son.
"That's awfully nice of you, but since I only know a handful of people—and those less than a day—you could forge those references. I'd better pass, and take tomorrow to settle in a little."
"Rain check, then."
When he took her arm, she jumped, and his voice lowered to soothe as it she were a spooked horse. "Easy now, I'm just slowing you down.
Can tell by the way you walk like you're late for an appointment you're from back East. Take a minute, look up there. That's a sight, isn't it?"
Her heart was still beating too fast for comfort, but she looked up. And there, above the ragged shadows of the mountains, hung a full, white moon.
Stars exploded around it, as it someone had loaded a shotgun with diamonds and blasted away. Their light turned the icing of snow on the peaks an eerie blue, and dashed the crevices and gullies into deep, rich shadow.
This, she thought, was what she missed when she allowed nerves to hunch her over, to force her gaze to the ground. And though she might have wished shed had this moment alone, she had to give credit to Lo for making her stop, making her look.
"It's beautiful. The guidebook I bought called the mountains majestic, and I thought no. When I saw them before. I thought not majestic but tough and rugged. But that's how they look now. Majestic."
"There are spots up there that you have to see to believe, and they change, even while you're looking. This time of year, if you go up, stand by the river, you can hear the rocks clack in the spring runoff. Take you on a ride up. Nothing better than seeing the Tetons on horseback."
'"I don't ride."
"I can teach you."
She began to walk again. "Scenic guide, riding instructor."
"That's what I do, mostly, out of the Circle K. Guest ranch about twenty miles out. I can get the cook there to pack up a nice picnic, get you a gentle mount. Can promise you a day you'll write home about."
"I'm sure you would." She'd like to hear the rocks clack, and see the moraines and meadows. And right now, with that spectacular moonlight, it was almost tempting to let him show her. "I'll think about it. Here's my stop."
"I'll walk you up."
"You don't have to do that. I'm—"
"My mother taught me to walk a lady right to her door."
He took her arm again, casually, and opened the door to the hotel. He smelled, she noticed, appeaingly of leather and pine.
"Evening, Tom." he called out to the clerk on night duty.
"Lo. Ma'am."
And Reece saw" the ghost of a smirk in the clerk's eyes.
When Lo turned toward the elevator. Reece pulled back. "I'm just on the third floor. I'm going to walk up."
"One or those exercise nuts, are you? Must be why you stay so slim." But he changed direction smoothly, then pulled open the door to the stairs.
"I appreciate you going to all this trouble." She ordered herself not to panic because the stairwell seemed so much smaller with him beside her. "I certainly dropped into a friendly town."
"Wyoming's a friendly state. May not be many of us here, but we're congenial. I heard you were fromBoston ."
"Yes."
"First time out this way?"
"That's right." One more flight, then the door would open.
"'Taking some time off to see the country?"
"Yes. Yes, that's exactly right."
"Brave thing to do, all by yourself."
"Is it?"
"Shows a sense of adventure."
She would have laughed, but she was too relieved when he held the door open for her and she stepped out into the hall on three. "I'm right here." She dug out her key card, automatically glancing down to make stire the tape across the door was secured.
Before she could slide the key card into the slot, he took it from her, did the small chore himself. He opened the door, then handed the key back to her. "Left all your lights on," he commented. "TV running."
"Oh. I guess I did. Overanxious to start work. Thanks. Lo, for the escort."
"My pleasure. We're going to get you up on a horse right soon. You'll see."
She managed a smile. "I'll think about it. Thanks again. Good
"That's awfully nice of you, but since I only know a handful of people—and those less than a day—you could forge those references. I'd better pass, and take tomorrow to settle in a little."
"Rain check, then."
When he took her arm, she jumped, and his voice lowered to soothe as it she were a spooked horse. "Easy now, I'm just slowing you down.
Can tell by the way you walk like you're late for an appointment you're from back East. Take a minute, look up there. That's a sight, isn't it?"
Her heart was still beating too fast for comfort, but she looked up. And there, above the ragged shadows of the mountains, hung a full, white moon.
Stars exploded around it, as it someone had loaded a shotgun with diamonds and blasted away. Their light turned the icing of snow on the peaks an eerie blue, and dashed the crevices and gullies into deep, rich shadow.
This, she thought, was what she missed when she allowed nerves to hunch her over, to force her gaze to the ground. And though she might have wished shed had this moment alone, she had to give credit to Lo for making her stop, making her look.
"It's beautiful. The guidebook I bought called the mountains majestic, and I thought no. When I saw them before. I thought not majestic but tough and rugged. But that's how they look now. Majestic."
"There are spots up there that you have to see to believe, and they change, even while you're looking. This time of year, if you go up, stand by the river, you can hear the rocks clack in the spring runoff. Take you on a ride up. Nothing better than seeing the Tetons on horseback."
'"I don't ride."
"I can teach you."
She began to walk again. "Scenic guide, riding instructor."
"That's what I do, mostly, out of the Circle K. Guest ranch about twenty miles out. I can get the cook there to pack up a nice picnic, get you a gentle mount. Can promise you a day you'll write home about."
"I'm sure you would." She'd like to hear the rocks clack, and see the moraines and meadows. And right now, with that spectacular moonlight, it was almost tempting to let him show her. "I'll think about it. Here's my stop."
"I'll walk you up."
"You don't have to do that. I'm—"
"My mother taught me to walk a lady right to her door."
He took her arm again, casually, and opened the door to the hotel. He smelled, she noticed, appeaingly of leather and pine.
"Evening, Tom." he called out to the clerk on night duty.
"Lo. Ma'am."
And Reece saw" the ghost of a smirk in the clerk's eyes.
When Lo turned toward the elevator. Reece pulled back. "I'm just on the third floor. I'm going to walk up."
"One or those exercise nuts, are you? Must be why you stay so slim." But he changed direction smoothly, then pulled open the door to the stairs.
"I appreciate you going to all this trouble." She ordered herself not to panic because the stairwell seemed so much smaller with him beside her. "I certainly dropped into a friendly town."
"Wyoming's a friendly state. May not be many of us here, but we're congenial. I heard you were fromBoston ."
"Yes."
"First time out this way?"
"That's right." One more flight, then the door would open.
"'Taking some time off to see the country?"
"Yes. Yes, that's exactly right."
"Brave thing to do, all by yourself."
"Is it?"
"Shows a sense of adventure."
She would have laughed, but she was too relieved when he held the door open for her and she stepped out into the hall on three. "I'm right here." She dug out her key card, automatically glancing down to make stire the tape across the door was secured.
Before she could slide the key card into the slot, he took it from her, did the small chore himself. He opened the door, then handed the key back to her. "Left all your lights on," he commented. "TV running."
"Oh. I guess I did. Overanxious to start work. Thanks. Lo, for the escort."
"My pleasure. We're going to get you up on a horse right soon. You'll see."
She managed a smile. "I'll think about it. Thanks again. Good
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