He hesitated. Did he have any identifying information there that would reveal his princely status? He didn’t want to disclose it to her yet, not with how much he was enjoying himself in this unusual position of not being known.
He swiped up and quickly scanned his screen. As far as he could tell, he didn’t have anything overtly revealing.
He handed it to her.
She took it, put her private phone number into his contacts, and handed it back. Then she typed something on her phone. A few seconds later a text dinged.
He read the new message that had popped up.
Emberly:Thank you for your honesty last night.
She was busy studying her menu—or at least pretending to.
Not only was Emberly incredible, but she was clearly humble enough to accept feedback. That was a rare quality indeed—one he truly admired in people. He typed out a message of his own.
Max:I appreciate your honesty in return.
She glanced at her phone, then began working on another message.
His stomach fluttered with something strange. Was it the butterflies so many talked about? Was this woman giving him butterflies? If so, that was a first.
Her text came through a second later.
Emberly:I’m going to work hard for a love-crazy relationship.
She was? With whom? He wanted to ask if she had anyone in mind. Perhaps he would later. However, for now, he needed to keep that question to himself or risk coming across as too intrusive.
Max:I shall do likewise. Love-crazy all the way.
As she read his reply, she smiled. She set down her phone, pushed it aside, then met his gaze. “It’s worth a try, isn’t it?”
“I agree.”
He wanted to say more, although he wasn’t sure what, but a server approached to take their order, and after that, theconversation moved to other topics. Even so, his mind kept repeating his text.Love-crazy all the way.
He’d essentially vowed to Emberly that he would work hard at a love relationship. Did that mean he needed to get back together with Sarah and put forth more effort, or should he seek out someone new in the two remaining months until his birthday?
Either way, he had to work hard at having a love-crazy relationship. He didn’t know if it was possible to have one. But he did know he had to try.
7
Was she enjoying her time with Max too much?
Emberly’s shot easily hit the clay disk that had been tossed in the air to imitate a bird. She lowered her Browning shotgun and grinned at Max, who stood beside her in the shooting stand.
“I can see why clay shooting is your favorite activity.” Max was holding his shotgun and staring at the clay tile now cracked on the ground. Most of the snow from yesterday had melted away under the high-altitude sun, leaving only a few patches behind in the shade. The clumps of grass were yellowed and damp. The sagebrush was brown and scraggly. And the prairie dog hills were lonely and lifeless.
Regardless of how bedraggled it looked, the grassland was peaceful. It was in a secluded part of the ranch away from the rest of the activities, lodging, and guests so that no one would inadvertently get caught in the crossfire. In fact, they’d used an ATV to reach the shooting range with its modern array of equipment, targets, and guns. The spacious cabin behind them contained the instructors’ offices as well as a coffee bar and snacks, along with comfortable seating for the guests. The overhang above the wide structure and the outdoor wood-burning stove allowed practice in all sorts of weather, even throughout the winter.
“Don’t feel too bad,” she teased. “We can’t all be good at everything.”
“Oh, prideful much?” Through the thick lens of his protective gear, his eyes sparkled with playfulness.
“When it comes to this ranch? Yes.” She loved the easy way she could banter with Max, similar to how she bantered with her brothers.
“You have beaten me at both trap and skeet shooting. So I suppose I ought to give credit where credit is due.”
“Yes, you should.”
