Page 107 of Quiver

She glanced down at her rumpled waistband still splayed open at the top. “Oh, thanks.”

She angled her body away to piece herself back together while Ava continued to make conversation. “Can you shoot in the jacket?”

“No. I’ll wear it in my role as mistress of ceremonies, but I’ll have to take it off when I compete.”

“I hadn’t even thought of that.” Fletcher came back sounding more self-contained.

“Of course you hadn’t,” Ava chided playfully. “Have you considered your own outfit at all?”

She shook her head.

“Neither had I,” Kylie admitted. “I’ve been busy balancing my own details.”

“You should wear your more formal show gear, a sharp Western shirt. The black and silver one would match the buttons on Kylie’s jacket. You’ll be on display too, and—”

“Sure,” Fletcher agreed without so much as a grimace, causing Ava’s further argument to trail off.

“Really?” Both she and Kylie asked in unison.

Fletcher shrugged. “I’ll do whatever you need.”

Ava’s lips parted as she looked from Kylie to Fletcher and back again. “What did you do to her to inspire such agreeability?”

Kylie’s face flushed before she had a chance to school her emotions, and Fletcher edged backward toward the arena.

Ava’s brow furrowed, then rose. “Oh.”

Fletcher cleared her throat. “We should set up for class.”

“Good call.” Kylie agreed a little too enthusiastically. “I’d like us all to have this program running like a well-oiled machine before Mimi gets here Wednesday.”

“And the kids still need a lot of hand-holding,” Fletcher added quickly.

“Uh huh.” Ava nodded slowly. “So, we’ll run through things a couple times just like we will next Saturday and not talk about anything else, like new information?”

“Good plan,” Fletcher said.

“Great plan,” Kylie affirmed.

Ava shrugged. “Why not? Seems the prevailing methodology for you two.”

She and Fletcher allowed their eyes to meet for the first time since their kiss had gone wildly off the rails. What could they possibly say to each other to make any difference at all anymore? And even if she had some magic words, she wouldn’t share them with an audience.

The woman across from her seemed to agree, or at least be at a similar sort of loss, because she finally nodded resolutely and clapped her hands together. “Let’s go do the work and things.”

Ava walked down the aisle between them shaking her head slightly, her eyes running over each of them as she passed, but when she got to the doorway into the arena, she turned around with a little smile. “I do like that shade of lipstick, Kylie. Very dramatic.”

“Thanks.” She let her shoulders relax slightly.

“You’re welcome, and, for what it’s worth, the color also looks great on your neck and ear, Fletcher.”

“I mean, it’s got a rustic charm to it, I suppose,” Mimi said as she stood in the center of the arena. “Not the kind of place we’re used to working, but then again, you’ve gotten this far by breaking the mold. Could we do something about all the cobwebs in the rafters?”

“Nope,” Fletcher said flatly as she walked past carrying an armful of wooden planks.

“I’m not sure that’s ideal. All the wood and dust and dirt, it kind of makes the place look like an old barn.”

She snorted, but Kylie shot her a look before stepping between them.