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“No, but the shuttle system we set up isn’t working and someone needs to get out there and renegotiate how we’re going to pull this filming off without totally blowing the budget or getting thrown out of town.”
“Will you be back for Friday?”
“Come hell or high water.” He snickered softly. “Even if it means selling my second born.”
That made Kate laugh. What was it about this man that so easily made her want to smile? “Maybe I should have tried that.”
“Selling your second born?” Craig teased.
Kate nodded. “One of my many conversations today was with the new Fish and Game guy assigned to our case.”
“Not as friendly as Ted?”
This time she shook her head and tugged at a piece of grass beside her. “I’m not sure if he’s overwhelmed, under informed, or just difficult.”
“Uh oh. That doesn’t sound good.”
Her spine stiffened and lifting her chin in the air like a royal princess whose corset is too tight, she mimicked the new guy. “I can’t possibly process this overnight. There is a huge stack of cases ahead of yours. It wouldn’t be fair to expedite your situation.”
“Did he really sound like that?” Craig leaned back on his elbows.
“Worse. I don’t know if he has a cold or shares genetics with Arnold Horshack.”
“Who?”
She bit back a laugh and shaking her head, waved a hand at nothing in particular. “Sorry. Mom loves retro TV. Horshack is a character from an old TV show who talked through his nose.”
“Ah. I see. Well, the important thing is the professor and his team are coming to get the ball rolling on clearing this situation up.”
Leaning back beside him, her gaze drifted to the velvety sky. “Nights like this can make a person wish that tomorrow didn’t have to come.”
“The stars are beautiful.”
“They really are.” She didn’t see any point in mentioning the stars were the smallest part about this evening that had her wishing it didn’t have to end. The landscape was great, but it was the company that made all the difference. She wasn’t sure how long they stayed on the quilt, staring at the stars, sharing few words. As odd as it was, she’d never felt so comfortable sitting silently with another person.
When Craig leaned forward and began gathering the remnants of dinner into the basket, she almost blew out a heavy sigh of disappointment. Of course the evening had to come to an end, and stomping her feet like a three-year-old to make it known she wasn’t ready to leave, would not be the best idea she’d ever had. “What time does your flight leave?”
Standing up, the picnic basket looped on one arm, he extended his hand to her and gently tugged her onto her feet. “Not till two o’clock. Morning flights are all sold out. Besides, I want to meet the environmental team at the property. At least establish some hint of a working relationship.”
That wasn’t a half-bad idea at all. Not that his charming demeanor, or Baron name, would make a difference on the what the team found, but then again, what did she really know about the Baron influence. Clearly, it had moved mountains she couldn’t even reach. “I’d like to come too, if that’s okay.”
Even with only moonlight she could see that lazy smile that made her insides do somersaults, start to tip upward on one side. “More than okay.”
Returning the smile, she turned to gather up the blanket, carefully folding and tucking it under one arm. “Ready?”
Craig nodded. His smile turning more tentative, he extended his free hand in front of her. “Okay?”
Her heart did a quick Texas two step at the proffered hand. Easing hers into his, she reveled in the gentle strength of his fingers protectively closing around hers. “More than okay.”
A big part of her no longer seemed to care about the bats, the owls, or the eggs in the nest. All her years of experience told her this entire scenario was unlikely to end well for Craig and his project, and that there wasn’t a blessed thing she could do to change the outcome. But at this particular moment in time, she really hoped that team Baron could come up with a miracle.
Chapter Fourteen
For the first time since he was an anxious teen anticipating prom night, or more so, the after-parties, Craig could not stop thinking about Kate under the moonlight or how badly he had wanted to kiss her and never stop. Everything about last night had been perfect. Everything about Kate was perfect. More than perfect. Every smile made him more determined to be the one to keep that smile on her face. To hand her the world on a silver platter, even if that meant singlehandedly saving every animal on the planet.
He was being absolutely ridiculous. He knew it, and yet, there wasn’t a thing he could do about it. If his brothers could see him now, they wouldn’t let him hear the end of it. Who would ever have believed that making one woman happy would become more important than money, business, or even the art of the deal. This beautiful, caring woman had worked her way under his skin and into his mind and, blast, his heart too. So this morning’s question was what the heck was he supposed to do about it?
Nervously tapping his college ring against the steering wheel, his mind darted from the logistics problem in LA, to the team holding his business plans in their hands, to the woman he reluctantly walked away from after a long drive and short kiss goodnight on the front porch. If the professor’s report pitted him against Kate, how the heck was he going to handle it? Tapping his ring at a faster beat, he shook his head slowly. He never thought there would be a day he would find himself even considering tossing a huge chunk of money down a rat hole for the love of a woman. And there was that word again, dancing around his mind and heart. Was this really it? Like his brothers before him, had he foundtheone? The woman he could grow old with like his grandparents? Blowing out a heavy sigh, he pulled onto the dirt drive and was still as confused and anxious as he’d been when he’d tossed and turned most of the night.
