“You got that right, but not as hot as you are tonight.” He grinned.
“Flattery will get you nowhere,” she quipped.
“How about the truth?”
“Depends on whether I believe it or not,” she answered.
“I’m an open book with the titleHonestywritten on the cover, so ask me anything you like,” he said. Never before had he saidsomething like that to a date, but then he’d never felt white-hot sparks anytime he was around a woman before, either. He did not believe in love at first sight, but he very easily might change his mind.
“Okay, then, what is your favorite pet?” she asked.
“It used to be Tinker, the ranch dog …” He hesitated for a moment before he went on. “But Tinker died a couple of years ago. The ranch where I’ll be working north of here has a dog named Turbo. I think the two of us are going to get along fine. How about you?”
“Never had a pet,” she answered. “But I do love going to the animal shelter when I have time and getting a puppy fix.”
“They are a lot of fun, aren’t they?”
“Oh yeah.” Lula Ann grinned. “I just sit down and let them romp and play all over me. Puppy breath can only be outdone by the smell of a newborn baby all swaddled up in a soft blanket.”
Miles was mesmerized by Lula Ann, and at that moment he would have sold his playboy cape in a garage sale to get to spend more time with her.
The park was already full of kids running around when Holly and Bubba arrived. He spread the quilt out on a grassy slope and set the paper bag with the pies in it to one side. “Just let me know when you want popcorn, and I’ll go get it for you. They’re also selling cans of soda, if you want that.”
Holly sat down on the quilt and patted the place beside her. “I couldn’t eat another bite after those enormous burgers, so let’s just watch the movie. I’m guessing with all these children that it’s going to be PG.”
“I didn’t ask what was playing,” Bubba admitted. “Maybe we should leave and go to a regular movie theater.”
“And miss this experience? No, thank you. I’ve never been to a showing in a park.”
The lights above the jumbotron screen at the end of the park flashed. Kids came running from all corners to flop down on quilts, blankets, and even a few blow-up mattresses with their parents. A scene flashed on the screen that Holly hadn’t seen since she was a little girl. “Oh my!” She stopped before she said that her nanny had let her watch the movie so many times when she was a little girl that she practically knew the dialogue.
Bubba rolled his eyes and sighed. “This is a disappointment. I had at least hoped for a chick flick. You won’t ever go out with me again.”
“Disappointment? Never!” Holly squealed. “It’s perfect. I haven’t seen this since I was a little girl. It’s a classic, and all the kids here tonight are going to love it. I bet very few of them have ever heard of it.”
“Then I didn’t do too bad, and you might consider a second date?”
She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs. “Absolutely. This has been an awesome evening.”
“Will you go out with me again on Tuesday?”
“No, I won’t, but I will stay home and cook for you,” she answered. “It’s my turn to treat. I’ll expect you at seven. You can bring a bottle of wine.”
“Red or white?”
“Both. I haven’t decided what to make yet,” she answered, and then tried to concentrate on the movie,Homeward Bound. Basically, that was a useless endeavor with Bubba sitting so close to her that his body heat sent delicious shivers dancing up and down her spine. She kept stealing glances to study him every few seconds. When the cat and two dogs that were trying to get back home had to deal with a raging river, a picture of Bubba diving into deep water to rescue her popped into Holly’s mind.
She shook her head to get the vision out, but every nerve in her body was at attention with wanting to know what it wouldfeel like to have him carrying her out to the bank. She focused on the movie and told herself that this was only a weeklong romp. She would go back to her apartment sometime over the weekend and quite possibly be off to check out another site for an oil well by the first of the week. As much as she liked Bubba, there was no place for him—or anyone else—in her busy life.
“That was a cute movie,” Bubba said when it was over. “I was so taken in by it that I forgot all about our pies. We can split ’em up when we get back to your house. They’ll be really good for breakfast tomorrow morning.”
“You aren’t cooking for me?” she teased.
“Not on the first date,” he answered. “You are a lady, and I’ll treat you like one.”
She reached over and patted him on the cheek. “That was a test, not an invitation for you to spend the night.”
“Did I pass?”
