interrupt."
The fellow frowned, but didn't glower. "Have her back by three. We can't finish today's shoot without our star model."
Liv's cheeks colored as she reached for the straw hat that sat on the table.
Trey took the comment in good grace. "No problem." He gestured toward Liv and grinned, and she returned his expression and followed him toward the truck.
The foals were pretty quiet in the hot sun, but Liv seemed delighted to stand at the fence and look at them.
The hat cast a shadow on her face, but her eyes glowed with pleasure.
"So, how long have you been a model?"
"For about twelve years."
"You don't look old enough to have done anythin’ for twelve years."
She laughed. "Oh, I'm old enough. I started when I was twelve."
He nodded. "That's young. You were a child star?"
Liv shrugged. "How long have you been in the army?"
"Ten years or so."
Her eyes stayed on the horses, and he wished she would turn her pretty face toward him again.
They chatted amiably for a while, until the hot sun got to be a little too much, and then they headed toward the shade of the magnolia and box elder trees. A dark red blanket softened the ground for them as they ate their lunch.
The quiet was pleasant. He was comfortable with her. They talked about movies for a little while, finding they had similar taste in film.
She ate very little. Her stiff posture suggested that she was uncomfortable, and Trey couldn't help but wonder if he'd said something wrong.
He tried changing the subject. "So what do you do for fun?"
"Nothing much." She sipped at the wine.
"Liv is all work, no play?"
She smiled. "I'm dull. I have a lot of work functions."
"Do you like what you do?"
"Usually."
He watched her face as she spoke. There was something more to this woman. Something unseen, but screaming to get out.
"Are you planning on making the army your career? Or is it a sojourn for you?"
She had deftly turned the conversation. Apparently, she didn't care to talk about modeling. Trey wondered at that. Liv was a "star" performer, at least according to her photographer, and yet she didn't want to talk about her work. Why? He didn't want to pry…yet.
"It's my career. I thought about bein' a rancher as I grew up, but I had too much fun playin' soldier. I went to college for a year, but soldierin' still called to me, so I signed up. It took me another three years of online programs before I finished my degree, but eventually I made it to officer trainin' school, and here I am."
"It must be nice to do something you love."
"You don't?"
"You know, it must be getting late. I ought to get back to the shoot."
He caught her eyes, but she looked away. Yeah, definitely hidden depths there.
"Sure." They packed up the basket and blanket and he drove her back to work.
He reached out and caught her arm as she was opening the truck door from the inside. "I had a good time getting to know you, Liv. Are you free tonight?"
She looked at the hand on her forearm and put her warm palm over it. "I think there's a planning session tonight over dinner, but I'd be free after that."
"How about I drive you out away from the ranch lights, and we can study the stars for a while?"
"Isn't that going a little fast?"
Maybe it was. He was eager to kiss her, there was no getting around that. And a romantic night under the stars had the potential to lead to something hot. But mostly he wanted to spend quiet time with her, getting to know her better.
"Maybe you'd rather go cow tippin'?"
"Cow…what?"
"Cow tippin'. You wait until the cows are asleep—they sleep standin' up—and then you sneak up on them and topple them over. Of course, you have to run like hell to get away."
"You must be joking."
He chuckled. "Gotcha."
She laughed. "You snot."
Trey turned toward her more fully and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "You are so beautiful, Liv."
She stiffened. "I used to be beautiful, maybe." Both of her hands covered his. "Anyway, I have an early morning tomorrow.
The fellow frowned, but didn't glower. "Have her back by three. We can't finish today's shoot without our star model."
Liv's cheeks colored as she reached for the straw hat that sat on the table.
Trey took the comment in good grace. "No problem." He gestured toward Liv and grinned, and she returned his expression and followed him toward the truck.
The foals were pretty quiet in the hot sun, but Liv seemed delighted to stand at the fence and look at them.
The hat cast a shadow on her face, but her eyes glowed with pleasure.
"So, how long have you been a model?"
"For about twelve years."
"You don't look old enough to have done anythin’ for twelve years."
She laughed. "Oh, I'm old enough. I started when I was twelve."
He nodded. "That's young. You were a child star?"
Liv shrugged. "How long have you been in the army?"
"Ten years or so."
Her eyes stayed on the horses, and he wished she would turn her pretty face toward him again.
They chatted amiably for a while, until the hot sun got to be a little too much, and then they headed toward the shade of the magnolia and box elder trees. A dark red blanket softened the ground for them as they ate their lunch.
The quiet was pleasant. He was comfortable with her. They talked about movies for a little while, finding they had similar taste in film.
She ate very little. Her stiff posture suggested that she was uncomfortable, and Trey couldn't help but wonder if he'd said something wrong.
He tried changing the subject. "So what do you do for fun?"
"Nothing much." She sipped at the wine.
"Liv is all work, no play?"
She smiled. "I'm dull. I have a lot of work functions."
"Do you like what you do?"
"Usually."
He watched her face as she spoke. There was something more to this woman. Something unseen, but screaming to get out.
"Are you planning on making the army your career? Or is it a sojourn for you?"
She had deftly turned the conversation. Apparently, she didn't care to talk about modeling. Trey wondered at that. Liv was a "star" performer, at least according to her photographer, and yet she didn't want to talk about her work. Why? He didn't want to pry…yet.
"It's my career. I thought about bein' a rancher as I grew up, but I had too much fun playin' soldier. I went to college for a year, but soldierin' still called to me, so I signed up. It took me another three years of online programs before I finished my degree, but eventually I made it to officer trainin' school, and here I am."
"It must be nice to do something you love."
"You don't?"
"You know, it must be getting late. I ought to get back to the shoot."
He caught her eyes, but she looked away. Yeah, definitely hidden depths there.
"Sure." They packed up the basket and blanket and he drove her back to work.
He reached out and caught her arm as she was opening the truck door from the inside. "I had a good time getting to know you, Liv. Are you free tonight?"
She looked at the hand on her forearm and put her warm palm over it. "I think there's a planning session tonight over dinner, but I'd be free after that."
"How about I drive you out away from the ranch lights, and we can study the stars for a while?"
"Isn't that going a little fast?"
Maybe it was. He was eager to kiss her, there was no getting around that. And a romantic night under the stars had the potential to lead to something hot. But mostly he wanted to spend quiet time with her, getting to know her better.
"Maybe you'd rather go cow tippin'?"
"Cow…what?"
"Cow tippin'. You wait until the cows are asleep—they sleep standin' up—and then you sneak up on them and topple them over. Of course, you have to run like hell to get away."
"You must be joking."
He chuckled. "Gotcha."
She laughed. "You snot."
Trey turned toward her more fully and cupped her cheeks in his hands. "You are so beautiful, Liv."
She stiffened. "I used to be beautiful, maybe." Both of her hands covered his. "Anyway, I have an early morning tomorrow.