Forever Dreams (Montana Brides) by Leeanna Morgan Page A

remembered her camera. She opened her closet and started hunting. Trent had taken her to the cattle sale yards yesterday and she was sure she’d put the camera back on the shelf in front of her, but it wasn’t there.  
    Gracie had a quick look under her bed and on top of the dresser. Not there either. She walked onto the landing. Trent was disappearing out the door with a box of food in his arms. “Have you seen my…”
    “Your camera’s in the truck.”
    “How did you know what I was looking for?”
    Trent grinned over his shoulder and Gracie’s traitorous heart went flipperty-flop. “It’s turned into your third arm. I haven’t seen you leave the house without it. You’d better hurry or the barbecue will be over before we get there.”
    Gracie glanced at her watch, stomping on her hormones as she headed downstairs. They were ten minutes late. “It’s just as well I know you’re exaggerating.”
    “Tell me that when you see the crowd of kids waiting for food.” He headed out the door.  
    Gracie’s eyes darted to the nicely rounded bottom and long legs striding through the timber frame. Not that she cared what Trent’s bottom looked like, of course. But a woman couldn’t help but appreciate what was clearly outlined for the entire world to see. Especially a woman that had been living with the body beneath those faded blue jeans for the last two weeks.  
    She took one last look around the foyer before locking the front door behind her. Snug jeans or not, Trent McKenzie was completely off limits.
    Gracie sniffed the air inside the cab. “You smell nice.” She bit her lip, cursing her runaway mouth.  
    “You’ll make me blush with all that sweet talk.”
    Gracie locked her seatbelt into place and took a deep breath. Not a good move. She could practically taste pine and man rolled into one delicious package. “You should save your blushes for your future wife.”
    “Ouch…do I detect a hint of grumpiness inside that little body of yours?”
    “I’m not grumpy. Have you made any progress on your hunt for the perfect childbearing woman?”
    Trent spun the wheels on his truck as he drove away from the house. “What do you think?”
    Gracie knew he’d been working from dawn to dusk. Unless he’d started wooing someone on the phone he hadn’t been near any females except Gracie, Adele, his mom, and a few thousand heifers. “I think I’m being grumpy.”
    “Nice to know you’re not perfect.”
    “Keep that in mind when you see Jo-Jo and Katie. From what I’ve heard they’ll be happy to whisper sweet nothings in your ear all night.”
    Trent leaned forward and switched the radio on. “Should be an interesting evening then.”

    Gracie watched a group of kids kick a ball around the backyard. Their parents sat on picnic chairs nearby, enjoying the last heat of the sun.
    Tess’s house sat tall and proud on a tree-filled section in the center of Bozeman’s historic district. Surrounded by homes built nearly a hundred years ago, it made Gracie feel like she’d stepped back in time. The hardwood floors had creaked under her feet when Tess had given her a guided tour of her beautiful home. Wood detailing gave the house bucket loads of character and the smell of lemon-fresh polish made Gracie feel a little homesick.  
    “Come and meet my friend, Kristina Green.”  
    Gracie turned toward Trent’s mom. “She’s here?”
    “I brought her as my date.” Karen grinned. “Jim’s running a rodeo course out of State and I thought she’d enjoy catching up with everyone. We’re sitting on the patio.”
    Gracie followed Karen across the yard. She spotted Tess sitting beside the Deputy of Police, a mountain of a man called Dan Carter. Trent sat beside Dan, with Katie Jenkins firmly planted beside him.  
    As soon as they’d arrived, Katie had introduced her nearly-six-foot-in-heels self, then tried to whisk Trent away to God knew where. It hadn’t worked. Trent had stood beside Gracie until the