Hot Winter Nights (Made in Montana) Read online

  “It doesn’t matter.” He squeezed her arm, and while he tried to hide it, she caught his little satisfied smile. “Why don’t you take that inside and find out if there’s anything else for me to grill before I turn this off.”

  “Okay,” she said, nodding. “Wait. What do you mean turn it off?”

  “It’s gas. No charcoal mess, just on, off, done. Plus it’s hooked up to the line going into the house. I’m gonna steal the idea for the home I’m building.”

  Lila thought she’d heard wrong. “You’re building a house?”

  He glanced up, looking very much like a man who wanted to kick himself. It made her all the more curious. “I have plans to build. Just not at the moment.”

  “How exciting,” she said, and meant it, if only for a second. A man usually built a house when he was ready to settle down. Start a family. Did he have a woman in mind? Clint had denied having a girlfriend, and she’d believed him. She still did. That didn’t mean he wasn’t narrowing down prospects. “Where will you build? Around here?”

  He nodded. “You should get the meat inside before it gets cold.”

  “Oh. Right.”

  She hurried to the kitchen where Erin started firing questions at her. For a smart woman, Erin was terrible at coordinating cooking times. Lila was glad she was too busy to worry about anything but getting the food to the table without turning every dish into jerky.

  Clint had done as instructed and undercooked the burgers and steaks so they could be finished in the oven. Spencer had thought of that little trick though, not Erin. Lila would’ve keeled over if her friend had put that much thought into anything related to cooking. But what really interested Lila was why Clint had urged her inside with the steaks. Obviously he’d regretted mentioning the house and wanted the subject dropped. And now she wondered why.

  Dinner was a boisterous affair, everyone talking over everyone else as if they didn’t live in one another’s pockets. But finally the dishwasher was loaded, and most of the gang had settled on couches and chairs, or on the floor in the rec room. It took all of thirty seconds before the conversation turned to Baxter.

  “Is the prick going to be around for the sequel, too?” Red asked just as Lila entered the room.

  Clint immediately got up from the recliner he’d nabbed.

  Lila motioned for him to sit back down. “We’ll share,” she said, and then sat on his lap.

  Practically everyone in the room stared at her.

  “Really, guys?” She swept her glare around. “I wish you’d paid this much attention when we needed help washing pots.”

  Clint’s chuckle tickled her ear. She snuggled back against him, and he wrapped an arm around her as she got comfy.

  Charlie cleared his throat. “I hope not,” the grizzled wrangler said in his tobacco-roughened voice, referring to Baxter. “That kid’s got as much sense as a hen’s got teeth.”

  “Hell, that’s giving him too much credit.” Red looked at Erin as she and Spencer joined them. “Erin, you must know. Tell me that kid ain’t hanging around for the sequel.”

  After a brief hesitation, she said, “Probably, he will.”

  “Probably?” Frowning, Red gave up his seat on the couch for Erin. “You don’t know for sure?”

  Spencer walked straight to the fireplace and took his time adding logs to the fire. He knew something. Lila had seen his jaw tighten before he’d turned his back to them. Obviously Erin had confided in him.

  It was silly for Lila to feel hurt, but she did.

  “Okay. Look...” Erin huffed an exasperated sigh. “He’s a pain in the ass. I know that, and I’m not asking you to go out of your way to be nice to him—”

  “Shiiit,” the camera crew drawled in unison.

  “Yeah, if I’m going outta my way,” Red said, “it’ll be to wrap his goddamn Beemer around his goddamn fat head.”

  Laughter took over. They sounded like a bunch of preschoolers. Normally Erin would’ve told them to shut up. Shrinking back against the couch, she looked as though she’d rather disappear.

  She met Lila’s eyes and quickly looked away.

  “Baxter’s scared of you,” Tony said to Erin. “He wets himself every time you look at him. You’re going to be first AD. Can’t you give him the boot?”

  Lila stared at her friend. Unlike everyone else, Lila wasn’t waiting for her reply.

  Holy crap.

  Erin wouldn’t look at her.

  It didn’t matter. Lila had already seen the telltale twitch. So tiny, it was easy to miss. For anyone who didn’t know Erin inside and out.

  The recent lack of enthusiasm, the avoidance, the short temper... Erin’s behavior hadn’t made sense. Exhaustion had nothing to do with it. What if it had something to do with the first AD’s position Jason promised her? She’d sacrificed a year of her life for a shot at it.

  No, that was too extreme. Jason wouldn’t screw her over. He depended on her too much.

  Now, Baxter, he’d been a problem from day one. Erin was angry about being saddled with him. Jason had forced the idiot on her in exchange for his uncle’s money. Lila had assumed that after they wrapped, that would be the end of Baxter. Now, she wasn’t sure what to think.

  The timing had thrown Lila. Erin had met Spencer two months ago. And talk about falling hard. This thing with him wasn’t a passing fling, so it had been easy to miss the real reason Erin’s head wasn’t in the game.

  Baxter must be an even bigger problem than Lila had guessed. Had to be. But what was worse by far, Erin hadn’t told her. Hadn’t turned to Lila for comfort or help. And that cut went deep.

  Clint’s arm tightened around her. “Hey,” he whispered, “you okay?”

  “Fine.” Her whole body had tensed, and her pulse ramped up. “Just tired.”

  “You want to go?”

  “I think I do,” she murmured, aware Erin hadn’t looked at her even once.

  * * *

  THEY DROVE BACK to town mostly in silence. Clint felt helpless, something he’d just discovered he wasn’t good at. He’d never been the controlling type, or maybe he’d just never been tested. Clint had pretty much run the Whispering Pines since the day after he’d quit college. Lucky for him, the operation ran exactly how he wanted it to run. On the not so lucky front, the ranch had become the sum total of his life.

  Right now, he’d do just about anything to get Lila to smile.

  Except he didn’t think there was one damn thing he could say or do that would cheer her up.

  She stared out the window at the semidarkness, fidgeting with her hands, and surely setting some kind of record for sighs per minute. He doubted she realized she was making a sound.

  “I’ll go beat up Baxter if you want me to,” he teased, and she turned, eyes widening. “Say the word.”

  Her unexpected grin lit up the darkest corner of his soul. “I don’t care about Baxter.”

  “Something sure has gotten you down.”

  With another sigh, she turned to look out the window again. Not many stars had made a showing yet.

  “You know what we could do,” he said. “Drive over to Kalispell and look at the Christmas lights. Not just downtown, either. I heard some of the neighborhoods go all out.”

  “Oh, that would be fun,” she said, “but not tonight. I hope that doesn’t disappoint you.”

  “Nope. I just want to see you happy.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. You were great about going to the barbecue, and now I’m being a spoilsport.”

  “I had a good time, and I’m glad I met Spencer. Interesting guy.”

  Lila nodded. “I don’t think I could’ve picked anyone more perfect for Erin. At least that’s going well, so—” She stopped short. “So that’s great.”

  Clint wished she would’ve finishe
d what she’d started to say. Hell, he wished for a lot of things when it came to Lila.

  She surprised him by reaching over and brushing a lock of hair off his forehead.

  “I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said, snatching her hand back.

  “But in a good way.”

  “Yeah?”

  He heard the smile in her voice, and he pulled the truck off to the side of the highway.

  “What are you doing?” She straightened in her seat. “Is something wrong—?”

  His aim was bad in the darkening cab. Their lips met clumsily. They both smiled, and then everything lined up perfectly: lips, tongues, lightly nibbling teeth...

  He touched her hair, savoring the feel of the soft, silky strands. Her lips were soft, too, and so was her skin. He’d given up trying to understand how it could feel like velvet and satin at the same time. Her whispered sighs floated into the night.

  Two hours ago he’d cut himself off, drank his last beer. But it was Lila and her seductive scent he should’ve been worried about. The sweet smell of her skin intoxicated him like no alcohol ever had. It made him think foolish thoughts. Made him long for things he had no business wasting energy on.

  Knowing he could never have a woman like her for keeps didn’t dull the want.

  They were five minutes from town. He wasn’t crazy about them sitting there, making out on the side of the highway, but there was no way of telling if she planned on inviting him to her room. Just coming out and asking didn’t feel right.

  They broke apart for some air.

  “Let’s run away for a week,” he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he knew it.

  “Let’s.” She laughed. “Wait. Only a week?”

  “A month?”

  “Keep going.”

  “Don’t tease me, Lila. That’s not funny.”

  With a wistful sigh, she leaned in for another kiss. Her soft lips sent a jolt straight to his groin. “Who’s teasing?”

  His heart lurched. Why was he being so stupid? Just because he’d seen another side to her. Yeah, he’d been surprised when she’d taken over the kitchen the minute she arrived. The way she’d issued orders and went right to work sorting through pots and casserole dishes reminded him of his mom on holidays. The kitchen turned into a well-oiled machine, and everyone knew who was boss.

  He doubted Lila was the only actor who knew how to cook, but he’d expected her to be more like Erin, who’d clearly been out of her comfort zone. She was a mini-tyrant on the set, but in the kitchen she waited like a puppy for Lila’s instructions.

  He caught a set of headlights in the rearview mirror. “Guess we’d better go.”

  Lila glanced back. “Where?”

  “Anywhere you want.”

  She smiled. “How about Canada?”

  Clint chuckled. “A minute ago I couldn’t get you to go to Kalispell.”

  “Canada is less than two hundred miles away, right?”

  The small SUV sped past them, and he eased the truck back onto the highway. “Yep, to the border,” he said, not sure what to make of her almost desperate tone. “With nothing but nowhere land on both sides.”

  “Sounds perfect,” she said softly and kind of wistfully again. “Except we’re going back to town, aren’t we?”

  He looked at her. “You’re serious?”

  She smiled. “Jeez. Would you listen to me?” she said, shaking her head. “Being so selfish. You probably have a million chores to catch up on.”

  No, he was the selfish prick. Something was really bothering her, and his mind kept rebounding to sex. He saw the turnoff for Cherry Point and made a split-second decision.

  13

  THE TRUCK BOUNCED over a pothole. Lila threw a hand out and clutched the dashboard. “Where in the world are we going?”

  “Cherry Point. The best high school make-out spot in three counties. At least it used to be.” Damn, he was old.

  “Cherry Point. Really?” She squinted past the windshield into the gathering darkness.

  “Hey, I didn’t make up the name.”

  “I would’ve forgiven you if we’re going to make out.”

  “I’m sure we’ll get around to that, but first—”

  Her phone buzzed.

  “You might want to get that,” he said, slowing down. “I can’t say we’ll have a signal for long.”

  She peered into the forest of tall, dense pines all around them. “You really are going to take advantage of me, aren’t you? Or maybe I’ll take advantage of you. Either works for me—or both.”

  Clint smiled. “Is that a yes or no on taking the call?”

  “What? Oh.” She shook her head, her pale hair catching the moonlight and shimmering like it had been sprinkled with fairy dust. “I know who it is. It can wait.”

  “I don’t mind getting out and giving you privacy.”

  She smiled and brushed the stubborn lock off his forehead again.

  He’d brought her here to talk. His brain understood, but his body responded to even her briefest touch. Talk first, he reminded himself, then...

  Well, that depended on a lot of things that he’d be a fool to forget.

  He stopped the truck and brought her fingers to his lips. He kissed the tip of each one before pressing his mouth to her soft palm.

  “Here?” A shudder shook her shoulders as she glanced around at the eerie shadows. “This is the famous Cherry Point?”

  “No. Farther into the woods.”

  “It’s kind of spooky.”

  “I would never take you anywhere dangerous,” he said, and she looked at him. “But if this is making you nervous, we’ll turn back.”

  “I know you wouldn’t.” She curled her fingers around his hand.

  “I’d always keep you safe.” He touched her cheek, stroking his thumb down the velvety softness. Feeling self-conscious all of a sudden, he stopped. “Does it bother you that my hands are rough?”

  “No.” She gripped his wrist, preventing him from lowering his hand.

  “But you’re so soft...”

  “I like it.”

  “But—”

  “Clint.” She moved closer. “I like it when you touch me. And when you kiss me,” she said, leaning close enough he felt her breath on his chin.

  His cock jerked against the denim fly.

  Her lips grazed his.

  “Shit,” he muttered, not meaning to say it out loud. “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “I didn’t bring you here for this.” He ordered himself to stand down, to use his brain and not his dick.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “I wanted us to talk.”

  She sank back. “Talk about what?”

  “Look, I know something’s bothering you. And I figured out here where it’s dark, you might be more comfortable and—” He shrugged, relaxed his clenched jaw. “If you need someone to listen, or if there’s some way I can help...” Gritting his teeth, he scrubbed at his face. “I don’t know what I’m saying. I’m way out of my depth here.”

  Lila’s soft laugh loosened the knot coiling in his gut. “Well, sure, you used the word talk. With a woman. Ever done that before?”

  “Never.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Her grin was contagious.

  “Don’t poke fun,” he said. “It’s a humbling experience.”

  “Yes, but now you’ve made it over the biggest hurdle. The first time is always the hardest.”

  Clint laughed. She got that wrong. The hardest part was fixing to bust through his fly at this very moment. Trying to ignore it was no picnic, either.

  Her phone rang again.

  Lila pulled it out of her pocket as if she
dreaded the call. “It’s my sister,” she said, her tone flat. “She wants to know when I’m coming home for Christmas. I’ll just be a minute.” She sighed before answering. “Hey, Brit, what’s up?”

  Her voice had changed in an instant, even her expression had transformed. As if she’d slipped into a different role.

  “Just flurries, mostly. I heard we might get slammed next week.” She paused. “I think you should go shopping without me.”

  Clint did her the courtesy of turning his face away. Naturally she didn’t care that he could hear her side of the conversation. Lila was acting now. Controlling the inflection of her voice. Her sister couldn’t tell a damn thing about her mood. Of course, neither could he. Whatever Lila was feeling was locked tight inside.

  Nathan’s first wife popped into his head. It occurred to him that Anne had used her acting skills to keep his brother in the dark about a big part of her life. He had no idea why she’d been so secretive, but finding out the truth after her death had nearly done Nathan in.

  Lila sure didn’t owe Clint anything. They barely knew each other. He couldn’t help wondering, though, if things were different, would he worry she was hiding her true feelings from him?

  “I didn’t say that, Britney. I can’t promise, but that doesn’t mean I’m not trying.” A small crack in her voice had her shifting in her seat. “You know what... I should’ve mentioned now isn’t a good time. How about I call you tomorrow?”

  Clint stared out his window at a curious young buck standing several feet away in the brush.

  “I am not.” Lila let out a sound of frustration. Apparently she’d quit holding back. “I’m on a date, okay? Oh, God. Fine. Clint?” She held the phone near his face. “Would you please say something to my sister?”

  “Um, sure. Hi, Lila’s sister... Britney. Right?”

  A high-pitched squeal nearly pierced his eardrum.

  Lila quickly took back the phone. “Happy?” She bit off a giggle. “Shut up. Goodbye.”

  Britney’s excited voice was still audible as Lila disconnected. She stuffed the phone in her pocket, then pulled it back out.

  “I need to turn it off or she’ll drive me nuts.” She took care of that and said, “Where were we? You said something about making out?”