Couldn't sleep?" he asked as he approached, then stopped by the railing next to her.
She shook her head. "I guess I'm too excited about the cattle drive."
"It's keeping me up, too, but not from excitement."
The simple statement caught her unaware. With a few words, he expressed a vulnerability that made her heart squeeze, even as her hormones hummed a Dixie Chicks song about cowboys and being taken away.
It was the night, she told herself. Or maybe it was just the man. Regardless, wouldn't this be a good time to suddenly be witty and charming? Or even gorgeous. She would settle for gorgeous and not funny, as long as she didn't have to talk to much.
"I know it's a big responsibility," she said when she neither transformed into a supermodel nor thought of anything brilliant to say. "But you seem to have everything figured out. I'm sure it will be fine."
He sighed. "Want to guarantee that in writing?"
"Would it help if I did?"
"No." He stared up at the sky. "I couldn't get them to leave."
"Yes, well, you tried."
He grunted. She guessed that trying and failing didn't count for much in his world. Yet another strike against her. She screwed up all the time.
She shook her head. "I guess I'm too excited about the cattle drive."
"It's keeping me up, too, but not from excitement."
The simple statement caught her unaware. With a few words, he expressed a vulnerability that made her heart squeeze, even as her hormones hummed a Dixie Chicks song about cowboys and being taken away.
It was the night, she told herself. Or maybe it was just the man. Regardless, wouldn't this be a good time to suddenly be witty and charming? Or even gorgeous. She would settle for gorgeous and not funny, as long as she didn't have to talk to much.
"I know it's a big responsibility," she said when she neither transformed into a supermodel nor thought of anything brilliant to say. "But you seem to have everything figured out. I'm sure it will be fine."
He sighed. "Want to guarantee that in writing?"
"Would it help if I did?"
"No." He stared up at the sky. "I couldn't get them to leave."
"Yes, well, you tried."
He grunted. She guessed that trying and failing didn't count for much in his world. Yet another strike against her. She screwed up all the time.
( Susan Mallery )
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