Free CREEPERS by Bryan Dunn Page A

well.”

    * * *

    The sun was setting when Laura’s car passed beneath the Rainsford Ranch sign, pulled into the compound, and parked next to the water storage tank. The sky had turned amber, bathing everything in soft golden light, and the noonday heat had finally begun to ease.
    Sam came off the porch when he saw the Honda pull up. He didn’t know the car, and was straining to see inside, when—
    Laura flung her door open, and in one graceful movement, slipped out onto her long, elegant legs.
    What happened next caught Sam totally off guard. He stopped in his tracks, unable to move or even speak. Stunned is really the way to describe it—stunned by Laura’s lovely presence. It was like an electric shock. A pulse that overwhelmed his senses.
    Laura felt it too. An adrenaline rush. A spontaneous attraction. An unguarded outpouring of love. Or lust? And right on the back of that, she suddenly wished she had changed and fixed her hair and brushed her teeth.
    “Hello,” said Laura, pulling her hair back and at the same time breaking the spell she had unwittingly cast on Sam.
    Carla was wrong , Sam thought, staring at her. She had said to keep on the lookout for a pretty girl that might be stopping by. This woman wasn’t pretty— she was drop-dead gorgeous.
    “Hey,” said Sam, as he walked over to greet her, relieved to be able to move his legs again.
    Laura held out a hand. “Laura Beecham.” For some reason, she suddenly felt the need to include her last name.
    “Sam Rainsford,” he said, taking her hand. “Welcome to the Rainsford Ranch, home of the seedless date.”
    “Oh right, yes…” Laura pointed to the entrance. “I saw the sign.”
    “Want a date?”
    “I can’t remember the last time I had a date.”
    Sam smiled, took a step back. Then using his hands, he framed her face like a photographer. “Hair. Wardrobe upgrade. Maybe a touch more makeup…”
    “Ha, ha. Very funny,” said Laura, giving him a flat look.
    “I am, of course, kidding,” Sam said, giving her a warm smile. “Actually, you’re incredibly perfect just the way you are. Just a little date humor. We’re big on that around here.” Then he thought to himself, What the hell’s come over me?
    “Date humor?” she said, a skeptical tone in her voice. “How quaint.”
    “ Quaint? Oh, we’re very quaint around here. In fact, it’s why I moved here. I was looking for quaint. In my opinion, the world could use more quaint.”
    “Well, it’s working. You’re very quaint.”
    “Thank you.”
    Sam went over to a workbench next to the water tank, grabbed a basket filled with dates, and offered one to Laura. “Here, try one.”
    Laura reached out, took a date, then held it up and examined it. “Deglet Noor, right?”
    “Right,” said Sam, instantly impressed. Beautiful AND smart . What had he done to deserve this?
    Laura was thinking she should mention why she was here, that she was looking for the Fletcher place, but she was having fun— and there was something about this guy … So instead, she said, “I’m familiar with the trees. Actually, I’m a botanist.” She looked over, staring at the rows of palms silhouetted by the fading light. “They’re majestic.”
    “My favorite time of day. Always reminds me of an ancient oasis.”
    Laura held the date up, examined it. “I just never think to eat them.”
    “That’s because of the seeds. They’re a real bummer. Hey, who ate grapes before the Thompson Seedless, right?”
    She thought about that. “Maybe you’ve got a point there.”
    Sam held up a date. “Rainsford Seedless Dates. Jewel of the Mojave.”
    Laura popped a date in her mouth—and right before she began to chew, Sam said, “ Careful! Watch out for the seed.”
    She gave him a funny look, finished the date, then let the seed slide into her fingers. “Wait a minute, I thought you—”
    “Um, yeah. They’re not exactly seedless yet.”
    “Well, despite the seed, it was very good. Very