“I want to make up for it. For all of it,” he replies.
I blink at him with uncertainty. What suddenly changed to make the playboy of all playboys straighten up his act?
“I want to show you that I’m sorry,” he adds when I hesitate. “Words are cheap, but I’m serious about this. Just let me take you out to dinner? That’s all I’m asking.”
Dinner, huh?
This sounds suspiciously like a date, but I have a feeling he’s just trying to get into my pants again. There’s a small, repressed part of me that wants to giggle and kick my feet in glee. I ignore it ruthlessly. Wayne was nothing more than a puppy crush in high school and I won’t let him be more than that now.
“Dinner,” I say slowly, watching hope sparkle in blue eyes. “Justdinner, though. I’m not fucking you.”
He blinks in surprise at my bluntness, a startled laugh bubbling up from his chest. His smile is just as brilliant as I remember, overwhelmingly charming. I know I’m blushing, but I ignore it.
“Just dinner,” he agrees, grinning widely. “Scout’s honor. I’ll pick you up from your apartment tomorrow night. Does six work?”
I hesitate one last time before throwing caution to the wind. Maybe I’m making a mistake, but fuck it. As annoying as I find him sometimes, I can’t deny that Wayne is almost always on my mind. Maybe this will be enough to get him out of my system.
“Six works,” I agree, unable to bite back an excited grin. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
WAYNE
Ipull into a parking spot in the tiny lot that sits in front of Katie’s fourplex. Before I get a chance to pull my phone out and text her that I’m here, one of the doors swings open and she steps out.
She looks fuckingstunning.
The first night I saw her, she looked hot, but at the ranch, she’s almost always in jeans and a tank top, the boots she wears almost as broken in as my dad’s. The only word for her right now is beautiful. She looks like a fucking fairy.
Her blond curls are pulled into a half updo, leaving the rest of her hair free to spill over her shoulders. Her dress is a pearly blue that hits mid thigh and cinches tight around her trim waist. The neckline is frilly lace that flounces around her biceps, leaving her shoulders bare, and she’s got strappy tan heels to match her purse. The sight of her makes my mouth go dry immediately.
Thank fuck I dressed up.
I fumble my way out of the car as she turns, a warm smile on her perfectly glossed lips.
“You’re right on time.”
“Can’t make a pretty girl wait, now can I?” I tease. “You look incredible.”
“Thank you.” She blushes, long lashes fluttering over bright green eyes as she looks me up and down. “You’re pretty easy on the eyes yourself.”
I can’t remember the last time I was actually flustered by a compliment, but I feel heat rise to my cheeks.
I turn my attention to the passenger door instead of focusing on the way Katie’s looking at me. She smiles sweetly when I open the door and slides into the passenger seat. I wait until she’s buckled in to close the door behind her and make my way back to the driver’s side.
“Where are we going?” she asks, as I put the car in reverse.
“I wanted to take you somewhere nice, but the options are kind of lacking out here.” I’m not wrong on that. Most of the choices for eating out around here are dive bars or fast-casual places. “I figured Mike’s was a safe bet. They’re serving steaks from the ranch these days.”
I hope Katie will take well to a reminder that I’m actually involving myself with the family business more.
“Mike’s sounds great. I haven’t been there in ages.”
I silently preen at her approval as we hit the road. It’s not far from her place, so I keep the radio on low and make casual conversation.
“Get up to anything fun today?”
“Nothing crazy,” she says with a shrug. “David Chase— the barrel racing guy on the west side of town — he’s got a horse with a fractured cannon, so I had them in for X-rays today. He’s being impatient about the healing process, but there’s not much I can do about it.”
“Cannon?” I ask. “That’s the shin, right?”
