“That sounds great to me. Lead the way,” he said, wanting to place his arm around her and pull her close. Instead, he settled for breathing in her alluring fragrance while the warmth of her hand threatened to sear right through his shirt sleeve and brand the skin of his arm.
“So, how did you like the rodeo?” he asked, as they walked past the gate onto the sidewalk outside the rodeo venue.
“It was wonderful,” Lainey said, pointing to their left.
Jason turned that direction and adjusted his stride to hers. “What did you like about it?”
“Everything. Well, almost everything. I think I closed my eyes every time a bull came out of the chute.”
Jason chuckled. “They can take some getting used to. Did you enjoy sitting with Celia?” He almost commented on seeing her holding Addie Kate, but didn’t want to give off stalker vibes by admitting he’d been watching her.
“I loved meeting Celia. She’s quite a firecracker. I’m guessing Addie Kate might take after her. Kash is going to have his hands full.”
“He certainly is, but I’m glad you and Celia enjoyed your time together.”
Lainey smiled at him. “Thank you for thinking of having us sit together. We talked about photography and life, and she answered all of my many questions about the rodeo with patience. It was interesting to learn about rodeo from her perspective as part-owner in the rodeo stock company, and also as a rodeo photographer.”
“Did she mention her brother used to be a bulldogger?”
Lainey’s brow wrinkled. “Bulldogger?”
“Cort was a steer wrestler before an injury forced him to retire. He ended up marrying a widow up in Washington, and they have a great family. Their daughter, Grace, is a lot like Celia. Poor Kaley has all she can handle with Grace and Cort. I hope the boys take after Kaley.”
“I bet they keep life from ever being boring,” Lainey said as they crossed a street and made their way to the door of an Italian restaurant, where delicious aromas wafted out to make Jason’s stomach growl. Thankfully, a truck driving by hid the sound.
He pulled open the door and held it for Lainey as she walked inside. They only had to wait a few minutes to be seated at a booth in the back of the restaurant. Jason couldn’t have asked for a better table because it offered a bit of privacy, tucked as it was behind a few potted plants. The view outside the window was of the back parking lot, but he didn’t care. Not when he couldn’t take his eyes off Lainey.
She’d changed out of the blouse and jeans she’d worn earlier into a flowing dress that she paired with her cowboy boots and a denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up. She looked stylish and far too pretty for his own good.
When she opened her menu, Jason forced himself to open his instead of studying her.
He was starving, and everything sounded good, but he decided on a sampler that offered a serving of lasagna, beef-filled ravioli, and chicken Parmigiana. He closed his menu and set it aside, then took a long drink from the glass of water a server had set on the table when they’d been seated.
“Decide what you want?” Lainey asked as she glanced up from her menu and smiled at him. That smile was like an arrow shot straight into his heart.
If he had a lick of sense, he’d run out the door and never look back. Only his feet refused to move, and his heart kept whispering for him to get to know Lainey before he did anything rash.
“Yep. The sampler looks good to me. How about you?”
Lainey looked back at the menu. “There are several things that sound delicious, but I think I’m going to have the chicken tortellini.”
The server reappeared, took their orders, and promised to return with breadsticks and salad, along with their drinks. Jason ordered iced tea, but Lainey chose a berry lemonade.
He had an idea that their beverage selections summed them both up. He was a simple glass of plain tea, and Lainey was something full of sunshine, sweetness, and unexpected flavors.
Perhaps that was why he was so drawn to her. She was different than any of the women he’d dated, which hadn’t been many, and none more than two or three dates at the most.
Obviously, she was beautiful, but in the little time he’d spent with her, he knew it wasn’t just skin deep. Lainey had a kind heart and a caring nature, even though he got the idea she could be tough when she needed to be.
Since he’d met her, he’d spent a few nights when he couldn’t sleep searching online for her name. Most of what he found were interviews on podcasts about her books and a few photos of her in press releases.
The photos didn’t do justice to her beauty or catch the warmth of the light in her eyes.
The server returned with their drinks, a bowl of salad, and a basket of warm bread, promising it wouldn’t take long for their entrees to be ready before rushing away.
Jason was pleased when Lainey bowed her head. He tipped his head down and offered a silent word of thanks for the meal, for making it through another day, and for the unexpected gift of time with Lainey.
When he raised his head and looked across the table, Lainey smiled. They both started to speak at the same time, so Jason motioned for her to go ahead.
