“That was fun,” she said.
“Yeah, once the bear was gone. You’re a show-off.”
“There are very few places where I’m able to show off,” she said. “I’m good on a horse.”
“Yeah, you are,” he agreed. He brought Plenty up next to her so that he was facing Shelby. “Come here,” he said.
He moved forward and she met him willingly, leaning toward him. He tilted his head and pressed her lips for a brief, sensuous kiss. Luke moved over her mouth slowly, deeply. Each kiss put him closer to the very thing he thought was the worst idea he’d ever had, and the most fated. He slipped an arm around her waist and held her; she put her arms on his shoulders. When he left her lips, he said, “You’re killing me. Come inside with me for a few hours.”
“No. Not yet,” she said. Then she shrugged. “Sorry if I’m teasing you.”
He pulled away and dismounted. “Shelby, I don’t think you’re sorry. I think you’re in control here, trying to make me sorry,” he said, but he couldn’t help smiling.
“See you tonight. For a beer.”
“Maybe.”
“Come on,” she laughed. “It’s not possible I’m more brave than you. You’ve been in combat how many times?”
“This is so different. This is a small town. You’re a general’s only niece.”
“Yeah,” she said, taking Plenty’s reins with a naughty grin. “Man up.”
Luke manned up enough to get himself to that little bar five nights running. When the general was with his niece, Luke shoved off before dinner to bring Art and himself some of Preacher’s fixings, including pie, which Art lived for. When Shelby was alone, he stayed. It had been about a hundred years since he’d played kissy-face with a girl without groping her, but he was able to do that with Shelby and even look forward to it. It wouldn’t be much longer before he pressed the suggestion of more, the talk, and finally the event, the thought of which sent sparks shooting through his body.
During the days, he worked hard. He always made sure Art was set up for eating reasonably good food—his cereal and fruit for breakfast, his sandwiches for lunch and at least a microwavable TV dinner that included vegetables for supper when Luke was absent for the evening.
Almost a week had passed since the bear scare. Luke had since pushed all the furniture into the dining room of his house and was now sanding hardwood floors in the living room. He’d just started thinking about a shower and a refreshing beer at Jack’s with Shelby, hopefully accompanied by a few meaningful kisses, when he heard the blast of a horn. He turned off the sander and went to the porch. His brother Sean pulled right up to the porch and jumped out of his Jeep SUV, all grins and a bright eyes. Luke frowned. This wasn’t at all what he had in mind.
“Hey, buddy,” Sean called. “Wassup?”
“What are you doing here?”
“I snagged a few days out of the squadron and thought I’d pleasure you with my company. Have a look at what you’ve got going on here.”
All Luke could think about was how much longer it would be until he could be alone with Shelby. “Good,” he said without enthusiasm. “That’s good. Why didn’t you call?”
“Since when do I call? You leaving town or something?”
“Nah. Just put in a long day…”
“Get cleaned up. Let’s go over to the coast. Have a couple, see if we can find a couple.”
Code for couple of beers, couple of girls. “Go ahead, buddy. I’m not into that tonight.”
“Since when? Come on.”
“I’m just going into town for a beer. There’s a little bar there. Nice little family place. You can come with me or go to the coast on your own. Or there’s a closer place you can try—a bar in Garberville. I’ve seen girls there.”
“Sounds really exciting. What are you, getting old?” Sean asked.
Luke frowned. This was not great timing. He was getting close to closing the deal with a twenty-five-year-old beauty and who shows up but the younger brother who is all of thirty-two. The hotshot spy-plane pilot. Younger, better-looking, plenty of money, exciting life. An officer. The general would no doubt prefer that. He looked Sean up and down—he was tan, had dark blond hair, a dimpled bad-boy smile and no shortage of lines for picking up women. Good lines; Luke had actually borrowed some of them.
“You are not happy to see me,” Sean said. “What’s going on?”