Page 43 of A Gift for the Hopeful Cowboy

Pippa swallowed hard. The message had been read and those three little dots that indicated someone on the other end would respond hadn’t materialized yet. “Anything could happen.”

“That doesn’t mean it would be bad.”

She held up the phone. “He’s read the message. He’s not talking. What do you think that means?”

Allie’s eyes narrowed and she leaned forward. “He said he’d love to.”

Pippa gasped, turning the phone back to face her. Sure enough, Rob’s response was right there in front of her. He was going to meet her in town on Christmas Eve. She was going to get a chance to make things right. She couldn’t tell if she wanted to laugh or cry. In the end, she did both, her eyes lifting to Allie’s.

“He’s gonna come.”

Pippa laced her fingers together and jammed the knitted gloves harder onto her hands, surrounded by hundreds of people and yet feeling more alone than she could remember. She fidgeted in her place and shifted back and forth as her eyes swept through the crowd. She’d told him to meet her at the sleigh that Brent had built several years ago as a set piece for photo-ops, one of the easiest things to spot. A few feet away, the rest of her family stood in line for hot chocolate.

Rob hadn’t shown up yet and a part of her worried that he wasn’t going to come. But she didn’t have any reason to believe he would lie to her. He’d be here. She just had to be patient.

“Pippa!” Allie called, drawing her attention. “Would you like one?”

She shook her head, waving her hand dismissively. She didn’t think she’d be able to keep it down even if she tried. There was a roaring in her ears that wouldn’t go away. That, coupled with the noise from those coming and going around her, made it difficult to focus on anything but the impending situation she’d put herself in with Rob.

“You look pretty tonight.”

Pippa gasped and jumped at the quiet, warm, and husky voice that came right behind her ear. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she couldn’t find her breath as she spun around and stared wide-eyed at Rob. They’d only been apart for a week and yet he still had the same effect on her that he’d had when he’d first shown up.

She slipped her fingers around her ear as if she were tucking strands there—even though all her hair was pulled into braids underneath a woven hat. She offered him a surprised smile.

“Thank you,” she whispered breathlessly.

He looked more handsome than ever in a pair of nice jeans, boots, and his sheepskin coat she adored so much. The cowboy hat on his head only added to the look. Rob touched the brim of the hat with his fingertips, but his eyes never left her face.

She lost track of how long they stood like that. The world could stop spinning and come to an end and she wouldn’t even notice. Heat flooded her face. Why was it that she couldn’t move or speak? How long had they known each other? How many secrets had they shared already? She needed to reach out and grab some courage, otherwise, this whole evening would be for nothing.

“You think we could go somewhere a little more… private?”

The lump in her throat prevented her from speaking. All she could do was nod. This was her moment. If she didn’t take it, Allie would be furious.

More than that, Pippa would be furious. Opportunities like this one only came around once.

When Rob reached for her hand, a thrill shot through her. She stifled a smile as he tugged her toward a darkened shop. Allie had been right. Pippa and Rob needed this.

CHAPTER TWENTY

If Pippa hadn’t reached out to him first, Rob would have caved. It was hard to put into words how he felt when he saw her again. Hearing her voice made all his worries fall away. There was no telling how this meeting would end, but if he did things right, he wouldn’t be walking away empty-handed.

They wove through the crowd toward a quiet space between two buildings. All around them, people came and went. Christmas music blasted from speakers that had been strategically placed around town, and lights twinkled everywhere he looked.

But the best part of being here was that Pippa hadn’t pulled away from him when he’d taken her hand in his. Their connection was all it took to make him feel whole again. When they reached a space where they wouldn’t be overheard, he stopped and faced her.

Pippa stared up into his eyes, then looked away. She squirmed as if she felt trapped being with him like this. He nearly asked her if she would feel more comfortable if they were moving—wandering through the village while they spoke—but she prevented him from making the offer with her quiet voice.

“I’m sorry—” She started the apology then cut herself off as her cheeks flushed scarlet.

“You don’t have to be?—”

“I overstepped. I shouldn’t have assumed that you needed my help. I want you to know that if nothing else.”

Rob took her other hand in his so he grasped both. “I had a lot of time to think things over. The problem is I’ve been doubting myself more than usual lately. I haven’t felt… worthy of you.”

Her eyes widened but before she could say anything, he continued.

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