Montana Sky

an hour to find something halfway sexy in that closet of yours.”
    “I didn’t say I wanted you to dress me again.”
    “It’s our pleasure.” Mind on her mission, Tess pulled Willa back inside. “Isn’t it, Lily? Hey, where are you going?”
    “Candles,” Lily called out as she dashed across the road. “Willa doesn’t have nearly enough candles in her room. I’ll be right there.”
    “Candles.” Willa dragged her feet. “Fancy clothes, pretending I don’t want to see a movie, candles in my bedroom. It feels like I’m setting a trap.”
    “Of course it does, because that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
    At the doorway of Willa’s room, Tess stopped, put her hands on her hips. There was work to be done here, she determined, if the scene was to be properly set. “And I guarantee, he’s not only going to love being caught, he’s going to be grateful.”

TWENTY-ONE
    “I FEEL LIKE AN IDIOT .”
    “You don’t look like an idiot.” Tess tilted her head and studied Willa from top to toe.
    Yes, the hair swept up was a good touch—Lily’s. With only a few pins anchoring all that mass, it would tumble down satisfactorily at a man’s impatient handling.
    Then there was the long dress—simple, full-skirted, nipped just a bit at the waist. Too bad it wasn’t white, Tess mused, but Willa’s limited wardrobe hadn’t run to long white dresses. And the pale gray was quiet, almost demure. Except that Tess had left the long line of front buttons undone to the thigh.
    The tiny silver hoops at Willa’s ears were Lily’s contribution again. The makeup was Tess’s, and she knew Willa had been relieved that she’d used a light hand. But she didn’t think Willa understood the power of innocence on the verge.
    “You look,” Tess finally decided, “like a virgin eager to be sacrificed.”
    Willa rolled her eyes. “Oh, God.”
    “That’s a good thing.” Woman to woman, she patted Willa’s cheek. “You’ll destroy him.”
    Then the guilt hit. Had she pushed this moment? Tess wondered. Had she finagled it before Willa was ready? It was easy to forget that Willa was six years younger than she. And untouched.
    “Listen . . .” Tess caught herself wringing her hands and dropped them to her sides. “Are you sure you’re ready for this? It’s a natural step, but it’s still a big one. If you’re not absolutely sure, Nate and I can stay. We can make it a double date, keep things simple. Because—”
    “You’re more nervous than I am.” Since that was such a surprise, and oddly sweet, Willa grinned.
    “Of course not. I’m just—hell.” It wasn’t just Lily, who had left half an hour before blinking back tears, who was sentimental, Tess discovered. While Willa’s eyes widened in shock, Tess leaned forward and kissed her gently on both cheeks.
    Absurdly touched, Willa felt her stomach flutter and her color rise. “What was that for?”
    “I feel like a mommy.” And she was going to start bawling in a minute, so she turned quickly for the door. “I put condoms in your nightstand drawer. Use them.”
    “For heaven’s sake, he’ll think I’m—”
    “Prepared, smart, self-aware. Damn it.” Even as she heard the sound of the rig pull up outside, Tess gave up. Turning back, she rushed up to Willa and hugged her hard. “See you tomorrow,” she managed, and raced out.
    Grinning hugely, Willa stayed where she was. She heard Tess’s voice rise, and Nate, who’d been waiting downstairs, answered. Then the door, and Ben’s easy greeting. Her stomach jumped again, so she sat on the edge of the bed and pressed her hand to it. The conversation trailed off, then the door opened and closed again. An engine roared to life.
    She was alone with Ben.
    She could always change her mind, she reminded herself. There was no obligation here. She would play it by ear. She made herself rise. Starting now.
    He was in the great room, studying the newly blank stoneabove the fireplace. “I took it down,” she said, and he turned, and he studied her. “We took it down today,” she corrected. “Lily, Tess, and I. We haven’t decided what we want to put up in place of his portrait, so we’re living with nothing for a while.”
    She’s taken down Jack Mercy’s portrait, Ben thought. By the tone in her voice, he knew she understood just what a step she’d taken. “It changes the room. The focus of it.”
    “Yes, that was the idea.”
    He stepped forward, stopped. “You look great, Will.