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hopeful or flirty or loving or any of those good things.” With surprise he realized how good they sounded to him. “The ice is thicker than the North Pole.”
    “You want me to pretend—”
    The firm should have sent a stranger. Someone to ride into town, threaten everyone, and wait for clues to drop like ripe peaches. Instead, here he was, up to his knees in a case that looked like the horse apples that littered this damned country. “I want you to act like you’re glad to see me.”
    “I’m not that good an actress.”
    Zeph swallowed a sigh. “Allie. Be reasonable,” he said, and wanted to bite his tongue. Any time he said “ be reasonable ” to his mother, she blew like Mount St. Helens. Allie took a deep breath and he resisted the urge to duck for cover. “I’m sorry,” he said quickly. “I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t even mean that.”
    She didn’t buy it.
    “I know you’re ready to turn me into dog food.”
    “Pretty much.”
    If it hadn’t been for those sparkling blue eyes, the soft mouth that begged for kisses, if she weren’t Allie… “But you agreed to help me. And if you act like you hate me…it won’t work.”
    She crossed her arms.
    He squelched an urge to duck. “You’re a smart woman, Allison.”
    “Okay,” she said with a sigh. “I get it. You’re right.”
    “Thank you. Now tell me who lives east of town, please.”
    “Why? What does that have to do with anything?”
    “I’ve been talking to people. Questions come up.”
    “A couple of ranches, the Thompsons and the Petersons. Our librarian, Mabel. Seldon has a little dump of a place a few miles out. The Hennetts live just on the edge of town, right next to Rodriguez.”
    Rodriguez. Funny how the guy cropped up everywhere. And Seldon. “Seldon. That’s the guy we arrested last time I was here?”
    “His little brother. Wendover is as mean as Lander. But a lot dumber.”
    He nodded with satisfaction. “I knew you’d be helpful.” He grinned. “I look forward to having you for a girlfriend.”
    That didn’t even rate a response. “I’ll keep my word. But I’m not an actor.” Her voice took on a bitter tinge. “Not like you.”
    Zing. “I’ve never acted about my feelings with you, Allie.”
    “How could I tell?”
    The hurt in her eyes gave him a lump in his throat. “I guess you couldn’t. And if I say ‘trust me,’ that’s not going to help, is it?”
    Allie laughed. Not a happy laugh, one with an undercurrent of bitterness that made it sour. “Not really.”
    He leaned toward her and touched her cheek. “I’ve never had to do a job when I—when my feelings—Allie, I’m just so sorry that what’s between us is getting tangled up in this case.”
    Her eyes went wide and he thought he could fall into the mountain-lake depths and drown a happy man. His hand slipped around to the back of her head and pulled her closer until her lips met his. Everything in him went soft and loose even as his blood simmered and his mouth settled over hers in a kiss that threatened to blast the top off his head. His ears rang.
    Allie pulled away, and he realized that the ringing came from outside the car. He looked up and met Monty’s amused gaze. The sheriff hit his siren again, a quick blurt, and drove away, his grin wide as the American West had ever been.
    “I guess that supports your cover story,” Allie said, popping the truck in gear and pulling onto the road without checking for traffic.
    Zeph’s L. A.-honed nerves jumped and he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the nearest car was two blocks away. “Sure does.” He tried for a cocky grin, but everything inside him resisted. He gave up. “Allie, that wasn’t about a cover story. That was about the way I feel.”
    She ignored him.
    ****
    Allie accepted a drink from her father, who turned to Zeph to play the perfect host. And Zeph acted the perfect guest. Did either of them believe it, or were they both acting?
    If only she could believe