Page 12 of A Gift for the Hopeful Cowboy

His smile dropped. She was referring to his younger years, when he’d insisted on having all the perks of a girlfriend without being tied down to one. He’d been able to show her off to his friends, hold her hand, enjoy her company—but most of all, it was the kissing.

Rob turned his focus to his burger and plucked a piece of onion from the interior before popping it into his mouth. “I guess you’re right,” he said, though he really wanted to tell her he’d been wrong. While certain vices are appropriate to indulge in moderation, there were several that weren’t a wise thing in which to partake.

They’d nearly succumbed to one of his favorite vices a couple times now, and each time Pippa had been the one to pull back and refuse him. He glanced at her again. The temptation to ask her grew until he couldn’t take it any longer.

Rob cleared his throat and put his burger down. “You’ve always been one of my favorite vices.”

Man, that sounded ridiculous, and by the way her head snapped around so she could look at him straight on, he knew his mistake. He’d officially labeled her as something in which he shouldn’t indulge.

She coughed, then laughed as she covered her mouth, currently full of a large bite of her cheeseburger. “Gee thanks, Rob,” she said with a teasing sarcasm. “I’ve always wanted to be someone’s drug.”

“It’s not like that,” he said, regretting his decision. Why couldn’t he control himself when he was around her? Why did he have to turn into such a creep? “Sorry?—”

Pippa placed a hand on his forearm and chuckled again. “I was teasing. You know what they say. It takes two. If it makes you feel less weird…” Her voice trailed off. “You were one of my favorite ones, too.”

Maybe it was her soft voice. Maybe it was the close confines of his truck. Maybe it was simply being in her presence again and reliving all the good times they’d had. Regardless of the reasons, Rob wanted more.

He leaned toward her. It was only a slight movement, but it was enough. Just like before, Pippa pulled back.

She covered it up well—shifting the burger to both hands and taking another bite. But that burger would be gone before long. And then she wouldn’t have any way to cover up that she wasn’t ready to kiss him. Of course she didn’t have to have a reason to not be ready, but she definitely didn’t want to have the conversation. She didn't want to admit to being a little afraid.

They finished their meal and sat in the truck as the tension between them mounted. Rob didn’t know how much longer he could take the silence. The question about her avoiding his advances was burning a hole right through him, but there was nowhere to go if that conversation went sideways.

He jerked his chin down the street. “Want to go for a walk? It’s pretty nice for a night in November.”

Pippa smiled. “That sounds like fun. I could show you around.”

It was as good an idea as any. If she was busy talking about the shops and the people she knew, he would be distracted enough that he wouldn’t have to point out how much things had changed between them.

They met on the sidewalk and Pippa wasted no time diving in. “Up here, is Scoops Creamery. It’s one of the hot spots during the summertime—obviously. And even during the day in the winter.” She glanced at him with mischief. “Do you want to stop and get some ice cream?”

He shook his head. “I’m good. It probably doesn’t hold a candle to Sweet Everything’s black forest brownies, though.”

“Probably not.” She laughed. “There’s the Cozy Cup across the street. Ruth owns it and she’s got the best macchiatos in town. Down that way is the sheriff’s station and the clinic. We have a resort on the other side of town, and right in the town circle there’s the cutest little diner.” She stopped in front of a darkened shop, but the window was lit up.

Rob pulled himself up short and turned to see the display. From what he could tell, it was a hair salon, but in the window, the owner had put up some Christmas decorations already.

Pippa smiled. “That’s what we have to look forward to in the next couple weeks. Everyone in town puts up a display so the kids can come through town and look at them. It’s one of the things I love the most around here.”

Rob watched the light enter her eyes as she spoke about her favorite traditions. He couldn’t help but smile with her. Pippa loved the upcoming holiday more than anyone else he knew. While she usually visited in the summertime, she’d send him a card or a gift every Christmas without fail.

She glanced over to him and her expression sobered. Her eyes locked with his, and for a moment, it almost felt like they were transported back to the first time they kissed. The pressure had only continued to build since he’d shown up and he could sense it would burst soon with or without his help.

He’d always been attracted to her. That had never been called into question. Pippa had definitely been his type back when he was young and dumb—she was everything he needed except for one thing. Though she didn’t admit it, he knew she wanted to settle down. She was the “good girl” who needed commitment. What had been nice at the time was the literal physical distance between them. He was able to convince her their no commitment plan would be better since long-distance relationships never worked out.

Well, they weren’t long-distance anymore.

“Why haven’t you let me kiss you?” He blurted the question without thinking, but Rob hated that it was the one thing he couldn’t shake from his head. Pippa had always been flirtatious and ready for some fun.

While his opinion on relationships had shifted as he’d gotten older, he still felt more attached to Pippa than anyone else in his life. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to explore the possibility of a deeper relationship than they’d had in the past.

“What?” she said.

“You’re avoiding me.”

Her loud laughter almost echoed off the buildings on the street. It might have been from the chill in the air, or it might have been because the buildings were old, but the sound bounced off every surface, only making the situation more strained.

“No, I’m not. I’m here with you, now, aren’t I?”

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