Candice heard a voice coming from inside the house and quickly padded to the kitchen where Wyatt had left the walkie-talkie. Sure enough, he was calling her. A hot thrill went through her as she grasped the device and answered. Hearing his deep voice on the other side excited her more than it should have.

“Hello?” she breathed.

“I’ve got bad news, darlin’,” he said.

With the word ‘darling,’ Candice shuddered with excitement. Damn, Wyatt was sexy. She bit her lip and answered. “What could be worse than being run off my campsite in the middle of the night?”

“They’ve taken all your valuables and destroyed the rest. Sorry to have to tell you this.”

“Well, great. Did they at least leave my car keys and my wallet?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“So, basically, I’m broke and stranded.”

“I’ll be back there in fifteen minutes. We can figure out what to do then.”

“All right,” she said with a sigh. This was not her idea of a good time, even if Wyatt was taking care of everything. Being stranded like this made her feel more vulnerable than she’d felt since her parents died and she had to go live with her aunt and uncle in Seattle.

Candice put her painting things away and waited for Wyatt to return. When he got there, she was sitting at the kitchen table with her painting drying beside her.

“Did you do that today?” he asked, staring down at the scene of the view from his back porch.

“I did. I love the view from here. I could paint it for the rest of my life,” she said. She blushed, realizing what she’d just implied.

“I’d like that.” He cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “You’re a good painter.”

“Thanks,” she muttered, confused. Wyatt gave her the impression that he was interested, but then he just shied away. She wished she could read him better.

“There are a lot of shops in town you might be able to replace your clothing at.”

“I’m not sure how. I don’t have any money or ID to go to the bank.”

“It’s not a problem. I can cover it.”

“I couldn’t,” she gasped, already feeling bad for staying in his house.

“I insist. Let’s go. I have a few things to do at the station while you’re shopping.”

It seemed like all he wanted to do was take care of her in every possible way. As much as Candice wanted to read romantic motives into his behavior, she had to remind herself that Wyatt was just that kind of guy. He was helping a stranded lady who was a witness to a murder. He’d do it for anyone, maybe even another man. Guys like Wyatt were a rare breed, but that didn’t mean he wanted her.

They drove into town and stopped in front of the shops along Main Street. All along the street, hanging baskets with fragrant flowers hung under the red awnings that shaded the shop windows from the bright mountain sun. It made her feel like she’d stepped back in time to when everything was simple and beautiful.

They went into the first store, and Wyatt immediately pulled out his credit card and handed it to her. She watched him turn to the door, his face bright red.

“I’ll meet you later at Hank’s Outdoor Supply,” he said. Candice wasn’t sure why he’d reacted that way until she turned around and inspected the store for the first time. It was wall-to-wall lingerie. Lacy, pink bras and black, silky panties as far as the eye could see. Candice giggled to herself as the saleswoman came to ask if she needed any help.

“I need everything,” Candice said with a sigh. The sales woman smiled and took her to the sexiest section of lingerie in the whole store.

“If I had a man like Wyatt McCloud, I’d wear something like this.” The woman held up a hot pink, corseted negligee with black lace at the hem and at the bra line. Black laces tied up the front, making it look like sex in satin and spandex.

Candice imagined wearing it for Wyatt and the look in his eyes when he saw her. She flushed from her head to her toes, not bothering to correct the sales woman about the nature of hers and Wyatt’s relationship. She knew she should, but she was too far gone in the fantasy to bother.

“I’ll take it,” she said breathlessly. “And I’ll need some practical things, too. I lost absolutely everything.”

The woman smiled and led her through the store, finding her the kinds of things she usually wore in the perfect fit. At the end, Candice had a whole new lingerie wardrobe. She felt a little bad about putting it all on Wyatt’s credit card, but swore to herself that she’d pay him back as soon as she got her credit cards back.

She went on to the next shop and bought herself a few pretty dresses and sexy shoes to go with the new, white-hot lingerie. She wanted to wear them for Wyatt. Her fantasy became more and more detailed the longer she shopped, making her feel naughty and brazen in a tantalizingly exciting way.

After that, she went to the outdoor store at the end of the street where she was supposed to meet Wyatt. After a few hours of shopping, she already missed him and looked forward to seeing him again. Plus, she did need some practical things for being in the country.

Inside, she found everything to replace her outdoor wardrobe. While she was trying on a pair of hiking boots, Wyatt came walking down the aisle like a vision out of a cowboy movie.