“For thinking I was a moose?” Rick reached up to tug the end of the same hair tendril he’d been fixated on all night.

“For trying to capture you.”

“You did that a long time ago.”

Lana ran her fingers through his much shorter hair. “You’re still drugged, dearest,” she said. “Try not to say things you’ll regret tomorrow.”

Or maybe things she wished he meant now.

“I’m not mad at you. Don’t think I have it in me.”

As she held Rick’s head in her lap, it occurred to Lana that he was the only one in Moose Springs who didn’t.

* * *

“I think it’s time I start dating again.”

They were halfway through a morning coffee and a cinnamon roll at Frankie’s when Rick made the quiet announcement to his friends. Normally, Rick didn’t splurge like this, but he’d recently survived a near moose-catching experience, and he was celebrating. Graham blinked at his announcement. Ash stared at him. Easton said nothing, but he did take a sip of his coffee. After this much time single, Rick figured they could have reacted a little more supportively.

“I think I want to ask out Lana,” he continued on, because it was the truth. And…well…they were his best friends. They should know he was finally taking this step. All three had expressed their concerns about how long he’d been single after his divorce, so he’d expected a little more enthusiasm than this.

“Are you insane?” Ash finally asked, reaching over the table to squash her hand on his face.

“What are you doing?”

“Feeling for a temperature. Graham, feel him. Is he running a fever?”

Graham dutifully followed suit. “Yep, definitely feeling hot over there, buddy.”

Rick tried to duck away from their hands, scooting his chair half an inch closer to Easton. Then he sighed as Easton finished a bite of cinnamon roll and wrapped a large hand across Rick’s forehead.

“This isn’t very supportive,” Rick said grumpily. “And someone has icing on their fingers.”

“You were just shot by this woman,” Ash reminded him.

“Grazed.”

“She travels a lot, buddy.” Graham shared a worried look with Ash. “I know you’ve been sweet on her for a while, but are you sure?”

“He’s fine,” Easton decided, finally removing his hand from Rick’s face. “What about a dating site?”

With an annoyed look at all three of them, Rick grabbed a paper napkin and scrubbed someone’s icing off his face. Ash brightened at Easton’s suggestion.

“Ooh, a dating app is a great idea.”

“Or I could just ask out Lana,” Rick countered as Ash stole his phone.

So far, Rick’s morning wasn’t going the way he planned.

“I’m not going on a dating site,” he said to the group, not that anyone was listening.

“How about this one?” Ash ignored him completely, leaning over to show Graham. “It’s for rural Alaskan singles looking for a—oh. Well, that’s not exactly what I was thinking for him, but it wouldn’t hurt.”

“It could hurt if he doesn’t stretch first,” Graham replied with a chuckle.

“You’re not helping. Here.” Easton took Rick’s phone, typing in another site before setting the phone on the table in front of Rick. The icing had to be Easton’s, because now it was on Rick’s phone. He added in a rumble. “Ash is on this. What about you two?”

The suggestion earned a simultaneous shudder from both of them. It was one thing to fall in love with someone he’d known growing up. It was another to consider dating the closest thing to a sister he had.

“I just threw up in my mouth a little.” Ash made a face. “It tasted like kissing a first cousin, not removed at all.”

“Again, not internet dating,” Rick said. “I want to ask—”

The doorbell jingled as another customer walked in, this one impossible not to notice.

Her. Rick very much wanted to go out with her. A real date, not just a vague “hey baby” version…whatever that actually was.

The last time Rick had seen Lana, he’d been stoned out of his mind, sprawled across her lap. Remembering that made him want to groan in embarrassment. It also made him wonder if getting a second dart was possible. When he closed his eyes, Rick could still smell her perfume lingering in his senses.

“Lana,” he called, her name slipping from his mouth before he had made the conscious decision. Those glorious eyes met his, and immediately a rosy blush stained her cheeks. And when he rose, offering her his seat, that blush darkened.

“Oh, no need,” Lana said, waving him back down. “I don’t have very long. Are you… Everything okay?”

“She means are you still high on moose tranqs?” Ash said out of the side of her mouth.

“I’m fine,” he told her.

A checkup with his regular physician this morning revealed he was perfectly healthy. Other than his arm being sore and being mortified at singing love ballads to Lana, Rick was no worse for the wear.

Embarrassed but no worse.

While she ordered her drink and a pastry to go, Rick cast around and found a spare chair, pulling it over to their already crowded table. Returning, Lana offered him a grateful look, sitting next to him. She glanced with mild curiosity at his phone still lying on the table, then politely averted her eyes.

“That’s not real…” Rick stuttered, seeing the fake profile his friends had started building for him. “These three are idiots.”

Ash and Graham gave her twin waves of matching innocence. Easton hid his guilt behind his beard.

Lana exhaled a soft laugh. “It’s a very nice profile. And the picture is almost as good-looking as you are.”

Rick flushed at the compliment. He couldn’t help but remember the feeling of her leg beneath his head, her fingers in his hair, stroking soothingly. It was that—her touch—which had sent a shot of adrenaline into his recently anaphylactic sex drive. When Lana touched him, Rick knew how ready he was to have human contact again. Someone who wanted his hands on her too.

Lana’s eyes lingered, as if making sure he was definitely okay, then she turned to his companions.

“Ash,” Lana said. “I was hoping to hire you to take me for a little ride.”

“A little ride where, exactly?”

“Oh, you know…out and about.”

For some reason, she was being evasive, which only made Rick more curious. He wasn’t the only one.

“Do I want to know?” Ash asked, sounding suspicious.

“I’ll try to keep my evil machinations at a minimum. Rick? Do you mind if I steal a moment of your time? I was hoping to talk to you for a minute. Privately.”

“You’re not going to shoot him again, are you?” Easton rumbled, causing Ash to snicker as Rick rose to his feet, following Lana outside.

She looked nervous, fiddling with her coffee cup with slightly shaking fingers. “I’ll pay you for the electricity we used the other night.”

“Naw, it’s no big deal.”

“Even though I tranq’d you?”

“It wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened around here.” Rick shrugged. “Won’t be the last either. But since I’d rather spend my time anywhere other than the emergency room, I appreciate your crappy aim.”

“My aim is very good when three gallons of Ruby Lockett’s eggnog isn’t coursing through my veins.”

“You and everyone else.” He noticed her hands were still trembling. “Are you cold? We can go back inside.”

“No, just concerned about you. I wanted to see how you were feeling.”

“Now that the moose tranqs are out of my system?” Rick chuckled at the consternation on her face.

“I promise, I had no idea the cinnamon in the eggnog was cinnamon schnapps. I would have been far less indulgent. I also plan on covering all your current medical expenses and any that may occur as a result of my…indiscretion.”

“Thinking I was a moose.”

She wrinkled her nose when she was upset, and if it weren’t so cute, Rick would have tried harder to stop teasing her. Instead, he stepped closer. This time, he didn’t mind the hand reaching up to press against his forehead, checking for a fever.

“Lana. It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s actually kind of funny.”

Suddenly, she had her arms wrapped around his neck, hugging him. The action was so unexpected, Rick stood there for a moment. Then he tentatively placed his palm on the small of her back. He’d only meant for it to be a chaste hug in return, but Lana leaned into his chest. Rick’s arm slipped around her waist of its own accord, drawing her snug to his torso.

It hadn’t occurred to him how much she needed a hug until her arms tightened about him.

Man, she felt good. How long had it been since he’d had a woman in his arms? Long enough that he wasn’t sure if he was holding on too tight or if she minded his head dipping down. Lana’s hair was silky as it brushed against his throat.

“I’m sorry,” she said, abruptly pulling away. The loss of her was a shock to his system. “I feel terrible about everything yesterday. I kicked Silas out of Alaska. He’s on his way back to Chicago. You won’t have to deal with him anymore, not if I have any say in the matter.”

“That’s a relief. I might have just locked the door if I saw him coming again.”

“You and everyone else who’s ever met him.” Taking a deep breath, Lana plastered her breezy smile in place. “It’s never a dull moment with us, is it?”

“You keep me on my toes,” Rick said gently. He waited, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she chewed on her lower lip, the same way she had on his couch. In his somewhat stoned state, he’d been mesmerized by the action, but today he understood it for the concern it was.