by Donna Alward
“So,” she said, laughing nervously. “Here we are.”
“Here we are,” he echoed, one corner of his mouth tipping up a little. He raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess. You’re mentally going over my profile and trying to figure out if I lied.”
Her cheeks heated again. “Clearly, you didn’t.” Rustling up her courage, she added, “If anything, the reality’s better than the profile.”
His laugh was low and warm and sent tingly feelings rushing through her body.
“I have to come clean,” he confessed. “I didn’t set up that profile. My sister did. I didn’t even know about it until two days ago.”
Disappointment flowed through her, and embarrassment. “Oh. I see. And she’s the one who…?” Now she was feeling foolish. Naïve. “She sent the hat tip.”
“Yes. I was really mad at her when I found out.”
“I can imagine.” Suddenly the coffee in front of her wasn’t so appealing. Was he gracefully looking for a way to exit? He hadn’t even asked her here today. His sister had. “You know, I was a little worried you were going to be a no-show.”
He chuckled again. “I thought the same about you. And I thought about messaging you and canceling, but I realized it wasn’t your fault my sister’s an interfering pain in my butt. So I figured I’d show up, see if you did too, and have a cup of coffee. What could it hurt?”
This was sounding worse and worse. Like it was a pity date, for Pete’s sake. She wondered how long she needed to sit here before she could get up and leave without being impolite. He hadn’t wanted to be here. He was just showing good manners.
“Melly?”
She lifted her head and looked at him, surprised when he used the preferred shortened version of her name.
“You know, I’m not so mad at my sister anymore.” And he smiled.
He had a good smile. The kind that made a girl feel like he was letting her in on some sort of secret. The kind that felt like it was for her and her alone. It was intimate, a little shy, a little bit cheeky. He rested his elbows on the table and it stretched the cotton of his shirt across his broad shoulders.
“You’re glad you came?” she asked.
“More every second.”
“Me too,” she replied and smiled back at him. Okay, so less than a stellar beginning on both their parts…but it was showing potential. It was the smiling at each other that made everything seem suddenly, deliciously intimate. Something sizzled in the air between them. Was it too soon to be feeling any sort of attraction? And yet it was there, pulsing in the air around them, a tension that was as delicious as it was unnerving. Maybe she wouldn’t need Leanne’s help with that date after all.
He lifted his coffee cup and took a drink. She watched him, her gaze focused on his full lips as they touched the porcelain cup. Muscles tightened in familiar places. The words dry spell flitted through her mind, though she found she didn’t care a whole lot.
Still. It was a first date. No sense in getting carried away. Much. She raised her mug and hid behind it for a few seconds, telling herself to get a grip.
“So,” he said, sounding remarkably conversational. “You’re an English teacher.”
“Yes,” she said, following his lead in the get-to-know-you portion of the date. “In Helena. I’ve been renting an apartment there since…” She swallowed tightly. The dating site was for second chances after all. “Since my divorce.”
“You seem too young to be divorced,” Brett said, his brows pulling together. His gaze swept over her. “And far too pretty.”
She absorbed the compliment and considered. How open should they be on a first date? What if there wasn’t a second? She measured her answer. “I was young and a bit dazzled by him, I suppose. I met James when I was in college. He was charming and sophisticated and interesting. He liked nice restaurants and fast cars, and I guess I thought I did too. At least for a while.”
Huh. She hadn’t really thought about it in that exact way, but the failure of their marriage hadn’t been all James’s fault. He’d lied and he’d hidden things from her, but she’d been pretending to be something she wasn’t too.
“You don’t like those things?”
“For a treat? Maybe. As a way of life? I’m not much into flash.” She decided to keep the bankruptcy part to herself. No need to reveal everything all at once. “I’m a lot simpler, really. I’m a farm girl at heart. I realized I prefer big skies over bright lights. Food I can pronounce and identify over the latest fusion fad.”
“You were raised on a farm?” Brett seemed both surprised and pleased by the knowledge.
She nodded and relaxed a little. She loved talking about home. “My parents have a small ranch about a half hour from here. I grew up growing my own vegetables and raising chickens too.” She grinned. “Actually, one of the things my ex-husband was most shocked at was that the eggs didn’t come out all nice and clean and white like those from the grocery store.”
She was gratified when Brett chuckled. She’d far rather talk about her upbringing than James. Especially now. Her dad’s heart condition made it harder and harder for him to work, and he was set on selling the ranch, no matter how much she protested. It made her heart hurt just thinking about not having the place to call home anymore.
“How about you?” she asked. “Your profile says you’re a rancher.”
“Yes, ma’am. A beef ranch not far from here.” He nodded. “You had a bit of a drive if you came from Helena,” he acknowledged.
“Not that bad. I’m at the north edge of the city.” She shrugged. “I’ll probably stop at Mom and Dad’s on the way home. Helena’s close enough for me to visit lots. It’s a nice day for a drive. ”
So it was. Late spring was beautiful in Montana. Everything turned newly green and lush, with clear blue skies and rolling farmland and jagged mountains. Melly loved her job, but this time of year, she always found herself missing all the spring activity. Right now, her mom would be putting in the vegetable garden. There was something so satisfying about putting seeds into the earth and being rewarded by green plants that would then become food. The closest she got to that was a couple of planters on her balcony. With a sinking heart, she realized this was probably the last garden her mom would put in at the ranch. Their plan was to move to a smaller house, on a smaller lot, closer to town.
It was bad enough that Melly’s life had fallen apart. Why did the things she relied on to always be there have to change too?
“Busy time of year for you too,” she said, taking another sip of coffee, determined to change the subject. She didn’t need to kill the vibe with her depressing attitude.
“It’s always busy,” he replied, but he smiled again. “Though, yeah, this time of year is particularly hectic, and fun. A few weeks from now will be insane. Vaccines, branding, all the other necessary things that happen to new calves. I’m sure you’re familiar with that.”
She perked up. “Of course I am. Though I have to admit, branding isn’t my favorite job.” She sighed. “And it’s not something I’ve been a part of much since college. I kind of miss it.”
“You don’t go home to help out?”
He couldn’t know how hard that question was to answer. “Not as often as I’d like. Teaching is a pretty demanding job. Though I do visit more in the summer when I’m off.” She didn’t add that James hadn’t liked the ranch. He hadn’t liked the dirt or the smells or anything about it. She’d rarely gone home when they were together. It was only in the last year or so, since the divorce, that she’d visited more frequently, put on her boots and gotten in the saddle again.
“It’s probably the hardest time of the year,” he admitted, “but I love it.” He turned his coffee cup around in his hands. “Actually, I love just about every day on the ranch. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
He looked up at her, and she could swear there was a
defiant set to his jaw, as if daring her to challenge him. She wondered why. Wondered why he’d suddenly sounded a little defensive. If he expected her to disagree, he was going to be disappointed. To her mind, his life was pretty ideal. She was so done with the city, the cramped spaces and the traffic. Maybe it was true. You could take the girl out of the country, but it was a heck of a lot harder to take the country out of the girl.
“So,” she said, a little nervous again, “you’re divorced?”
“I am.” He smiled grimly. “My ex-wife thought ranching sounded a lot more romantic than the reality.”
Melly couldn’t help it, she snorted. Brett’s expression darkened.
She covered her mouth with a hand and tried to straighten her face. “I’m sorry,” she offered, wanting to smooth the fretting wrinkle off his brow. “I didn’t mean to do that. I shouldn’t laugh.”
“Yeah, well, I should have seen it coming. She never did really fit. I was just…”
“Dazzled?” Melly suggested, lifting an eyebrow.
His face relaxed a little and his eyes warmed, as if he appreciated the little bit of wit. “Yeah. Dazzled is one way of putting it. Thinking with the wrong head, if you’ll pardon the crude expression.”
She laughed again. And the wrinkle smoothed just a little bit more.
“Sounds like we both ended up with people a little flashier than our tastes,” she observed. “Or maybe just a little too refined.”
“Maybe,” he conceded. “They might have done better with each other than the likes of us.” He chuckled a little, and she got a tingly kind of feeling from him pairing them together, even in such a casual way.
Melly looked down at her cup. Her coffee was gone. She suspected Brett’s was as well. As dates went, it had been different. And since the word dazzled had been brought up more than once, Melly had to admit she wasn’t quite seeing stars and rainbows. But then there was the hint of a smile he’d shown her earlier, and his manners, and that interesting moment where something had connected between them.
Not love at first sight. But intriguing? Yes. His foot bumped hers under the table and a zing went up her calf. Oh, definitely intriguing.
“Melissa?”
She met his gaze. His clear blue eyes were settled on her, his brows pulled together slightly as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle.
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you decide to use a dating site? You’re a beautiful woman, and I can’t imagine you being desperate or having a hard time finding a guy. I don’t get it.”
She pushed her cup to the side and folded her hands on the table, determined not to fidget or let her nervousness show. “Well, to be honest, I know what I’m looking for in a partner. I’m not a city girl, and I’m not new to marriage. I’ve always enjoyed the outdoors, loved growing up on our ranch. So I figured I’d narrow the search by parameters. The website helped me do that. Kind of a made-to-order thing.” She let a grin crawl up her cheek. “You know, like Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally”. She orders things just the way she wants them. No compromising.”
“And then has that I’ll-have-what-she’s-having moment.”
Ah, yes. The orgasm scene. Melly met Brett’s gaze. Was he flirting? It was hard to tell. He seemed more of a still waters type than an open book. Still, it was a slightly suggestive comment to make at this point in the date, and she took it as a good sign. “You have to give the girl credit,” Melly responded with a wink, flirting back. “She knew what satisfaction looked like.”
The air hummed between them, and Melly lifted her chin a little, almost daring him to respond.
“Except she was faking.” He raised an eyebrow and his eyes twinkled.
Game on. He was flirting with her. Melly felt a little more confidence slide through her and she leaned her elbows on the table, moving slightly more towards him, inviting him closer.
“Oh, she was just demonstrating a point. I’ve never seen the point in faking anything, have you?”
Two spots of color appeared on his cheeks. “Not really. I like a woman who knows how to speak her mind.”
Was it getting warmer in here? It wasn’t so much what they said, but the subtle undertones that seemed to raise her temperature. “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of mystery and surprise. As long as it’s the right kind…”
The moment held, but then Brett suddenly leaned back a little, disengaging from the repartee. “Look, Melissa.”
“Melly.” She didn’t like the sound of the way he said her name this time.
“Melly,” he corrected. “Look, we’re flirting a little here, and as nice as that is, I think I need to be honest with you, because I don’t like to play games. You seem like a really nice woman. But you see…you’re looking for something that I’m not. We don’t want the same things, and I don’t think it would be fair of me to let you think otherwise.”
She appreciated his honesty at least. “Fair enough,” she replied, surprised at how disappointed she felt. Just when they seemed to be getting somewhere, he backed off. “But I hope you realize that I’m not looking at each date as a first step to the altar. You seem like a good guy. Perhaps a little jaded, but hey, failed marriages have that effect. I went with the dating site because it seemed a little less, I don’t know, meat-marketish than heading to the local honky-tonk for a few beers and some dance-floor flirting. That’s not my style. I’m more of a…” But she couldn’t come up with the right words. She was an English teacher, and she was coming up blank.
Brett’s smile blossomed. “More of an online shopper?”
She smiled back. “Wow, that doesn’t sound much better, does it?”
They shared a chuckle and then he spoke again. “So you’re actually thinking you might find love this way.”
“Well, yeah.” It was her turn to frown. “I want to get married again. Have a family. I figure meeting someone with common interests might be a good start, you know?” She looked up at him and decided that if he liked honesty, she might as well give him some. “That doesn’t mean I’m in a huge rush or that I’m taking inventory and trying to check boxes. I’m open to dating for the fun of it.” She blinked slowly. “Do you get what I’m saying?”
“I think I do.” His foot bumped hers under the table again.
“I’m glad neither of us chickened out today. Even if I do have your sister to thank for it.”
He grinned. “Busybody Manda? Yeah, I’m starting to forgive her for her interference. I’m sorry if I’m a bit rusty. I haven’t done this in a while, and I was nervous as hell.” Brett leaned forward on his arms, just a little, like he was preparing to share a secret. “I have to admit I was really relieved when I saw you.”
“You were?”
“You seemed normal. And pretty. And like someone I might have introduced myself to in a different situation. Then when your bag kept slipping—”
“I know. I’m so awkward.” Such an idiot.
“No, that’s not it. I just…I used to feel out of place with my ex. But when that happened, I don’t know. It made me more comfortable. I wasn’t so intimidated.”
The confession softened her heart just a bit. “Aw. And it makes me laugh to think of someone finding me intimidating. Most of the time, I feel like a square peg in a round hole.”
He shook his head. “No way.” To her surprise, his face went a bit red. “You’re very pretty, Melly.”
He’d called her pretty twice now, and it gave her a lot more confidence. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
And there it was again. That jolt of excitement, of anticipation. Startling by its very presence, and delicious too.
Damn.
She held out her hand again, this time without the handbag flopping on her wrist. “Can we start over? Hi, Brett. I’m Melly. I’m twenty-nine, divorced, and I like skies full of stars, long walks, a cold beer on
a hot day and wild roses.”
He held her gaze as he fit his hand into hers. “Brett Harrison. I’m thirty-two, divorced, like the smell of fresh-cut hay, my mama’s blueberry pie, watching the sunrise and—” he grinned, “—a cold beer on a hot day.”
His hand was warm, firm, lingering.
Then he squeezed her fingers in his.
“Do you want to get out of here? Go for one of those walks maybe?”
So the date wasn’t over. Melly got the feeling that it was actually just beginning.
“I’d like that,” she replied. “I think I’d like that a lot.”
Chapter Three
They left the coffee shop and stepped into the bright May sunlight. Melly wasn’t familiar with Gibson, though the town was small and easily navigated. When Brett explained that there was a walking trail a block and a half south of Main that went along the river, Melly thought it sounded lovely. And public.
The trail wasn’t paved, but it was leveled and covered with a thin layer of finely crushed rock. They turned right, walking so the river was on their left, darts of light sparkling off the surface in the early evening sun. It truly was pretty, and Melly let out a breath, relaxing a bit more. They weren’t the only ones out on the trail, and she was delighted to see the odd bench or picnic table set up for people to rest or enjoy the view. She imagined people coming here to have their lunch, or packing a picnic and letting their kids run free on the grass. “This is really gorgeous,” she commented as they strolled.
“I’m kind of surprised you said yes,” Brett replied, his boots crunching against the gravel. “My sister, Manda—the one who set us up—thought you’d probably bring a friend as backup. You know, meeting a stranger and all.”
Melly looked up at him. “I considered asking my friend, Leanne, to come along as backup. Honestly, I was glad you suggested coffee.” She laughed a little. “Or rather, your sister did. Coffee is a low-maintenance date. Easy escape route.” She smiled. “Just in case you were a troll or creepy or something.”
