Page 69 of The Lucky Heart (Jamison Valley 3)
It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had opportunities to make his move, since we’d been spending plenty of time together. At least twice a week, we’d meet for dinner, and one night last week, he’d taken me to a movie. Yet here I was, sexually frustrated and confused. No kisses. No hand-holding. Nothing. All I got was the occasional hug.
Were we back to being just friends? Had he changed his mind about us?
There was no time to dwell on it now. I heard the sound of his truck pull into my driveway and then the chime of my doorbell. I pushed up off the couch and grabbed my magazine, searching around for a hiding place. When it was safely tucked under a cushion, I yelled, “Come on in!”
“Hey.” He closed the door behind him. “Ready?”
“Yeah. Let me just run upstairs and grab my shoes.”
Tonight, Silas was taking me out to dinner at The Black Bull, a nice steakhouse a little way out of town. It wasn’t casual like the café or the deli downtown where we had been going. The Black Bull was the type of restaurant where a man would take a date.
Was this a date? I hadn’t a fucking clue. Regardless, I wore heels in case it was.
Silas was staring at the pictures on my fireplace mantel. “All set.” He didn’t move at my announcement, just kept his eyes glued to a frame. His jaw was clenched tightly and his nostrils were flaring.
That wasn’t a good sign.
I walked behind him. He was glaring at the picture of me and Wes from high school, the one that Jack had given me when I’d gone to the farm for dinner months ago.
“Silas?” I touched his elbow.
He flinched and looked down to me. “Sorry,” he muttered, his face relaxing.
“It’s fine. Are you okay?”
“All good.” That was a lie, but I didn’t push him for the truth. Strange. Why would seeing Wes’s picture bother him so much? “Ready?”
I nodded and followed him outside.
“How was your day?” I asked as we drove to the restaurant.
“Long. I was out all day in the cold, checking cows. I ended up having to bring one into the barn. I can’t tell if her calf is breeched or what so I’ll be up all night checking on her. Then I’ll do it all over again tomorrow.”
This was the first time Silas had seemed disheartened about his ranch work. He’d complain about dirty jobs here and there or tell me about arguments with his dad, but tonight, he sounded worn-out and stressed. I was guessing a lot of it was his lack of help.
“We should skip the restaurant,” I said. “I can hang out at home tonight since you’re tired. Or if you want, we could just pick up a pizza and head to the ranch. I’ll keep you company while you work.”
My motivations for offering to go with him weren’t entirely unselfish. The last time I’d been at his place, he had almost kissed me. Maybe back in a private setting, he would feel more comfortable accelerating our relationship. And if nothing happened, I’d know I had been friend-zoned.
“You’re all dressed up.” He grabbed my hand and laced his fingers with mine.
Tingles spread from my palm up to my shoulder. Whoop whoop! Friends did not hold hands like this. “I’m in jeans and a blouse. Lend me a sweatshirt before we walk into the barn and I’ll be just fine.”
“Are you sure?”
“Only if you let me pick the pizza toppings.”
He squeezed my hand and smiled. “Just no onions.”
I turned my face to my window to hide my smile. Though I had been looking forward to a nice dinner, spending the night at Silas’s place, eating pizza and, hopefully, cozying up on the couch together would be exponentially better.
An hour later, my bare feet were tucked under my rear in the couch as I ate a slice of pepperoni from the plate on my lap.
“How’d your meeting with Rob go?”
“Good.” I nodded. “Really good. I think we’ve landed on a price.”
“No shit? That’s awesome. Congrats.”
