Oh, Dinah could continue to act prim, as if she expected Silas to work harder for a kiss. But she was desperate to know the softness of his lips as his strong, hard body held her close. So she boldly said, “Deal. My guess is three.”
“Mine is nine.”
“Nine? That’s a lot.”
“I expect a lot of confusion. A lot of your kisses will more than make up for it. I’m countin’ down until we can leave the picnic and square up on our bet.” He pressed his lips to the shell of her ear…just one time.
That small kiss vibrated throughout her entire body.
Silas stepped back and gallantly offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
The town council held the picnic and pig roast feed at the racetrack north of town.
Right after they arrived, Doc found his cronies, leaving Silas to carry the basket of food to the community tables.
Someone had already spread newspapers down on three long tables. Women were setting out their food stuffs on pieces of cloth that drew attention to their picnic contribution.
Dinah should’ve thought to add a curl of ribbon around the mason jar of pickled eggs or the sour cherry preserves. However, she had pre-sliced the loaf of molasses bread and arranged the mound of whipped honey butter on a floral painted saucer. She lifted out the spice cake with the brown butter frosting and set it at the forefront of her display, angling the rhubarb cream pie next to it.
Silas peered over her shoulder. “Dinah, did you make all of that?”
“Well, Doc sure didn’t,” she half-groused.
“I thought maybe Mrs. Doc helped you.”
“She’s mostly confined.” As soon as that slipped out, she glanced around to see if anyone had overheard, since it wasn’t supposed to be common knowledge. Before she could plead with Silas not to repeat that as gossip, Esther McRae plunked her basket down across from Dinah’s.
Esther made a big show of displaying her food. Jam tarts. Cheese biscuits. A fluffy meringue pie with brandied fruit compote. Sardines in a cream dill sauce. Then she startled coquettishly. “Oh! Hello, Dinah. I didn’t see you standing there.”
“Hello, Esther.”
Then Esther’s gaze shifted to Silas. “Why, Deputy McKay. I’m positively thrilled you decided to attend one of these Founder’s Day picnics.”
“I’m sure you’re right that my brother would much rather be here shootin’ the breeze than alone in his office, playin’ with his star and his gun.”
Esther blinked with confusion. “Pardon?”
“I’m not the deputy. I’m Silas McKay, the deputy’s brother.”
Dinah saw Esther’s speculative look flit between them.
Then she all but dismissed Dinah and focused on Silas. “Shame on me. I’m Esther McRae.”
He started to respond but Esther spoke first.
“I wasn’t aware that the deputy had a brother, say nothing of a twin brother. How did your mother ever tell you two apart?”
“Lately it’s easy to see tell the difference as I’m wearin’ bad decisions on my face.”
Esther tittered. “And you have a sense of humor as well! Did you just move here?”
“Nope. I’ve been a landowner for years. I just don’t make it to town too often. When I do, it’s usually to Labelle.”
“Labelle,” she sniffed. “No wonder you don’t like coming to town. There’s nothing to do there.”
“You’re from Labelle,” Dinah pointed out.
“My daddy’s lumberyard business is there,” she retorted. “We live in town. Anyway, Mr. McKay, you have no idea what you’re missing. There are so many entertainments found in Sundance. The horseracing held here at the track. The bowling lanes in the basement of Farnum’s. The fine dining at Pettyjohn’s. Now that baseball has started there are games during the week. On the weekends there’s usually a dance. The municipal band puts on lively concerts. We have a bicycle riding club and—”
“Sounds like people in town have more free time than we ranchers do,” Silas said dryly.
“What’s the point of working hard if you can’t have fun too?”
Dinah bet Esther had never worked a day in her life, let alone knowing anything about what hard work entailed.
“Well, one man’s leisure is another man’s vice.” He smiled. Then he pointed to Esther’s bounty of food. “It appears you went to a lot of hard work whippin’ up them fancy vittles.”
Fancy vittles? Wasn’t he laying the hick rancher act on a bit thick?
“Oh, listen to you. Nothing fancy about this. Just a few things we had in the larder.”
Dinah emitted a disbelieving noise that brought Esther’s attention back to her.
For a moment.
But she smiled at Silas and cooed, “You’re certainly welcome to