Almost A Bride (Montana Born Brides) by Sarah Mayberry Page B

gone on dozens of cross country runs together, spent time together at the Bozeman firing range, idled away hours manning speed traps talking about their childhoods, past loves, families, but spending time with Reid felt... different now that she no longer had Simon in her life. For the first time since they’d known each other, they were both single, and the knowledge made her feel distinctly edgy.
    Get a grip, Buck. This man is your partner, and you are an object of pity right now.
    Both excellent points, and she made a promise to herself to keep them front and center in her mind for the rest of the day.
    The sandwich and coffee went a long way toward curing her hangover, and by the time Reid had turned off Bridger Canyon Drive and onto Fairy Lake Road she was feeling almost human. Which was just as well, because the final stretch of road was unsealed and creased with runnels and potholes, treating them to a bone-jarring ride for fifteen minutes before they rounded a bend and found themselves looking out over Fairy Lake.
    The chalky-white cliffs of Sacagawea Peak towered overhead, its slopes dotted with trees. The lake itself was thickly hemmed by tall pines, the still, deep green waters mirroring the surrounds. It was almost painfully beautiful, and they were both silent as Reid turned off the engine.
    “ Have you done this before? The paddle-boarding thing?”
    “ Got my own board and everything.” He threw her a small smile before exiting the truck.
    She followed him, watching as he hauled first one board then the other from the tray.
    “So where did you get the other board, then?” she asked.
    “ A friend.”
    “ I didn’t even know this was a thing,” she said, frowning as he collected two long-handled paddles and leaned them against the side of the pickup.
    “ That’s because you’ve lived a sheltered life.”
    She knew he was only teasing her, but a part of her bristled. She had lived a sheltered life, in many ways. That was what last night—and the motorbike—had been all about.
    “ Says the professional gypsy. Have you heard about that job in Chicago yet?”
    “ Yesterday, actually. They want me to come in for a second interview.”
    “ What’s wrong? Weren’t they bowled over by your many charms the first time around?”
    “ Apparently not. Do you need to change? I can take these down to the water to give you privacy.”
    “ I’ve got my swimsuit on already.”
    “ Then keep your shoes on,” Reid advised. “The walk down to the water isn’t exactly comfortable barefoot.”
    H e reached for the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. For a heart-stopping moment she thought he was stripping to bare skin, but he was wearing a form-fitting black tank underneath and she was able to breathe again.
    A little alarmed by her reaction, she pulled her own sweater off, leaving her T-shirt on over her bikini top. She could see him taking off his jeans out of the corners of her eyes and she popped the stud on hers, too. She’d done a lot of things with Reid, but none of them had included taking off their clothes together. Even though there was nothing remotely salacious or sexual about the situation, she was still acutely aware of the intimacy of the moment as she turned her back and pushed the denim down her legs.
    She folded her jeans and sweater neatly and set them on the passenger seat.
    “What can I carry?” she asked as she turned to face him.
    She almost stumbled over the last word when she saw that he ’d stripped to a pair of dark grey swim shorts that left his long, powerful legs exposed.
    That explains the tan, then , a little voice noted in the back of her head.
    He lifted one of the boards, his shoulder and arm muscles flexing impressively.
    “Bring the paddles, I’ll come back for the other board,” he said before taking off down the slope toward the lake.
    She rolled her eyes. Since when hadn’t she pulled her own weight? It took her a moment to locate the handhold molded