Page 87 of Worth the Fall
“Colton, I’m, like, wealthy,” I said with an uncomfortable laugh. “Please let me pay for a rodeo man’s steak.”
He scoffed. “I could be as poor as dirt and wouldn’t let you pay for your dinner, Miss Ford.”
“Don’t say I didn’t try.”
“No argument there,” he laughed.
The waitress, with her Texas high hair and red lipstick, greeted us with a loud smile. “Well, hey there! What can I get started for ya?”
Colton cleared his throat and handed her the menus. “Two of your finest top sirloins, please.”
“And how would you like that cooked?”
“Medium,” we said together.
“You got it!” Her boots clicked on the wood as she walked away.
Colton leaned forward on his arms, giving me a big grin. “I feel like this is the first time we’ve actually been alone since I met you.” He looked around the packed restaurant. “Well, relatively speakin’.”
I tucked my hair behind my ears. “It’s been a whirlwind these past few weeks.”
“How’d you get such an invasive work assignment?”
He was nice to ask me about my work, even though I’m not sure it was super interesting to him. If it wasn’t, he was sure good at pretending it was. “Well, it’s actually a kind of test,” I admitted.
“Oh?”
I took a long drink from my glass of water. “Yeah, my boss is using this project as a way to see if I’m qualified for a marketing director job.”
Colton’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re kiddin’!”
I hated boasting about myself, especially to someone as perfect as Colton. “It’s definitely been a test, but I feel like it’s going well, considering I got to meet you!”
He didn’t let the subject drift anywhere, despite my efforts. “Ally, I knew you were good at your job, but you’re way too humble! Gosh, doll, how old are you?”
I scrunched my nose. “I thought you weren’t supposed to ask a woman her age.”
He reddened.
“I’m twenty-four, almost twenty-five,” I jumped in before he could feel awkward.
“And you’re already up for adirectorjob?” He slapped the table and laughed. “Will you please startbraggin’ about yourself? Gosh dang, Ally!”
I looked away to hide my blush. “It’s really notlike that. My firm isn’t-”
Colton shook his head. “What did I tell you about acceptin’compliments?”
“That the people who are complimenting you are the ones who want to see you succeed,” I responded. His advice hadn’t left my mind since he said it. “So, thank you. I’m really excited about this position.”
“You should be!”
I was ready to change the subject, still practicing his advice. “You’re one to talk, how old are you, and you’re on your way to the NFR!”
“I’m almost twenty-six,” he said reluctantly. Out of habit, he pulled his phone out and refreshed the screen. “Rodeoing is a young man’s game, so I’m actually pretty average comparatively, almost on the older end.”
“That’s bonkers,” I laughed. “I’ve never heard anyone talk about being in your mid-twenties as old.”
He refreshed the screen one more time before clicking his phone off and putting it back in his pocket. “I mean, my grandpa was in the rodeo until he was in his sixties, local fairs and all that, but if you want to win it all, you’d better do it while you’re young.”
