Page 15 of A Gift for the Hopeful Cowboy

She grinned, taking her seat beside him. “And I know you’re not going to be interested in the Brussels sprouts, but you have to try one bite.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I would rather eat an onion like an apple.”

She shook her head with a laugh. “Just try it. I roasted them with a special balsamic glaze. You’ve never tried anything like them.”

Rob grimaced once more. “I’ve never tried anything like them because I hate Brussels sprouts.”

Pippa laughed, knowing full well he’d give it all a try. He’d never been nearly as picky as she had been. She enjoyed watching him try each item and moan with pleasure as he pointed out what he liked about each one.

“Just wait until you try the dessert. I have one of my best pastry chefs on it. She’s making a rustic banana pudding with fluffy meringue.”

He shook his head with disbelief. “I knew you liked cooking, but I never thought you’d end up with a place like this. You never went to culinary school. I don’t know how you did it.”

She beamed at the compliment. “When you find something you love, you don’t need to go to school. You said that once, right?”

A shadow of something crossed over his face. He glanced away and leaned back in his seat. “I’m beginning to wonder if I was wrong about some stuff.”

Pippa nearly choked on the water she was sipping. “Do my ears deceive me? Is the great Rob actually admitting he has had a change of heart?”

He shrugged, his smile stealing across his face. “I don’t know. Sometimes I wonder what things would have been like if I’d completed college. Would I be running something of my own instead of being just a ranch hand?”

She leaned forward, turning serious. “You’re not just a ranch hand. You know how important it is to have men you can count on to run an operation like your father’s or Brent’s.”

“Yeah, I guess.” He sighed.

“Is that what’s bothering you? Is that why you came out here? It’s not your dad, is it?” Pippa continued to study him. “He’s not saying you made the wrong choice, is he?”

Rob shook his head. “Nah. This is all on me.”

She could hear his disappointment in himself. That tone he didn’t use often tugged at her heart just a little. “You know it’s not too late, right? You realize you can still do it if that’s what you want.”

He frowned, his eyes trained on his plate. “Forget I said anything.”

“What? Why?” She reached across the table and took his hand, but he pulled back.

“It was just something I was thinking about, that’s all. It’s not like I’ll be able to do it anyway. I’m where I’m at because of my choices and that’s fine.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “But you sure made something of yourself. I’m so proud of you.”

He was deflecting and they both knew it. But he might recall she wasn’t the type to get brushed aside so easily. She already knew he was here for a reason he wasn’t saying. If his college experience was one of the issues at hand, then she wanted to get it out in the open. Maybe she could help him out.

“There’s a community college in the next city over. I bet if you applied?—”

He shot to his feet. “I don’t want to talk about college, Pippa. Thanks for the meal, but it’s getting late. I should probably head out. I’m sure you have a lot to do around here.”

He turned on his heel and strode toward the back door. She couldn’t just let him walk away. What were friends for if they couldn’t be there for each other?

CHAPTER EIGHT

Rob marched toward the door, not caring about the looks the chefs gave him. He just kept making mistakes. He knew better than to bring up college to Pippa. Back when he’d dropped out, she’d been one of the first to tell him he was making a mistake. He could already feel the judgment coming off her.

She probably hadn’t meant it the way he'd taken in. In fact, he was smart enough to know she definitely didn’t mean for him to feel upset by any of it. Truth was, he had his own issues to resolve—like developing a thicker skin. Unfortunately, it was hard when Pippa could be pushy about things like this. She’d get it in her head that he needed college to fulfill something inside him and she’d keep pushing until it came between them.

The bigger problem was he couldn’t help but feel she was right. Hadn’t he moved out here to see what his life could be like when he wasn’t under his father’s thumb? Hadn’t he chosen this area specifically because he wanted to be closer to Pippa? There had to be some small part of him that knew he would end up taking this path and, in the end, might give in.

It just wasn’t for today.

A hand grabbed his just as he stepped through the heavy metal door. He jumped and spun around to find Pippa, breathing heavily like she’d just run a marathon.

Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked mildly annoyed. “Why did you do that?”

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