Her smile widened. “I would love one, thank you.”
He nodded, smiling too, as he hurried around to open the passenger-side door of the pickup. She climbed in and watched him run around to slide behind the wheel. She’d never seen him nervous before. He knew his job on the ranch, was good with the horses as well as the livestock and worked hard, confident in his abilities.
As he started up the engine, she took him in, seeing how he was dressed. She caught the scent of his aftershave and had to smile to herself. This hadn’t been Holden’s idea, she realized. This was a...date?
She couldn’t remember the last time she went on one. It had been years. She’d told herself that she was too busy at the ranch, that she had everything she needed in her friendship with Holden. But looking at Deacon, she was touched.
They talked about the ranch and the people they knew in common during their lunch. Deacon relaxed, and so did Elaine. The ranch manager could be charming, funny, too. She couldn’t remember a lunch she’d enjoyed better and said as much to him on the way to the ranch.
“I wish I could help you more,” he said. “I know Holden got the best attorney money could buy for you. I did have something else in mind.” He cleared his throat and glanced over at her. “You could tell the sheriff that I was the one who killed Dixon. That you were covering for me.”
She stared at him, stunned. That he would take the blame for murder for her... “Deacon—”
“Elaine, you’re always doing for others. I’d do anything for you.”
She reached over and touched his arm. “I can’t tell you how much that means to me. Thank you, but no. It’s going to be all right no matter what happens.”
He grew silent for a few minutes. “I know I’m not your first choice.”
Her heart ached. “Deacon, you’re any woman’s first choice if she got to know you. Promise me that when all of this is over, we’ll spend some time together,” she said. He glanced over at her in surprise. She nodded, smiling. “I’d love to go on another date with you.”
He blushed to the roots of his hair but said nothing as he drove. After a few minutes, he said, “I’d like that. I’ve wanted to ask you out for years, but...” He shrugged and glanced at her, then back at his driving. “I thought you might be in love with Holden.”
“We’re just friends. You know he’s never really loved anyone but Charlotte. I’ve been trying to get them back together for years.”
He was surprised to hear that, and it showed in his expression. He seemed less nervous, more like the capable ranch manager he was. “So maybe...you and I...”
“I don’t see why not.”
“I’d wait for you to get out of jail.”
She thought of Deacon being there when she was released. “I’m not going to hold you to that, but I would love it if yours was the first face I saw.”
He grinned over at her. “Count on it.”
“In the meantime, while I’m out on bail, maybe we could go for a horseback ride together.”
“’Speck we could,” he said.
“All this time we’ve known each other, I realize we don’t know much about each other,” she said.
“Not much interesting to tell on my end.”
“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true,” Elaine said. “It’s too bad we’re just now getting to know each other. I could probably use a few letters while I’m locked up.”
“I could do that, though I wouldn’t say much for my penmanship.”
“Don’t worry. Bet I won’t have any trouble reading your letters.”
He looked over at her. Their gazes locked for a moment.
“You have beautiful brown eyes, Mr. Yates.”
HOLLY JO WAS glad to run into Gus one day in Powder Crossing. He was outside the feed store, kicking rocks in the alley, no doubt waiting on his father. She was waiting on Elaine, who was running errands.
“Hey,” she said as she approached him.
He brightened at once, then dipped his head shyly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Being kidnapped was nothing.” She definitely didn’t want to talk about it. “So, how about you?”
Gus looked up and shrugged. “I was afraid Tana had taken you.”
She shook her head. “I would have gotten away from her without any trouble,” she boasted, hating that her kidnapping was going to be the subject everyone wanted to talk about. “You should ask your dad if you can come over to the ranch and ride horses with me sometime.”
“Sure,” he said, although he didn’t look like it was anything that was going to happen. He was peering at her now. She could feel the intensity of his gaze. “You seem different.”
“Different how?” she asked, sincerely curious.
“You always were crazy brave, but now...it’s like after what happened, you’re not afraid of anything.”
She wished that was true.
“No one is going to bully you ever again.” He kicked another rock. It skittered across the alley and came to rest next to the supply store. “Maybe I need to get kidnapped.”
She knew he was kidding, but she hated to hear him say it. “You’re great just like you are,” she told him. She didn’t think he believed her.
She wasn’t the only one who’d changed. Gus was getting taller. He looked stronger. She suspected he’d been working hard this summer at the ranch his dad managed. Soon he would be taller than his father.
