Hudson shrugged. He didn’t recognize the name of the band, but according to Ronnie’s footnotes, they were gaining popularity. Code for him to secure tickets. “Jed’s been talking about them off and on. I think he’s taking that girl with him. Might be a good chance to spy on him. He can’t disappear on horseback, anyway.”
“You’d spy on the poor kid?”
“I think whoever this girl is, well, she might be special to him.” Hudson slowed as they neared the last stop sign before the city limits. “Special enough that he might skip college.”
“Oh. Well, in that case, we have to go.”
Hudson’s heart pounded a little heavier at her words. The hardest part—convincing her to set aside work and go—was done. Reese might not consider it a date now, but she would by the time that night was over. It was the same night he planned to lay it all on the line—a day ahead of Ronnie’s precious schedule. “Good deal. I’ll get us tickets.”
“Tickets?” Reese repeated in surprise. “Wow, this town reallyisgrowing. I’ve never known anyone to need admission to live music at The Watering Hole.”
He parked outside The Starlight Wine and Gift Shoppe, hoping she might find it more pleasing than picking up a bottle of gas station wine. “There’s a lot more to Starlight than you’d think.”
“I’m starting to see that.”
Because he’d completely ignored Ronnie’s instructions to take Reese shopping yesterday, he patiently browsed shelves as Reese bounced around from one display to another. Within minutes, she returned near the front door for a basket. “This gift shop has the cutest things!”
He held the basket out while she unloaded an armful of items into it—no wine yet. “You have enough room in your suitcase for all that? You might have to leave the dead body behind.”
“I didn’t packthatmuch.” Reese flashed him a smile before she disappeared into the center of the rustic gift shop.
He scanned the walls, wishing he had an ounce of interior design sense. Would any of the wall hangings fit in his new living room? He could consult Ronnie, but it wasn’t her input he wanted. Inevitably, his gaze fell on Reese at the counter unloading her haul. In her dark skinny jeans, flowing old-fashioned lace tank top, and leather sandals with daisies on top, she looked like she belonged in the country.
As he waited for her to pay, his eye caught a jewelry display.
He often saw her in necklaces and earrings. Sometimes bracelets. All of it coordinated to match her outfit. But it wasn’t everyday jewelry he thought about buying. Hudson swallowed hard, shocked at the decision that came without warning.
“Ready to go?” Reese’s peppy voice pulled him from his deeply serious thoughts.
“Got a good bottle?” he asked.
“Went with a merlot. Thought I’d switch it up for a change and go for a red. The bottle was cuter. Look, there’s a moose on it!”
He held open the door, catching a glimpse of Joe Livingston headed down the sidewalk in his direction. He gave a wave as the gift shop door closed behind him, and waited. Joe would no doubt want to hear how Jed was working out, and if Hudson had made any progress on the college front. They hadn’t spoken much since Jed moved in.
“Joe, you remember Ronnie’s friend, Reese Calloway?”
“I do.” Joe shook her hand. “Good to see you in Starlight again.”
“How is Violet?” she asked. “Still making those pies worth fighting over?”
“Oh, you know it. If you’re in town long enough, you should swing by. I bet she’d give you three.” Joe’s smile faded a bit as he looked at Hudson. “How’s Jed working out?”
“I’ll be in the truck,” Reese said, nodding a good-bye to Joe.
“I know you don’t want to hear it, but he’s worth his weight in gold. I’d be lost without him.” Hudson didn’t believe in downplaying the truth, a mutual feeling among ranchers in this town. If they thought well or ill of someone, they were honest about it with each other.
“I don’t want you to steal him from me,” Joe said with a laugh, “but if that kid finally decides to apply to a college, I might let you until he’s ready to take over operations. I’m decades away from handing over the reins.”
“Still working on the college part.” Hudson didn’t want to say anything about the girl until he knew more about her. Could be just a friend, though Hudson didn’t think so. Jed was grinning too big lately. Yawning nonstop from a lack of sleep that might be attributed to late-night text conversations. “I think Reese might be able to help me with that.”
“I don’t care how you convince him, just so he gets the message loud and clear. In the meantime, I was wondering if you got that fence fixed yet.”
Hudson thought a moment about which fence Joe meant. He’d run the fences on the Livingston ranch the week before last to ensure they were all in good shape before he took off a couple of weeks. Then it hit him. “Myfence?”
“Rumor has it you’ll be leasing out some grazing land soon.”
“For once, a rumor is true.”
