“I’m glad you like it,” he said to me.
“Oh, she does, don’t you, babe?” Lolita answered for me.
I shoved a forkful of pavlova into my mouth and nodded.
“So, you live on that big farm by yourself?” Lolita was relentless.
He swallowed a mouthful of his treat. “Sort of. My folks have a cottage on one of the boundaries, and I have another couple of houses a bit aways, where staff lodgefrom time to time, and then there’s my place.”
Lolly lookedtotallyimpressed.I,on the other hand, couldn’t stand the thought of living within walking distance of my parents.
Billy pushed his half-finished meal away and dabbed his napkin to his lips. “I think I’ve intruded on your morning enough.”He tossed a twenty-dollar bill onto the tableand stood, reached for his hat, and pushed his chair in.“Will I see you later, Jane?”
“You will,” Lolly answered for me again, and I smacked her arm.
Billy laughed and tipped his hat. “Well, if you’re interested, I’m in room twenty. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lolita.”
“Oh, the pleasure was all mine, Cowboy Billy.”
He adjusted his hat, turned, and ambled away.
Lolly started giggling the second he left, and as we watched his sexy butt in his perfectly fitted faded jeans, her laughter hit a new crescendo. Soon, I couldn’t help myself and roared with laughter, too.
I slapped her again. “You’re out of control.”
“You loved it.”
I huffed. “I don’t know about that.”
“I do. Besides, I asked all those questions for you. At least now you know more abouthim.”
That was true. I’d exploredjust aboutevery inch ofhisbody, but until now, I knew next to nothing about the man in the cowboy hat.
“And?”
“And what?”
“What do you think of him now?”
I stirred my spoon around my coffee mug as I contemplated my answer.Whilsthecertainly made my heart flutter, washethe man for me? For my future?
“Okay,” she said. “Time’s up. Tell me what you’re thinking.”
I took a sip of my coffee. “Billy is incredible.He’s sexy—has an amazing body.He’s gentleand kindand seems to know what he wants in life.”
“He wants you.”
I cocked my head in response.
“He does. Look at him—he was drooling over you.”
“No, he wasn’t.”
“Hell, yes, he was.”
I lowered my eyes from her intense gaze. “Hey, you haven’t touched your cheesecake.”
She pulled a sad face.