Page 45 of A Gift for the Hopeful Cowboy

He shrugged and gestured all around them. “When people in this town decide to do all of this, it’s easy to expect that the kids born into it would have a stronger faith in the tradition.”

“Maybe,” she said. “Or maybe you don’t want to make me feel bad.” Her teasing tone was the only thing that rescued him from the guilt that hovered just below the surface. She sighed as she stared out at the rest of the town. “But it’s like I said. You get to a point where you have to make your own magic.”

He watched her closely, sensing there was a deeper meaning to her words. He didn’t know what it was, but he didn’t dare ask her to tell him more. They started walking again and he lost track of time simply by being in her presence. So many thoughts crossed his mind as he considered where he wanted his life to go.

Being with Pippa was a given. Then there was the issue with his interest in furthering his career via a completed college degree. Rob shot another look in her direction. If he wanted any of that to happen, he needed to jump in and tell her before he lost his nerve.

“Pippa, I wanted to?—”

She pulled him to a stop, and he stumbled over his words as he realized where they were. Right in front of him was the wishing well. While it was covered in lights for the event, it didn’t seem to be the main attraction tonight so they were alone as Pippa stared into its depths. She glanced up at him and pulled her hand from his to grasp the edge of the well and lean over.

Her expression grew contemplative. “Part of the magic of this town has always been the well. I don’t know what it is about this thing, but people love it.”

“I don’t doubt it,” he said. The way she stared into the well urged him forward. “You said you made wishes before.”

Her blush deepened and she cut a glance in his direction. “Of course I’ve made wishes.”

“Did any of them pan out?”

Pippa let out an embarrassed laugh. “You’re not going to let me get away without telling you about my wishes, are you?”

He shrugged. “Maybe it’s my way of getting to know you better than I already do.”

She turned and leaned against the well, her head tilted. “What kind of wishes do you think I made?”

Rob shrugged again. “You were a teenage girl. You probably wished about boys.”

This time, her eyes darted to the ground, and she didn’t lift them to meet his as he spoke to her. He could sense the embarrassment growing.

“It’s silly to make wishes about other people. That would take away their free will.”

“But you did wish about a boy once, didn’t you?” Rob teased.

Pippa rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I made a wish in high school that a boy would take me to prom.”

“Did it come true?”

Her eyes darted to meet his and she lifted a brow. “No.” Her straight expression broke into a smile, and she laughed. “That’s probably one of the more frivolous wishes I tossed a coin for.”

“There were others?”

Pippa groaned good-naturedly and he couldn’t help but love the way their banter was returning.

“Okay, if they weren’t about boys, what did you wish for? Tell me your most recent one.”

Her eyes cut to meet his and she sighed. “The night before I opened my restaurant, I came out here and tossed in practically a whole dollar for it to be successful.”

His brows lifted.

“I know, I know.” She laughed. “After all that talk about making my own magic, I was one of those people who couldn’t stay away. I make wishes too.”

“Seems to me that you did make your own magic. You put in the work and applied some faith and look what you came out with. Maybe the well is magic, but you have to apply some honest effort to make it work.”

Pippa stared hard at him, tilting her head as she did. “Do you truly believe that?” Her question almost sounded like she was asking herself more than him, but he answered anyway.

“Sure. Why not? I think there has to be at least a little bit of magic in the world for things like this to happen.” He motioned to the town. “And I’d like to think you’re a little bit of proof, too.”

Her brows furrowed. He wasn’t sure why he’d said that. He was getting too close to the core reason for him coming. This was it. He needed to tell her that he’d come here for her. He’d come because he’d thought if he was near her, he’d find his way. She needed to know that she was the reason he wanted to be better.

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