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  As Jason pushed back from the table and stood, Sloane turned to look out the window so she wouldn’t stare at him. The more she was around the man, the more her attraction to him grew. If her mom got any hint of that at all... Well, best if that didn’t happen.

  “Thank you so much for all the great food and for letting me stay here last night,” he said to her mom. “But I should be heading out.”

  “So soon?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Well, you’re welcome here anytime. Isn’t that right, Sloane?”

  “Sure.” She walked the fence between not sounding rude and not sounding too enthusiastic or interested. She schooled her features and turned toward them. “Thanks for coming out and talking to the kids.”

  “No problem. I enjoyed it. Good luck with your camps.”

  She nodded while trying to ignore the knowing gleam in his eyes. If he wasn’t careful, her mom was going to figure out something was up.

  “Well, I better get to work, too. Good luck on the rest of your season.”

  “Thanks.”

  Sloane poured half the coffee down the drain, quickly rinsed the cup and exited through the back door. She went straight to the barn to tackle the morning chores. She was just letting the last of the horses out of the stalls so she could clean them when she heard Jason’s truck start and then head down the driveway. Now that he was leaving the ranch, she considered texting him to cancel their date. But a voice spoke up from somewhere in her brain, telling her that she was being ridiculous.

  It was one date, for heaven’s sake. Jason was nice, funny and good-looking. And her family wouldn’t even know about the date. So she had no reason to be so amped up about it, right?

  “Need some help?” her mom asked as she entered the barn.

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  “Shame to see Jason leave. He’s a nice man.”

  “Who has to make a living like the rest of us.”

  Her mom propped her forearm along the top of one of the stalls. “Did you have a problem with him?”

  “No.”

  “Then why did you seem to have your hackles raised every time he was around?”

  Well, she wouldn’t get a better opening than that. “It wasn’t him, Mom. It was you.”

  “Me?” She sounded genuinely surprised.

  “Ever since Neil and Arden got together, you have made it your mission to get us all married off.”

  “I’m not allowed to want my children to be happy?”

  “I didn’t say that. But we ought to be able to decide what or who makes us happy.”

  “A little nudge here and there doesn’t hurt. It worked for Ben and Mandy.”

  “A nudge is one thing. A giant shove at every turn is something different.” Sloane paused at the change in her mom’s expression, the fading of the twinkle in her eyes. “Listen, I know you mean well. But you also know that if someone tries to push me into something, it just means I’m going to fight against it all the harder.”

  Her mom sighed. “He just seemed like such a nice guy. And he was good with the kids, which I thought would be important to you.”

  “From what little I know, you’re right. He’s a decent guy. Maybe he’ll even make someone a good husband one day. But it’s not going to be me. And I doubt he’ll settle anytime soon. You heard him. Rodeo runs in that family’s blood.”

  “There are plenty of rodeo riders who are married.”

  “Yeah, but that’s got to be hard, don’t you think? You either have to travel with them for months at a time or stay home and rarely see them. If I ever decide to be with someone, I’m sure as heck not chasing them all over the country. My life is here.”

  The same as it had been when Blake decided his wasn’t.

  Her mom didn’t respond for several seconds, but then she nodded. “Understood.”

  For the next several minutes, they worked silently side by side to get the barn chores done in half the normal time. When her mom said she had some things to do in the house and left, Sloane felt as if she’d wounded her somehow. And the fact that she was actually going out with Jason and not telling her made Sloane feel even worse.

  Maybe she wouldn’t end up going. She still hadn’t figured out a suitable excuse for leaving for the evening, at least not one that wouldn’t send up red flags. Her mom had agreed to back off, but that didn’t mean her ornery siblings would.

  She mentally argued with herself all day about whether the date was a good idea. By the time late afternoon came, she was convinced the two sides of the argument were going to start throwing punches in her head.

  Fate was finally smiling on her when she returned to the house to find it empty. Her dad, Neil and Adam were still out on the ranch working. Ben was busy in his saddle shop. Angel had gone to a parent-teacher conference with Julia. And, best of all, her mom had left a note on the dining room table that she’d gone into town to meet with Mandy’s mom about plans for their next farmers’ market.

  Before one of the moving parts of her family made a reappearance, she hurried through her shower and changed clothes. She refused to dress up. That would signal that she was putting too much importance on this date. She was just going to go out, have dinner, maybe laugh a little, then call it a night. Everyone deserved a break every once in a while.

  Her luck ran out the moment she walked back into the kitchen to leave a note on the table that she wouldn’t be home for dinner. She found Ben leaning against the counter munching on a bowl of popcorn.

  “Where you off to in such a hurry?”

  “I’m not in a hurry.”

  “Where are you not in a hurry to get to?”

  Her mind fumbled a bit over the reason she’d concocted. She just hoped he didn’t notice. “Going into Austin to meet with some people about ideas for growing the camps.”

  “Pretty casual outfit for a meeting.”

  “Since when are you the fashion police?”

  He gestured toward her with a piece of popcorn. “Since I think you’re going out on a date with Jason Till.”

  Somehow she managed not to react with the shock she felt. How in the world had he figured that out?

  “Well, that would be difficult since he left for New Mexico this morning.”

  “Did he?”

  Sloane leaned her hip against the edge of the table. “Yes. What is up with you?”

  He shrugged. “Just found it interesting when I saw Jason pulling his trailer through town about an hour ago, and that he wasn’t heading toward the interstate.”

  Oh, crap. “Maybe he likes to go back roads or something.”

  “Come on. I get why you’d hide this from Mom. But why me?”

  Sloane huffed in disbelief then pointed toward the popcorn in his hands. “Oh, I don’t know, perhaps because you treat my life as entertainment.”

  “I seem to remember you dishing it out when I was dating Mandy.”

  And now it was coming back to bite her in the butt.

  Ben wore a satisfied smile as he dramatically tossed a piece of popcorn into his mouth. The look in his eyes told her that there was no use denying the truth. Instead, she jabbed her forefinger in his direction.

  “If you breathe one word of this to anyone, especially Mom, I will find a way to make you regret it. And you know I can do it, too.”

  His smile widened before he mimed zipping his lips.

  “And it’s no big deal,” she said.

  “Big enough that you’re hiding it.”

  “I don’t want to get Mom’s hopes up when it’s just a single casual date. I used to be able to go out and have some fun without her hearing wedding bells. Having to sneak around as if I’m a teenager is partly your fault.”

  “Neil started it.”

  Ho
w many times had she heard that sentence as they’d all been growing up? She rolled her eyes and turned to leave the room. “Remember what they say about paybacks.”

  The entire drive into Blue Falls, Sloane hoped she didn’t pass her mom on the road. She actually breathed a sigh of relief when she reached the turn that led off through the Hill Country toward the small town of Poppy. It wasn’t as big as Blue Falls, but it was in a really pretty spot along the Frio River. And she wouldn’t know every third person who walked past their table at dinner like she would in Blue Falls.

  As she weaved her way along the curvy, hilly road, she gave herself a much-needed pep talk. If she was going through with this date, she might as well enjoy it. If Ben spilled the beans, she’d deal with it later. It wouldn’t do her any good to worry about it now. And maybe they would talk about the camps, so her story wouldn’t be a complete lie.

  She slowed down as she drove into the outskirts of Poppy. The town was home to only about five hundred people, give or take, but it was a little gem that tourists were beginning to discover. Though it boasted only one street of businesses, a lot of them antiques stores, it seemed there was something new every time she managed to visit. Its location on the beautiful Frio River was its biggest selling point. When Texas got as hot as blue blazes, people flocked to the cold, clear swimming holes and enjoyed leisurely floating down the river in tubes. The previous summer, someone had opened a sort of drive-in restaurant beside the river for tubers. They didn’t even have to get out of the water for their burgers and fries.

  Sloane drove past the line of antiques stores, the tiny town hall and the lot that was ringed with food trucks surrounding an area filled with brightly colored picnic tables. At the far end of town, she pulled into the parking lot for Taste Bud’s, a barbecue place overlooking the river. Bud Tanner was a huge mountain of a man who lived and breathed making what many claimed was the best damn barbecue in Texas. He’d also had a rough childhood, so when he’d read about her camps, he’d donated some barbecue meals for the kids a few times.

  When she spotted Jason’s truck, her heart suddenly started beating a lot faster. She tried to slow its pace, but it ignored her efforts. If she was smart she’d turn around and go back home. Her body didn’t normally react this way when she went out on a “casual date.” The truth was she liked Jason, probably too much considering their short acquaintance. And she’d experienced an immediate physical attraction, one that had only strengthened each time she saw him. If he were local or sticking around, she might be inclined to see where things went with him, perhaps even daring to hope to break her dismal dating streak. But he wasn’t. She needed to remember that. Tonight would be no more than a fun evening out without the scrutiny and pressure of her family before they went their separate ways.

  Even telling herself that didn’t seem to have any effect on her rapid pulse. She took a long, deep breath and got out of her truck. She’d traded her boots for cooler sandals, but her jeans and T-shirt were similar enough to what she normally wore that she was confident she didn’t appear as if she’d tried too hard to impress Jason. So she’d left her hair down and put on some makeup. That was just so she didn’t look as if she’d gone straight from the barn to dinner. At least that’s what she told herself until she spotted Jason. When she saw how well he cleaned up in obviously newer jeans and a blue button-down, she admitted he looked yummy enough to eat. And that maybe she’d made the little extra effort with her own appearance hoping he’d think the same about her.

  Chapter Seven

  “You showed,” Jason said as he crossed the waiting area to where she stood just inside the door. “I figured I had a fifty-fifty chance of being stood up.”

  “I won’t lie. I thought about it. I would have at least texted you though.”

  He smiled. “Considerate of you.”

  Did the man have any inkling how annoyingly handsome he was when he smiled like that?

  “Welcome to Taste Bud’s,” a young woman said as she returned to the hostess stand. “Would you like inside or outside seating?”

  Jason gestured to Sloane, indicating the decision was up to her.

  “Outside, please.”

  “Right this way.”

  The hostess seated them at one of the tables at the edge of the deck overlooking the river. Tall cypress trees provided shade, and the gurgle of the gently flowing river eased some of her anxiety. She wasn’t normally an anxious person, but since the moment she’d met Jason something about him had kept her on edge. And yet here she sat across from him willingly.

  “You look nice,” he said once they were seated with menus in hand.

  “Yes, as you can tell I put in a ton of effort.”

  “You didn’t have to put in any on my account. You’re pretty even when you’re mucking out stalls.”

  “Laying it on a little thick, aren’t you?” She didn’t look up from her menu even though she’d known what she wanted before leaving Blue Falls.

  “I’ll have you know I’m as honest as they come.”

  She placed the menu on the table and met his gaze. “Okay, then, tell me why you were so determined that I go on this date with you.”

  “You mean other than the fact that you’re beautiful, give to children in need and have an interesting sense of humor? I can’t think of a thing.”

  Her traitorous body heated because he thought she was beautiful, but she didn’t let it show. “Interesting sense of humor, huh?”

  He leaned forward. “It’s got bite. I like that.”

  She refused to think about biting and Jason in the same train of thought for fear some of those naughty images that had paraded through her brain the night before might return. Oops, too late.

  Thank goodness, the waitress showed up then to divert Jason’s attention long enough for Sloane to get her mind set on a different path.

  “What can I get for you?” the waitress asked.

  “Wings and potato salad.”

  After Jason ordered brisket and the waitress left, he laughed a little. “Texas ranch girl orders chicken wings.”

  “Hey, don’t knock the wings. They’re out of this world.”

  “Now, there’s a gal who knows what she’s talking about.”

  She knew that deep voice. “Hey, Bud.”

  “Don’t just ‘Hey, Bud’ me. Get up and give me a hug.”

  She did, and when his big arms enveloped her she remembered just how small Bud Tanner could make her feel. Considering she was five foot nine, that wasn’t an easy feat. Done with the hug, he took a step back and directed his attention toward Jason.

  “I see you brought me a new customer,” he said.

  She’d come to Poppy to avoid seeing people she knew, but she wasn’t worried about Bud. He wasn’t the type to go blabbing about other people’s business.

  “Bud Tanner, this is Jason Till. He rode in the Blue Falls Rodeo this weekend and came out to talk to the campers about what rodeo life is like.”

  Bud extended his hand for a shake, which Jason accepted.

  “Well, anyone helping out with those kids is good people in my book.” Bud kept his obviously firm grip on Jason’s hand. “At least he better be if he’s out with this fine lady.”

  Sloane swatted one of Bud’s meaty arms. “You know good and well I can take care of myself. And I’ve already got a dad and three brothers. That’s about as much protector testosterone as I can handle.”

  “Sorry, hon. It’s what I do.”

  “How about you protect me from starving to death by going and hurrying up our order?”

  Bud barked out a laugh as he finally released Jason’s hand. “Maybe I should be protecting him from you.”

  She smiled. “Maybe.”

  When Bud headed back toward the kitchen, she looked over at Jason to find him grinning at her
.

  “What?”

  “So I might need protection from you, huh? Sounds as if this date might get really interesting.”

  “Yeah, try anything I don’t like and I’ll toss you into the river.”

  “Okay, so sticking to things you like.” He wiggled his brows. “And what might that be?”

  A few things rushed through her mind, none of which she was willing to say out loud. And all of which were incredibly bad ideas.

  “The usual—puppies, ice cream, any movie with Chris Hemsworth in it.”

  He laughed at her response before taking a drink of his soda as he looked at her with a curious expression. “So how long have you been holding the camps?”

  She hadn’t really thought about what they’d talk about during dinner, but the camps seemed a safe enough topic. “Couple of years. Only had one the first year, three in the second. This weekend’s was the first one of this year.”

  “How much do you want to grow it?”

  “Eventually? At least one camp a month, and be able to bring out more kids each time. That’s the dream anyway. It’ll have to be a slow build though. I refuse to take money away from the ranch’s bottom line, so I pick up odd jobs when I can. Mom and I coupon and fill out rebates to pay for the food to feed the kids. We get occasional donations, like Bud donating barbecue. I applied for a couple of grants, but nothing has come through yet.”

  “I’ll talk to Shannon and see what she says.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know, but she’ll love it. She’s a good soul.”

  “Must run in the family.” For a moment she thought maybe that answer was too revealing, but then she realized there was nothing wrong with telling that kind of truth. She wanted to see more kindness and giving in the world, so encouraging and complimenting it seemed like a wise thing to do.

  “Thank you.” There was no teasing in his words this time.