CoCo smiled, already loving Laci even though they’d just met. “You’re nicer than I imagined you would be,” she blurted just in time for Rian to hear.
“Yeah, well, if you want to see her temper, you ought to be her Pictionary partner. She’s brutal.”
“What can I say? I play to win,” she said with a playful grin. “And don’t let Rian fool you. He’s as competitive as me, which is why we’re not allowed to be partners anymore.” Then she whispered conspiratorially, “We always decimate the competition.”
Kane returned, sniffing the air. “Pie?”
“Oh! Um, yeah. Apple. I was bored and thought I’d give it a try. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be. That’ll teach me to use a YouTube video as my example.”
“All it takes is practice, honey. I burned my first pie,” Laci admitted.
Rian cracked a laugh at the memory. “Oh, yeah, that thing was toast but Kane acted like it was the best thing he’d ever eaten.”
“That’s love right there,” CoCo said, laughing. “Did you know right then that he was the one?”
Laci shared a sparkling look of love with Kane and said, “I always knew that. Didn’t need a pie to tell me that. But it sure helped my ego some.”
A person would have to be blind to miss the obvious electrical current flowing between Kane and Laci. It was almost mesmerizing to see two people so connected, and the fact that their story was so romantic... CoCo couldn’t help but feel misty and gooey inside. She wanted that kind of love someday.
She risked a glance at Rian and quickly dragged her focus back to the über-lovey-dovey couple and came crashing back to earth. There was no denying that she and Rian had some kind of intense physical attraction, but what would happen when they returned to Los Angeles? Their lives weren’t conducive to including one another and that made her wish things were different.
Laci yawned and said, “Oh, man, I think the drive just caught up with me. Do you mind if we catch some shut-eye for a little bit and then we can talk more at dinner?”
“No, of course not,” she murmured, feeling a little awkward suddenly. “I’ll just get out of your hair.”
“You’re no trouble,” Laci assured her, waving as she disappeared into the bedroom and closed the door.
Kane rubbed at his eyes. “I know I should check on the cattle but I need a few winks myself. See you in a few?” he said to Rian.
“Sure. I’ll get the cattle taken care of. You rest.”
And then Kane followed his wife. Rian turned to CoCo, smiling. “So? What’d you think of Laci?”
“She’s amazing,” she whispered, gesturing wildly for him to come outside with her. Once they were out of possible earshot she sagged into the rocking chair. “I can’t believe I just met Laci McCall looking like a country hooker. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Country hooker? I think you look great.”
While Rian’s openly appreciative glance warmed her insides, she still wished she’d been wearing her sundress instead. “You don’t think she thinks less of me because of it, do you?” she fretted.
“Laci? Naw, she’s the least judgmental person I know. Don’t worry about it.” He settled in the chair beside her. “Why are you so worked up? Frankly, I’m a little surprised. Don’t you hang out with famous people all the time?”
“Not A-listers. I mean, the people I hang out with...they’re the party crowd. It’s not as if I’m rubbing elbows with Meryl Streep. Besides, she’s a different caliber altogether.”
“Laci is a great person. Just treat her like you would a friend and you’ll be fine, because she’s the sweetest, most openhearted woman on this planet. Unless you’re playing opposite of her on game night. Then she’s going to rip you a new one and gloat about it.” He fake grimaced. “The woman is a terrible winner and an even worse loser. But other than that...she’s golden.”
CoCo laughed, feeling much better. “Must be pretty cool to call Laci McCall your sister-in-law.”
“It doesn’t suck,” he agreed with a grin.