Page 56 of September’s Cowboy Travis

“Horse prices. That's about it.”

Her lips pressed together. I waited for her to argue with me some more. Instead, she laughed again. For some reason I couldn't explain, I liked being responsible for it.

“Fine,” she said. “I'm not going to ambush you with a camera.”

“I appreciate it.”

“But I'm also not giving up.”

“No?”

“The shirt thing should've been your first clue.”

This time I laughed, a deep one from my belly. I couldn't help it when I thought about the first words she'd said to me.

Caroline went still. For half a second, the busy expression disappeared. So did the festival coordinator who'd been taking notes and rearranging schedules since she walked onto the grounds.

She just looked at me, and I felt it all the way down to my toes. Something tugged low in my gut that had nothing to do with the cold or the fact that I hadn't eaten since five-thirty.

Her gaze dropped. Then she cleared her throat and looked at Hank. “Okay. Good.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“That.”

“That what?”

She was already tapping something into her tablet. “That laugh.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. She was cute in a way that probably got her out of trouble more often than it should, but I wasn't going to give in no matter how nicely she asked. “No.”

“You don't even know what I'm going to say.” She glanced up.

“I know enough.”

“I need that on camera.”

“Definitely no.”

“Beau.” The way she said my name stopped me.

Maybe because she'd only learned it five minutes ago. Maybe because I liked hearing it in her voice. Whatever it was, it was an issue.

A truck door slammed behind us.

“Caroline!” Orville Nelson came striding across the grounds in a Mustang Mountain vest, looking way too pleased with himself.

Caroline turned toward him. Her shoulders straightened.

Mayor Nelson hadn't given her a very long runway. That much was obvious.

“Mayor Nelson.”

“Looks like you found Beau.”

“I did.”

Something in her voice made me look away so she wouldn't see me smile.