Page 22 of A Gift for the Hopeful Cowboy

“That’s ridiculous. I always thought you were open with me. You never said you struggled with the restaurant.”

She gave him a pointed look. “Think about what was happening when I finished school. I’d started before you. I fast-tracked my degree. You were there for two years.”

His brows furrowed. “I…” The realization hit him hard in the chest, knocking the wind from him. “I dropped out.”

She nodded. “It’s fine. We don’t have to talk about it. Clearly, you weren’t ready to talk about it last weekend. We can talk about something else. Ask me anything.”

He continued to frown. “So, you didn’t tell me you were having a hard time because you thought I wouldn’t want to hear about it?”

This was one more reason he didn’t feel he was good enough for her. What kind of guy quit college after the girl he liked finally convinced him to go? He’d taken her suggestions and thrown them back in her face.

“Don’t worry about it. We weren’t exactly serious, remember? Just friends.”

He tugged her to a stop and peered down at her. “I was wrong.”

Her eyes widened. “About what?”

“About all of it.”

She glanced around and let out a nervous laugh. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He wanted so badly to tell her he was wrong about their no commitment rule. He wanted to insist he was wrong about so many things and that he was trying to change. He wanted to ask her out, not just so they could have fun but so they could start something serious. And then he faltered.

“I was wrong about college.”

This conversation was going to be a hard one to swallow. He hadn’t wanted to bring it up with her. He wanted to keep it buried until he was ready to deal with it. But it seemed easier to talk about than his feelings for her.

Rob heaved a sigh and pulled her toward the side of the rink, then to the exit so they could find a bench to sit on. When they did, he held up his hands.

“You wait here. I’m gonna get us some hot chocolate.”

She nodded her understanding.

Rob didn’t know what he was doing with his life, but something inside him made him want to be better, do better. He wanted to make something of himself. First steps could be anything. Today, it was digging up his past.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Pippa watched Rob leave, unable to calm her racing heart. When Rob had said he was wrong, she’d wanted him to say he was wrong about the two of them. She’d almost expected him to bring up their strange relationship.

When he hobbled back on his ice skates with two cups in hand, she accepted one and he took a seat beside her. After their last conversation about his college experience, she wasn’t sure how to approach things. Rob hadn’t seemed like he wanted to talk about any of it.

Rob let out a heavy breath and glanced at her several times. It was as if there were something deeper preventing him from beginning the dialogue.

Pippa wanted so much to tell him it was okay. They didn’t have to talk about his college degree. Granted, he’d never been open about why he’d dropped out. She’d just figured he’d left because he hadn’t wanted to be there in the first place.

She held her hot chocolate with both hands and stared down into its warm, chestnut-hued depths. It was funny how certain things could be so easy to discuss with him and yet other things were incredibly difficult.

“I never told you the reason I dropped out of college,” he said.

“You didn’t have to. Didn’t your mom get sick around that time? I just figured?—”

“There were a lot of reasons.” Rob’s voice was quiet. The sadness seeped out like a leaky faucet. He didn’t look at her while he spoke, and each word that came from his mouth only tugged at her more. “You’re right. My mom got sick. But it wasn’t so terrible that I needed to come home from college. She got through it.”

Pippa stared at him as he stared into his own drink. “I thought you’d end up going back eventually.”

“I think a part of me thought I would, too.” He peeked at her. “I wanted to make you proud.”

She stiffened. He’d never said anything like that before. Theirs was always a comfortable and casual relationship. Her stomach tightened and her pulse accelerated.

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