Page 19 of Falling for the Maverick

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“How’s your beer?” Michelle asked Lucas when she noticed he’d only taken a few sips.

“It’s good.”

She gave him a questioning look. Perhaps he wasn’t a beer drinker. “Why don’t you order something other than beer?”

“No. I’m good with the beer.”

“Whenever you finish, we can go to another place.”

“Where would we go?” Lucas asked.

“Next door, to the Silver Spur Café. They typically offer only breakfast and lunch, but they will remain open late for the crawl. We can order coffee and something to eat there.”

“Sounds good,” Lucas said. He took a long swallow from his glass, then set it aside. Reaching for his jacket, he put it on, then extended his hand to help Michelle up. He held her jacket while she slipped her arms into the sleeves.

“I’m ready,” Michelle said, as she picked up her crossbody bag.

Ready. The word echoed in her head. She might be ready to leave the bar, but was she genuinely ready to move forward without Lucas? There were times when their paths would cross at family events, but was she ready to see him attend those events with other women?

Michelle’s answer was no. However, she knew she had to exorcise him from her head, or she would never be able to move forward emotionally. And it was better to do it now before she got in too deep.

Michelle couldn’t help but think that if Lucas continued to be reluctant to commit, it wouldn’t fit with the future she envisioned for herself, and that would be a real disappointment. She admitted to herself that Lucas Brandt was, in every sense, irresistible. The attraction she felt toward him was undeniable, making the possibility of their paths diverging even more frustrating.

The Silver Spur was also crowded, but they managed to find a corner booth seating two. She started to remove her jacket but hesitated when she noticed Lucas staring directly at her chest. Pinpoints of heat dotted her face as she managed to pull her jacket over her shoulders with a minimum of effort. Michelle didn’t have to be clairvoyant to know what Lucas wanted, because she wanted the same—and that was to sleep together.

When she’d told him not to pick her up at her parents’ house, she should’ve just told him to forget about the crawl altogether.

“How’s the food here?” Lucas asked, removing his Stetson.

She forced a smile. “It’s very good. I’ll occasionally have lunch here on the days I volunteer at the Little Cowpokes Daycare Center.”

Lucas chuckled. “You’re kidding me. It’s really called Little Cowpokes?”

Michelle also laughed. “Yes. It’s here in town, and my grandmother is a co-owner.”

“Isn’t your grandmother the one who makes the incredible macaroni and cheese?”

“Yup. Gram is known for making the best mac and cheese in the state.”

Lucas’s eyebrows lifted. “The whole state of Montana?”

Michelle nodded. “Yes. And she refuses to give anyone her recipe.”

“Not even to her granddaughter?”

“Granddaughters, Lucas. My grandparents have four sons who are all married and have lots of kids. Didn’t you notice all the Coreys at the wedding?”

“There were a lot of people at the wedding, and the ones I recognized were from Bronco.”

“The ones who weren’t from Bronco were mostly Coreys.”

“I am impressed by my sister’s ability to coordinate two weddings while also participating in the wedding party,” Lucas remarked.

“That’s because she’s a professional who can multitask. Whenever I get married, I want Brittany to coordinate it.”

“You want to marry?”