Page 7 of A Gift for the Hopeful Cowboy

“That’s what I’m good at.” He grinned at her and reached for her hand.

It was those small gestures that made her wonder about his intentions. He was in a new town. Maybe he wanted companionship. Maybe he was trying to rebuild the friendship they’d had when she’d been in Montana.

Rob’s eyes drilled into her, serious and full of something she couldn’t read. But his smile told a different story. He quite possibly could be teasing her. He tilted his head with a wink.

“When do I get to take you out on an official date like the ones we used to have?”

“Like the ones we used to have,” she mumbled, staring at their hands. Her eyes flitted up to meet his. “You mean the nights when we wanted to have some fun and forget about the world?”

“Yeah,” he said. “Those.”

She nearly asked him if he thought they might be getting too old for their pact. She wasn’t above teasing him about it or bringing it up, but it had been two years. She’d changed—and she wanted more out of her relationships.

Unfortunately, she chickened out. Pippa couldn’t tell him any of her thoughts. The Rob she knew would completely shut down. He didn’t want attachments. Heck, he might have moved here to get away from a girl who was getting too clingy. And who wouldn’t be? Rob was a catch—if he would only find someone who could make him happy and settle down.

One more date for posterity wouldn’t hurt. They could take a walk down memory lane.

She nodded. “I think that sounds fun. Maybe we can plan something in December.” Her eyes brightened. “All the decorations in the town square will be up this weekend. And they’re setting up a skating rink. It's always so much fun.”

“It’s a date,” Rob said. He still held her hand, and it took all her willpower to step back to put distance between them.

“Well, I gotta get to work. I’ve got some great employees, but some of them wouldn’t peel a potato right if I wasn’t there.”

Rob chuckled and Pippa joined in. Then, on a whim, she moved forward and pulled him in for a hug. His arms lingered at her waist, and for a second, she was transported back to high school.

Pippa was the first to pull back. She waved and slipped away before she did something she might really regret.

CHAPTER FOUR

Rob stepped from his truck and closed the door as he got his first real good look at Pippa’s restaurant. It was bigger than he’d expected. The way she talked about it, he would have thought she owned a boutique restaurant on the corner with a quaint little seating area outside.

That was what French bistros had, right?

Except that wasn’t what he was staring at. This was not a restaurant run by a person who had no classical training. It was a star on a map of this small town and he didn’t have to step inside to see that.

A couple glanced in his direction as they entered the building. The looks they gave him made it clear he was underdressed. The problem was, he didn’t have nicer clothes here. He’d fit what he could in a suitcase and drove to town with the intention of eventually sending for a few boxes of his things.

Rob stared down at his muddied boots with disdain. Dust clung to his jeans and no amount of whacking his legs would release it all. At least his shirt had buttons. That was something.

His focus shifted to the restaurant once more. He’d promised Pippa he’d come. If he didn’t show, she wouldn’t be very happy with him. She’d probably hold it against him—but this time, the grudge would last longer than a few hours.

He couldn’t let her down. And he never broke a promise.

After straightening his shoulders, Rob strode across the sidewalk toward the entrance. The building had a large window with drawn shutters. It was constructed of old brick, making the place look like it had been there for years. A set of double doors welcomed him as he pulled them open to gain access to the restaurant.

A cute little hostess stood at a podium in the entry way, dressed in black slacks and a white blouse. Not a hair was out of place. She smiled warmly at him, though it faltered briefly before she self-corrected.

Unfortunately, Rob had noticed the small reaction to how he was dressed. It would be fine. Pippa had mentioned cowboys liked to come to The Local Table after work on the weekends. Surely, they wouldn’t bother changing into suits just to sit at the bar.

A glance around the room didn’t make him feel any more confident. Everywhere he looked, couples were dressed like they’d stopped in after church rather than working with their hands all day.

“How many in your party?”

He shot a look toward the hostess, not for the first time considering what would happen if he walked away and told Pippa he’d come by another time. He could come back when he'd had time for a shower. Showing up in clothes not dusted with ranch dirt would be much better.

“Sir?”

Rob grunted as he removed his cowboy hat and turned it over in his hands. “I was hoping to have a seat at the bar. Can you point me in the right direction?”

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