Sizzling Summer Nights. Debbi Rawlins
drop her off at the Sundance and she’d never see him again. The idea was surprisingly disappointing. She was still staring at him when he finally turned to look at her. Hannah pretended she was looking past him at the well-lit service station, the last vestige of civilization before the highway stretched into darkness.
“Are you waiting for me to say I have a problem with that?” he asked. “Because I don’t.”
“Which part?”
“Any of it.”
Hannah wasn’t sure what to make of that. Obviously he didn’t care about Rachel’s meddling. But did he also mean he was open to hooking up? “Well, neither do I,” she said, her heart pounding as she watched a slow, telling smile curve his mouth.
After driving for another mile or better, she still couldn’t think of anything more to say. And clearly he didn’t feel the need to contribute. Normally she was fine with silence, but not knowing where they stood was maddening.
As it was, she couldn’t stop herself from glancing over at him every few seconds. His hand was on the steering wheel, and his T-shirt exposed his muscled arm. The short sleeve clung to his well-defined biceps.
“Why aren’t you staying with Rachel and Matt?”
“I had a conflict and couldn’t make it to their wedding, so I just met Matt today. Seems like a great guy. And of course he would be...” Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want to get in the way. A week’s a long time to have a houseguest.”
“I see your point. Summer is a busy season, though I don’t think Rachel is involved in the day-to-day operation.”
“No, but she’s at the Sundance every day. The dude ranch keeps her hopping even though she and Jamie split duties.” She saw his brows lower in a frown. “Cole’s wife, the woman who was with us at the Watering Hole. She’s handling reservations, meals, that sort of thing, and Rachel takes guests on trail rides and gives riding lessons so she doesn’t have to pull any of the men away from the cattle side.”
“That doesn’t sound like much fun for you. Unless you’re going to help with the lessons.”
Hannah cursed her big mouth. It would’ve been so much easier if he didn’t know about her parents’ ranch. “I don’t ride well enough.”
Seth glanced over at her. “You grew up on a ranch.”
“I’m aware,” she said with a forced laugh.
“Did you use ATVs?”
It was tempting to lie and say yes, but she wasn’t good with those either. “My dad didn’t like me hanging around while he was working, so I just...” She shrugged. “Read a lot of books. Where’s your ranch in relation to the Sundance?”
He didn’t seem eager to answer. For God’s sake, it was an idle question. Only meant to change the subject. It wasn’t as if she planned on showing up uninvited.
“About thirty minutes, give or take,” he said with a faint smile. “Depending on traffic.”
Hannah grinned. “I saw a truck hauling a horse trailer. I can see how the streets might get congested.”
Seth briefly took his eyes off the road to look at her. “Assuming Rachel’s going to be busy, what are you doing tomorrow?”
“Um, nothing, really. I’m going to try to sleep in, a long shot at best.” She wound her fingers together, a nervous habit she thought she’d broken years ago. This wasn’t like her, being hesitant. “You have something in mind?”
“Oh, quite a few things,” he said, his laugh as deep and gravelly as his voice. “Are you interested in seeing the sights? Not that there’s much around here but you might enjoy a drive to Glacier National Park. After that we could get some dinner.”
“Not much here? The Rockies are practically in your backyard.” She turned to look out the window. Even in the gathering darkness, she could see the distant snow-topped peaks jutting into the night sky. And, of course, the stars. Hundreds and hundreds, maybe even thousands. She sighed and turned back to Seth. “Yes. I’d love to, thank you.”
“Good. You sleep in and I’ll get the men squared away for the day, then we’ll make it happen,” he said. “What was the sigh for?”
“I still can’t get over the stars. I don’t remember the sky ever looking this spectacular at home.”
“Are you in a hurry to get to the Sundance?”
“Not at all,” she said, stifling a yawn. Travel days were always hard, but she wasn’t about to miss out on anything Seth had to offer.
“Then how about we take a short detour?”
“I’m game if you are.”
“In about a mile we’re going to leave the highway. It’ll be bumpy for a while as the road climbs into the foothills, but it’s not too steep. Still game?”
She kind of wanted him to define not too steep. But come on, did it really matter? “Of course.”
“So, what is it you do in Dallas?” he asked, as soon as he’d made the turn.
“Executive recruiter,” she said, grabbing on to the handhold over the door. “I match qualified candidates with the right jobs. It can be interesting. The fun part is getting to learn about how different businesses work.”
“Do you recruit on behalf of corporations or individuals?”
“Mostly corporations. Though I also have a list of execs who aren’t looking for jobs actively, but if one comes along that I think would be of interest, I let them know.”
“Sounds challenging.” Seth slowed down as they arrived at a small clearing, the headlights sweeping clusters of purple and yellow wildflowers.
He got out of the truck, and while he rummaged around in the back, she popped a breath mint.
“You want some water?” he asked.
“Maybe later,” she said, as she slid off the seat. “Isn’t it late for wildflowers?”
“It’s the altitude. They’re on their way out. Last month you would’ve seen five times as many. I’m getting a blanket. Pick a spot.”
A shiver raced down her spine. Impressive as the wildflowers were, all she could think was...blanket! She had a good feeling there’d be more making out than stargazing going on. And, boy, was she ready.
She looked up at the sky. None of the surrounding trees blocked their view of the moon and stars. The clearing was perfect. And, for now, so was the cowboy walking toward her.
Hannah’s goals had been to visit Rachel and get the hell away from Texas and her father—the man made her so crazy she could forget how to breathe. Vacay sex hadn’t consciously been on the list. But this was a nice bonus. Not only had Rachel vouched for Seth, but Hannah lucking out the first day? Amazing.
“Is this the spot you want?”
“Oh, sorry, I’ve been looking up instead of down.”
All he did was smile at her and her heart beat wildly. Thankfully, he’d brought two bottles of water with him. Her mouth was suddenly dry and she sucked greedily on the mint. Probably looked obscene. She turned away and toed the hard ground. Most of the clearing was covered by tall grass.
“I think the best we can hope for is no rocks.” Seth nodded to an area where the grass had been flattened. “Deer approved. Shall we try it?”
He checked for rocks while taking quick glances up at the sky. Hannah did the same thing on the other side. An aspen that had provided the deer with shade blocked a tiny section of stars but the rest of the trees were slender pines.
“This is fine with me,” she said, and helped him spread