He and his wife.Oh. That changed things considerably. And meant Landon had just yelled at a stranger. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I’m sorry. I thought that…I misunderstood why you were here.” The apology didn’t seem to be enough, and Landon wasn’t sure how good the man’s English was, so he stepped over and shook his hand. “I’m very sorry, sir,” he annunciated. “Enjoy your time in our country.”
The man still stared at him warily. Landon pointed to his cowboy hat. “I’ve been chasing cattle rustlers today. It’s made me a mite ornery. Sorry again.”
Mr. Gunther edged his way closer to Kitty. “If you are done with your photos, I will ask for the wifi password.”
“It’s coyoteguest,” she said. “One word. All lowercase.”
He nodded, shot a parting glance at Landon, and turned back to the house. His boots made quick scuffing noises as he walked, most likely because he was trying to get away from Landon as fast as possible.
“I really did fight cattle rustlers today,” Landon called after him. “That’s why the police were here.”
Mr. Gunther glanced over his shoulder but didn’t respond.
Kitty watched him go with a wilting sigh on her lips. “They’re my first AirBnB guests, and now they’ll probably leave me a horrible review.”
“When did you start taking in guests?” Knowing that detail would have saved Landon from just making a fool of himself. “And why are you traipsing around in a wedding dress?”
She looked down at herself as though she’d forgotten she wore it. “I was taking pictures for my website. I’m going to start offering Coyote Glen as a wedding venue, so I need some advertising shots.”
And now he could completely relax. No fiancé lurked around. The wedding dress was a business venture. Kitty wasn’t about to walk out of his life forever.
She tilted her head, a motion that made loose ringlets lay against her throat. “Did you actually think I was going to marry Mr. Gunther?”
Landon waved his hand at her outfit. “You’re wearing a wedding dress. It wasn’t a wild assumption.”
Her eyebrows cocked up. “So you figured I’d marry the first guy who blew through town with a European accent and fake leather boots?”
“You said you had expenses.”
She folded her arms. “I’m not sure how insulted I should be by that implication, but I’m pretty sure I should be at least midrange insulted.”
This conversation was suddenly headed the wrong way. He put his hand to his chest. “I tackled a criminal for you today.”
“That’s true.” Her expression softened with appreciation and her arms unfolded. “Thank you.” She looked beautiful when she smiled at him like that.
“Did I mention I scraped up my knuckles?”
She stepped closer, took hold of his hand, and examined it. The swelling had gone down, leaving just a few red patches. Her fingers made soft gliding motions over his skin. Made it hard to think straight.
“Do you want some antibiotic ointment?” she asked.
“No, just a little more gratitude.” He’d missed the feel of her hand on his.
She let go of his hand and hugged him, surrounding him in silk, lace, and perfume. He wrapped his arms around her. Her body against his was warm and familiar. Right. She not only looked good in a wedding dress but she felt good in one too. It made all sorts of thoughts go off in his head.
“I’m so grateful,” she said, “I could kiss you.” She pulled away, and her smile turned teasing. “Although technically, I suppose I’ve already done that.”
“There’s not a limit.” He would’ve drawn her back to him if Samantha and Gary hadn’t stood in the pasture, getting water for the cattle. Instead Landon let his hands fall to his sides. His gaze kept traveling over Kitty. He couldn’t help himself. As an excuse for staring, he said, “Shouldn’t wedding photos be of a couple?”
Her eyes brightened. “You have a suit. Do you want to be my groom?”
A tempting idea. One that could come with all sorts of benefits. “Are you proposing?”
“Wait, no.” She bit her lip. “Never mind. I can’t use you.”
“I might not mind so much.” He was still thinking of the benefits. Turned out he had a vivid imagination.
She shook her head. “My parents are bound to check the website, and they might come unglued if they see wedding pictures of us.”