“Deal,” he replied, his tan, calloused hand enveloping mine, dark tattoos flexing against his muscles as we shook.
Gulp.
After the midday rush, Ellie and I had some downtime to clean up and bake fresh pastries for the next morning.
Ellie grabbed a sleeve of cups off the shelf before making her way over to me. “Are you really going to take Jace up on his offer?”
“I don’t think I have a choice. I owe him for breaking his foot. Plus, I better get it over with before he comes up with a different idea––one that I actually hate. A football game doesn’t sound half bad.”
“Jace is a good guy, Cass. You should go. You’ll have a great time and be in good company,” she said, clearly pleased by the whole situation.
“Besides, you guys need to learn how to be nice to each other. The wedding is only a couple of weeks away, and you two have to walk down the aisle together—happily might I remind you,” she said eyeing me with a warning.
“I know, I know,” I moaned, rolling my eyes. “I promise to play nice.”
As I rolled out the dough for the next batch of cream cheese danishes, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Jace:Don’t be mad, but Colt gave me your number. I told him I had something important to tell you. There was begging involved.
Cassie:Let me guess, this is Jace?
Jace:That’s the name my momma gave me, but recently I’ve been called McDreamy. Hopefully it sticks.
So hedidhear me this morning. Glass-half-full me was hoping he’d missed it.
What could I even say back to that? As I saw it, my only option was the silent treatment.
I put my phone back in my pocket.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Jace:Don’t worry, I like a good nickname. Ellie has Colt saved in her phone as Colt .45
Jace:What are you going to save me in your phone as?
Cassie:Dipshit.
So much for the silent treatment.
Jace:I’ve been called worse.
Cassie:I can only imagine.
Jace:It almost seems like a term of endearment, don’t you think? Plus, I saw Sally Anne at the store this morning, and she called me a raging prick after I turned down her offer for a datethis weekend. Had to let her down easy and tell her I already have a date with a smoking hot redhead.
Cassie:It’s not a date, remember?
Jace:Yeah, but Sally Anne doesn’t need to know that.
I rolled my eyes and almost asked about this Sally Anne he kept mentioning, but really, what did I care?
Cassie:What’s the super-important thing you needed to tell me?
Jace:I might not see you for the rest of this week. I’m hauling some cattle down to Wyoming. In case I don’t, I wanted to tell you that I’ll pick you up Friday night at your place.
Cassie:I can drive myself to the game.
