Dancing in the Moonlight - Harlequin.com

RAEANNE THAYNE
71
she tried to act tough as nails, he could see the lines of
pain around her mouth and the cautious steps she took
across the uneven ground.
Stubborn woman. He wanted to toss her over the
back of her little mare and haul her back to the house
where she could spend the afternoon with her leg up.
The next best thing was manufacturing these little
excuses to stop as often as he could so she could rest.
“Ham and cheese or PB and J?” he asked when she
settled against a tree, her leg extended in front of her.
“Whichever.”
He handed over the ham and one of the colas he’d
had the foresight to stick in the icy river when they
stopped at this section of fence a half hour before.
She popped the top and took a healthy swallow, her
eyes closed with obvious appreciation, and he had to
focus on his lunch to keep from jumping her right there.
“Oh, that’s good. Spring runoff gives the water just
the perfect temperature for maximum chill. That water’s
running fast. How’d you keep the cans from floating
downstream?”
“Old cowboy trick one of the ranch hands taught me
when I was a kid. Tie fishing line around the plastic
rings and lash that to a tree on the bank. I always keep
some in my saddle bag for emergencies.”
“Just in case you’re ever stranded in the middle of
nowhere on horseback with a warm soda. I can see
where that would come in handy.”
“What can I say? I appreciate the finer things in life.”
She made a snort that might have been a laugh, but
he wouldn’t let himself get his hopes up.