“Well,” he said, and he ducked his head, his eyes landing on those boots. “I really like these boots. Where do you get something like this?”
“New York City,” she said. “They were a splurge buy, but they’re actually really useful in Wyoming.”
He looked up at her again. “Normally, I would have asked you out at the end of our last date, butthatwas pretty awkward. And then I’ve been kind of busy getting this concert series going.”
“Yes, I didn’t know Country Quad was doing a concert series.” Her tone carried an icy coolness that made Adam’s pulse skip over itself.
“Joey.” He grinned at her. “Are you upset your daddy didn’t tell you about the concert series?”
She folded her arms over the rustic orange sweater she wore, and he took that for ayes. He chuckled. “So you’re mad when he doesn’t tell you something, but you didn’t tell him about our coffee date—oh, wait.”
Adam chuckled and backed up. He moved down the table and pulled out a chair for Joey. “That wasn’t a coffee date—at least that’s what you told your grandpa.”
Joey eyed him as she moved to take the seat. “You haveto admit, it wasn’t very date-ish.” She held her head high as she sat down.
“I bought you coffee and a croissant,” Adam said.
“And then you ate dinner at my grandparents’ house.”
“We went cowboy hat shopping.” Adam rounded the table to take the seat opposite kitty-corner to her.
“And you’re not even wearing it.”
Adam grinned because he liked this banter between them. He liked that Joey could come back at him, as it showed she had a quick mind and a good sense of humor.
“I’ve been wearin’ it to all my meetings with your uncle,” he said.
“And now you’re dropping G’s.” She grinned at him. “Wearin’it.” She set her arms on the table and opened the binder. “Shawn said you didn’t have much time.”
Panic ran through Adam. “I was asking you out,” he said. “Do you want to skip past that?”
Joey looked up from the binder with only her eyes, her head not moving at all. “Go on then.”
“If what we did the other afternoon wasn’t a date, fine,” Adam said. “I’ll plan something really amazing for our first date. Are you free on Friday night?”
It was only Monday, and Adam kicked himself for suggesting the weekend. Joey shook her head anyway. “No,” she said. “I’m catering an event that night.”
“What about Thursday?” he asked.
“It’s Book Club at the bookstore,” she said. “And I already told my momma I’d work it.”
Familiar frustration started to build within Adam. “Wednesday?”
“Halloween,” she said. “I’ll be up in Dog Valley.”
He sighed and looked away. “Sounds like you’re making things difficult on purpose.” He looked over to her, and she simply grinned at him.
“This week, I’m not working Saturday at all.”
“Saturday it is,” he said, seizing onto the idea. “Do you want a day date or an evening date?”
She reached over and touched his hand, which sent a sizzling sparkle through his whole body. “You decide,” she said. “And text me. I’m sure it will be great.”
She looked down at the binder. “Now I’m pretty sure you were irritated when I got here, because I was late, which I can assure you, is not my fault. Sean told me about the appointment at two o’clock.”
“We were supposed to meet at two,” he said.
“Which is why I was late,” Joey said. “I ran out the moment he gave me the binder and the address, and I got here as quickly as I could.”
