who had been there, when it felt like “there” was everywhere, and everywhere was pretty much a life of empty hotel rooms. Their eyes met, and Lana felt a rush of warmth flood through her. Had it only been last night that she’d seen him? For some reason, it felt a whole lot longer.
“I have another copy on my phone. Do you want to read this one?”
If she had been a dog in a bib, rolling a meatball toward him with her nose, Lana couldn’t have possibly felt more awkward. Rick accepted the book, tucking it into a pocket in his heavy winter jacket.
“Thanks. I get a lot of downtime at work. Reading passes the time. Hey, last night…” Rick cleared his throat, and just like that, Lana was twelve again, and their twenty-three minutes were up. It wasn’t safe to let herself too close to him anyway. Last night might have caused a kind of toe curling she hadn’t felt in forever, but Lana was a realist. A “hey baby” between two lonely people just before the holidays was not a promised path to happily ever after.
“It’s all right,” she said. “I understand. No need to explain.”
Maybe Rick would have the decency to leave before her smile slipped and the fact that she was oddly devastated became humiliatingly clear.
“I was going to say last night was the best night I’ve had in years.”
Ah. Well. That was a different story, then.
Lana didn’t trust herself to immediately answer. Her heart pounded in her chest, loud enough that she couldn’t hear, let alone think. Thankfully, Rick was a patient man. He simply waited, resting a strong hand on Jake’s back.
“I had a nice time too,” she finally said.
Only a slight relaxing of his shoulders gave him away. Maybe Lana wasn’t the only one feeling the whiplash, because he took her hand, squeezing gently before saying, “I was hoping so.”
Rick had no idea how little human contact she had in her life or how no one had held her hand in…well…she couldn’t remember. Lana tried very hard not to hold on to his too tight in response.
“Did you catch your moose yet?” he asked, as if—like the book—he truly cared about her mission.
“Tonight’s the night. Zoey and I are on the hunt. Moose will be relocated, peace will be restored, and Christmas decorations everywhere will feel safer. ”
He flashed her a quick grin. “Let me know if you want some backup.”
She almost took him up on it. Before Lana could answer, a message chirped on her phone, breaking the moment between them.
Rick let go of her hand so fast she almost thought he was embarrassed. But the way he was looking at her, his hazel eyes locked on her, it was hard to believe his interest wasn’t real. Real and welcome and amazingly confusing. Unfortunately, this wasn’t something she could take the time to figure out now. Not with a second, more imperious message beeping on her phone.
Taking refuge in a puppy, Lana stood, Jake’s leash in her hand.
“I’m sorry, I have to go meet two of my company’s board of directors,” she said. “I’d invite you, but one of them is fairly annoying.”
Rick nodded, rubbing his hands together. “It’s fine. I should go too. I promised Hannah I’d fix the pool table in the game room. It keeps eating balls.”
“You’re daring me to say something off-color, aren’t you?”
“The thought crossed my mind.” He chuckled, standing.
Lana patted his arm, thinking the muscles beneath his waffle shirt were nice and firm. “It’s hard work being competent.”
He flashed her the sweetest look, making him far handsomer than every other man in town. He probably didn’t even know it. “Have a nice day, sweetheart. I know being our evil overlady is a busy job.”
“You too?” When Rick winked at her roguishly, there was absolutely no way she could be offended. As Lana hustled off to the helicopter pad on the far side of the complex, she couldn’t help the curving of her lips.
He’d called her sweetheart. Lana was pretty sure she liked it.
* * *
This must have been a slow week for Locketts, or else Ash was working outside her comfort zone for some extra Christmas money. The familiar helicopter with its telltale dragon artwork rarely played courier for travelers uninterested in making the drive from Anchorage International Airport to Moose Springs.
Lana waited for her cousins with Jake at her side, standing far enough away that there was no risk of Jake getting accidentally hurt by