It was only their first date, and Abigail missed him already. She missed the warmth of his arms, the light in his eyes, the sound of his laughter. What a great evening.

Yet she hadn’t been kidding about being tired. She wished he could be here right now to carry her up the stairs.

Not that she’d expect him to do that, but it was a fun fantasy. The masterful way he’d lifted her over the puddle had made an impression. He might have a white-collar job, but he had blue-collar muscles.

As she neared the top step, the hinges on a door down the hall gave a rusty creak. She started laughing. “Are you two spying on me?”

“Would that be a bad thing?” Roxanne opened her door and there she and Ingrid stood in their PJs, grinning at her.

“Not necessarily, but if you don’t want me to catch you doing it, you’d better squirt some WD-40 on those hinges.”

“Thanks for the tip.” Roxanne walked into the hallway. “Are you too tired to come in for a minute?”

“Well, I—”

“Never mind,” Ingrid said. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Get some sleep.”

But they’d been waiting and listening for her to get home. Like her mom used to. “I’ll come in for a little while.”

“We won’t keep you long.” Ingrid swung the door wide. “But we have treats.”

“I know. We baked them.”

“Not those treats. Roxanne and I opened the ginormous box of dark chocolate truffles she’s been saving in the fridge since New Year’s.” Ingrid grabbed a gold box from the coffee table and held it out. “Have one.”

Abigail plucked a truffle and bit into it. “Mm.”

“Take another one,” Roxanne said. “Chocolates are like champagne. Once you open them to the air, you need to finish them off.”

Abigail popped the rest of the truffle into her mouth, picked out another one and took a seat on the floor beside the coffee table. “Thanks. Are these from an old boyfriend trying to get you back?”

“No, from my dad. He knows I love the good stuff.”

“Props to him.” She took a bite and talked around a mouthful of heaven. “They’re amazing.”

“So is my dad, but we’re veering off topic and you baker ladies need your beauty sleep. Did you have a good time?”

“Great time. We went to the Guzzling Grizzly for dinner.”

Ingrid smiled. “Nice. Did you dance?”

“Twice.”

“Is he a good dancer?” Roxanne munched on another truffle. “I always count that a plus.”

“Very good dancer. We managed a fast two-step without stepping on each other. And the slow dance was…” She paused. Warm and sensual. Like something out of a movie.

“Was what?” Ingrid prompted.

“Romantic. Seductive. But I was starting to fade. When I told him I was tired, he whisked me out of there and brought me straight home.”

Ingrid sighed. “A true gentleman. Then what? A goodnight kiss?”

“He was ready to walk me to the door, but I asked him not to. When I kiss him for the first time, I don’t want to be exhausted.”

“Good call.” Roxanne nodded. “It would be a shame to end a great evening with a mediocre lip-lock.”

“I guess,” Ingrid said. “It’s just the classic ending to a first date.”

“Unless you’ve been up since three in the morning.” Roxanne put the lid on the box of chocolates. “Speaking of which, I move we adjourn.”

“I second the motion.” Abigail stood and grabbed her coat. “Thanks for the truffles.”

“You’re welcome.” Roxanne got up and gave her a hug. “Thanks for the vicarious thrills. He seems like a great guy.”

“I’m happy for you, girlfriend.” Ingrid hugged her, too.

A rush of gratitude warmed her. She hadn’t known either of these women very long, but they’d become a significant part of her world, almost like family. “Thanks for waiting up for me tonight, guys.”

Roxanne smiled. “Then we don’t have to get out the WD-40?”

“Nope. When I hear hinges squeaking, I’ll know it’s just you two watching out for me.”

* * *

A little past ten on Sunday, Luke drove over to Wild Creek Ranch with Delilah riding shotgun. When he’d picked her up after his date with Abigail the night before, Kendra had assured him that the dog would be fine going with him when he took his Appaloosa out this morning. He was about to test it.

He looked forward to sucking up some of the crisp winter air. Maybe it would blow the cobwebs out of his brain. Concern about how he was handling the situation with Abigail had kept him from sleeping well.

Kendra walked out of the barn leading Spot On and carrying a grooming tote. Putting it down, she gave him a wave as he parked and shut off the engine.

She was every inch a cowgirl in her faded sheepskin jacket, worn jeans and boots, except for the red knit stocking cap she’d pulled over her dark hair. The splash of color stood out in a setting that was largely black, gray and white. Even his horse blended with the snowy landscape. Delilah, too, for that matter. He let her out and she trotted over to greet Kendra.

He followed, but evidently not fast enough to suit the dog. She returned, circled behind him and nudged him forward. He started laughing. “Is she herding me?”

“That’s exactly what she’s doing. She wants her peeps in a cluster rather than spread out.” Kendra smiled as she watched the dog.

“That’s funny. Okay, Delilah, I’m going.” He lengthened his stride. When he reached the hitching post, the dog gave him a doggie grin of approval. “You’re a hoot, girl.” He scratched behind her ears.

“She was somebody’s ranch dog. I just know it.”

“If they live around here, they must not be trying very hard to find her.” He glanced at Kendra. “I left my number and a description of Delilah with every shelter in the area and took out classified ads in the newspaper in both Bozeman and Billings. No one’s shown up.”

“That’s crazy.” She shoved her hands in her pockets. “Before she ended up on the highway someone was taking good care of her.”

“And she’s such a great dog. You’d think whoever lost her would be looking everywhere.”

“Makes no sense. I’m just glad you found her.”

“Me, too.” But now that he had her, he wanted to make sure nothing bad happened to her. He was nervous about the ride today. “Are you positive I can just ride out of here and she’ll trot along with me?”

“I am, but I’ll keep her here if you want.”

“No, I need to try this out. I’ll make it a short ride, but I’ll take her.” He walked over to Spot On and Delilah followed. “Thanks for bringing my horse out.”

“If you’d been ten minutes later I would have had him groomed for you.”

He gave her a smile. “Thank you, but I’m not paying enough to get that kind of service.”

“It’s fun for me.” She flipped her coat collar up against the chilly breeze. “Grooming an Appy is a visual treat and he’s a sweetheart.”

“Of course he is. You helped me choose him.” He scratched the Appaloosa’s silky neck and gave him the carrots in his jacket pocket.

“Well, he’s turned out even better than I thought he would. And talk about visual treats, he and Delilah look perfect together, like you planned to get a black and white dog to go with your horse.”

“I noticed they match up.” Moving over to the tote, he took out a brush and began working on the gelding’s coat.

“If you take Delilah out riding every time, they could become friends.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.” He moved around to the horse’s dappled rump. “But now that you mention it, I remember there was a dog at the stable where I used to ride as a kid. That dog clearly liked hanging out with the horses.”

“Hey, watch Delilah. I think she’s making an overture.”

He paused and glanced at the dog.

She’d moved closer to Spot On. The gelding looked at the dog sitting in front of him and she gazed up at the horse, clearly expecting something. Slowly the Appaloosa lowered his head. They touched noses.

“Now that’s cute.”

“Like I said, they could easily become friends.”

“Assuming someone doesn’t come for Delilah in the next few days. It could happen.”

“I know. I’ll go fetch your tack.”

“Kendra, I can—”

“It’s no problem. I’m right here.” She went into the barn.

That pretty much described Kendra in a nutshell. She was right there to lend a hand or dispense advice. Maybe she’d have some words of wisdom regarding Abigail.

He couldn’t discuss her with his mom in case it might tempt her to stray off the path. Telling her about a potential woman in his life would be unfair if he didn’t want her to swing into matchmaking mode. He’d considered calling Hayley in Denver but she didn’t know Abigail. His dad would be more objective, but he really needed a woman’s opinion.

She came back out with his tack and he thanked her. The custom made black saddle and the black bridle had been part of the deal she’d helped him find. Whenever she’d been involved, things had turned out well for him.

Still, this was a highly personal matter. He had to work up to it. He settled the blanket on the horse’s back. “The GG was sure hopping last night.”

“I’ll bet. That band is excellent.”

“It is.” He lifted the saddle. “I had a great time. I think Abigail did, too. But…”

“But?” Kendra regarded him quietly as he positioned the saddle and tightened the cinch.

He could just say never mind and let the subject drop. She likely wouldn’t ask him about it. “I’m attracted to her.”

“That’s not surprising. She’s a lovely woman.”

He paused and faced her. “She’s fantastic. Generous, hard-working, kind. And she loves that bakery. Loves her work.”

“You can see that the minute you walk in there.”

“It’s a great place. But if she doesn’t turn things around, she’ll lose it.”

“Lose it?” Her eyes widened. “Why?”

“She hasn’t managed her money very well.”

“Oh, dear. What a shame.”

“Yes, ma’am. She’s been wearing blinders, partly from inexperience and partly because she’d rather bake than do paperwork.”

“I get that. I’d rather muck out stalls than reconcile the accounts. I don’t know anyone who likes paperwork, do you?”

“Me.”

She chuckled. “Okay, I know one person. No, two. Olivia loves numbers.”

“Not Abigail.”

“Can you help her pull this out of the fire?”

“I can if she’ll agree with my suggestions.”

“And will she?”

“I sure hope so. But some will go against the grain. And if we’re emotionally involved...”

“Hm.” She frowned. “That puts you in a tough spot.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“She could potentially reject your advice.”

“She could.”

“And you along with it.”

His breath hitched. She’d put her finger on the pressure point, the tender source of his anxiety. “Guess so.”

“That’s a worst-case scenario.” Her voice gentled. “It’s also possible that everything will work out.”

“But it might be better to keep my distance?”

Her gaze filled with compassion. “Only you can answer that, Luke.”