Page 63 of Hiding in Montana

With her heart quickening, she tried to look away so her eyes wouldn’t betray she had something up her sleeve. “Come on in. But before dinner, I wanted to show you something.”

Taking her hand, they climbed the steps and entered the cabin. The smell of fresh baked bread and roasted vegetables teased the taste buds. At least they did Polly’s and Clint had a hearty appetite, so she knew it did the same for him.

“Would you put the box down on the coffee table and come with me? I need a minute of your help.”

His brow arched, he watched as she opened the bedroom door.

“I’ve got a problem with the dresser and was hoping you could fix it.”

His eyes twinkled. “I wasn’t sure what you needed, but I’m happy to take a look.”

At first glance, the room looked the same, but he was noticing some differences. Some of her perfume bottles were missing from the dresser top and the stack of books that normally sat on the bedside table were missing too. “Darlin’, did I miss some of the damage to your things when the house was ransacked?”

Her grin widened and her entire body swayed from side to side as she said, “Nope.”

“Okay.” The word came out as a drawl. “Then which drawer needs to be fixed?”

“Top left and the next one down.” He couldn’t get over why she looked happy that her dresser had been broken. But he opened the top drawer, and it slid open and closed smoothly. He did the same with the next one. Now he was confused. They were in fine condition.

“Polly, what am I missing? They’re working just fine.”

Now she giggled like a schoolgirl. “What’s in them?”

He opened the top drawer again and felt around inside. “Nothing.”

She crossed the room and pulled open the closet door, and it was only half-full. Her clothes were hanging neatly on the right and the left was empty. A thought came and went. It couldn’t be.

“Clint, don’t you find it a little odd that a woman would only use half her dresser and closet space?”

The little minx. Was she about to blow his carefully devised plan?

“If you want to leave half the space empty, that’s your prerogative. It’s your house, after all.” Two could play at this game. And he was going to have a bit of fun now that he figured it out. “I’m going to put the steak on since I didn’t need to be the handyman tonight. I’m not as accomplished as Quinn, but I’ll do my best.”

He strode out of the bedroom, doing his best to contain his laughter. After he had gotten three steps ahead of her, Polly came out of her bedroom and closed the door a little harder than she needed to.

“Clint Goodman, you’re about as curious as a stick of firewood.” She stomped around the kitchen, slamming cabinet doors and drawers as she pulled out plates and silverware.

It was all he could do to keep from laughing out loud. “I forgot the dessert in the living room. I’ll be right back.”

He noticed she glanced over her shoulder and her eyes narrowed. She was the curious one of the two. There was no way around it. With box in hand, he brought it into the kitchen. “I’ll just slide the box into the refrigerator until we’re ready.”

She took the box but didn’t open it. “Hold on there. Why does it need to be kept cold?”

“Maggie made some fancy desserts today. She’s trying out new recipes, and I said we’d be happy to be her taste testers.” He kept his crossed fingers behind his back. For a man who prided himself on being forthright, he was taking liberties with the truth now.

“On second thought, I’ve always thought dessert should be enjoyed before the main course.” Her look was challenging. She popped the top and then closed it again. “What do you think? Care to join me?”

He grabbed two dinner plates and forks. “Sure, we can eat steak anytime.”

Shock flitted over her face as he called her bluff. He pulled out her chair, and she sat down. He took the box from her hands and opened it. There were three different options, two of each: a tiny cream puff drizzled with chocolate, a chocolate and coconut frosted cupcake, and a small apple hand pie.

“What would you like to sample first?”

She grinned. “The cream puff.”

“Excellent choice.”

She dipped her fork in and cut it in half, making a perfect four bite confection. Pushing around the cream filling, she looked up through her eyelashes. “Is yours the same?”

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