah. She’s probably on her second pot of coffee,” Shane said. “Not that she needs it. Picking out paint colors gives her more energy than drinking a six-pack of Red Bulls.”
“I can’t wait to see what she has in mind.” With one last kiss, I left Aiden and Shane to their work and made my way up to the big house. Just as I reached the porch, my phone pinged. A text from my mom popped up with a meme about a city girl in the country. She’d been sending them a few times a week since I’d moved to Montana.
I swiped it away and noticed a few missed texts from the night before. There was one telling me I’d been the highest bidder on the custom saddles. Yay! Excitement bubbled up inside my chest. Maybe Caitlin would be interested in going into town with me to pick them up.
The next text said I’d been outbid on the metal roses. I knew I should have made my first bid higher. I’d just have to find out who the artist was so I could contact them directly.
“I thought I heard someone out here.” Caitlin met me at the front door and pulled me inside. For the next several hours, I walked through the house with her as she took me through her decorating plan. The woman had a gift. All I could see were the bare walls in front of me, but she talked about her vision in such detail, like she’d already painted the walls, changed up the layout, and transformed the rundown ranch house into her dream home.
“Paisley? Earth to Paisley,” Caitlin said.
“What?” I’d been lost in thoughts about Aiden… like the way his lashes fanned out across his cheeks right before our lips touched.
Caitlin held out a thick paperback with a gorgeous bare-chested mountain man on the cover. “This is the book I wastelling you about. We’re reading it for book club next month. If you’re serious about joining us, you should grab a copy. I know All Booked Up has them in stock.”
“Take Me to the Riverby Kaci Rose.” I read the title out loud as I reached for it.
“I’m only halfway through and have already bought the rest of the series. It’s so good.” Caitlin tucked her foot underneath her and settled into the corner of the couch. “Since I came back to Montana, I can’t seem to get enough mountain man romance. It’s so hot.”
I couldn’t agree more, though I hadn’t been able to focus on reading since Aiden had interrupted me with that kiss. “When I find my own place, I hope you’ll help me with some decorating ideas,”
“You mean a place with Aiden?” Her eyes twinkled above the rim of her mug of tea.
“Shane told you, didn’t he?”
Caitlin’s smile spread all the way across her face. “He confirmed what I already knew. I saw the way the two of you moved on the dance floor last night. And when you left together…”
I reached out and grabbed the hand she’d started fanning herself with. “Were we that obvious?”
“I’m surprised the whole community center didn’t burn down with all the heat flowing back and forth between you.” Her mug clinked against mine. “Here’s to finding your own Montana mountain man. You sure didn’t waste any time.”
It was too new to trust, but I hoped the feelings between Aiden and me would last. “Did they tell you their big plan to catch whoever’s been sneaking around the ranch?”
“Mmm. That reminds me. I need to call and make a reservation for tonight.” Caitlin reached for her phone and dialed. “Hey, Ruby. Do you happen to know if the steakhousetakes reservations? Shane and I want to treat Aiden and Paisley to dinner tonight to thank them for everything they’ve been doing around the ranch.”
I sipped my tea and waited for her to hang up before asking why she’d called Ruby instead of just checking with the restaurant.
“Thanks. I knew you’d know the answer. Talk to you soon.” Caitlin hung up and let her phone drop to the cushion next to her.
“Why did you call Ruby instead of the steakhouse?” I asked.
“Because now everyone will know we’re going to dinner tonight. I’ve only been here a few months longer than you, but if you want word to spread like wildfire in a small town, the best way to light a spark is to make sure the mayor’s wife knows.” Caitlin took another sip of her huckleberry tea. “Now all we need to do is figure out what we’re going to wear.”
