Page 54 of A Cameo for a Cowgirl

“Tom Chavez? You know, the Tom who is always talking to you any chance he gets.”

“Oh, please. We’re just friends,” Jess scoffed. “Besides, I don’t know if Franklin would want one of his teammates going out with his sisters.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s got the potential to mess things up if it goes wrong,” Jess said matter-of-factly, before eating another fry.

Huh. Jess had clearly thought this through. Which meant that she wasn’t perhaps as non-aware of Tom as she might like to portray. Which meant it was her big sister duty to say, “But what if things went right?”

Jess gave another half-shrug. “To be honest, I don’t really have time for a relationship right now. I’m snowed under with work, and I have to work as much as I can to pay off my loans.”

Cassie winced. “I bet you’re thankful for the scholarships you received.” As the smartest sibling in the James family, Jess had received more than a few awards over the years.

“So grateful. But hey, I don’t mind working, even though it would’ve been nice to spend the day with you, instead of dealing with more cats and dogs.” Jess sipped her virgin margarita. “You’ll appreciate this. I even got to deal with a python today.”

“Yeah, no. Not super appreciating that.”

Jess laughed. “So, how is the handsome hero?”

Honestly, it was like her sisters were related the way they carried on sometimes. “He’s fine.” That was safest to say. He probably was fine, anyway.

“You know he wasn’t the one responsible for changing the movie at Hannah’s girl’s afternoon.”

He wasn’t?

Jess eyed her. “That was Poppy.”

“Oh.” Her gaze dropped to the white tablecloth. Maybe he wasn’t as self-absorbed as she’d thought.

“Some of the other women weren’t loving the non-period appropriateness of the movie, so they were happy enough to change it. And Poppy was happy enough to oblige.”

Her heart knotted, and she peeked up. “Do…do you think she likes him?”

“Poppy? Like Harrison?” Jess blinked. “You mean as more than just a friend?”

Cassie winced, hating how her question had exposed her. “She did spend an awful lot of time with him that Saturday, driving him to the hospital then back home.”

“She did that because somebody else wouldn’t.”

Jess could melt glass with that gaze. Cassie didn’t have the heart to justify why she hadn’t.

“Besides, I don’t think it would matter if she did.” Jess’s lips curved.

No, Jess wasn’t implying what she thought she was, was she? Although hadn’t that been exactly what she’d wanted to know? Oh, how had she gotten stuck in this no man’s land of ambiguity? Where had straight shooter Cassie gone? She swallowed, then finally admitted, “He asked me to have dinner with him.”

Jess didn’t seem one bit surprised. “And?”

“And I said I wouldn’t have dinner alone with a man unless he was a Christian.”

Jess clinked her glass against Cassie’s. “Good for you.”

“Yeah, but since then I’ve felt bad. Like, I’m trying to stand up for my values, but this world does not make it easy.”

“Sure doesn’t.” Jess’s gaze held steady. “But it’s a good thing we have a God who understands that, and gives us grace and strength when we need it.”

Oh, she needed it.

Cassie was thankful for the waiter’s interruption as he asked if everything was satisfactory.

---