Page 19 of One Lucky Cowboy

Jax didn’t even think of looking at his watch over the next two hours and six whiskeys they shared between them. Which was saying something considering the bomb she’d dropped on his newly planned exit strategy from MBE. Instead, all he hoped, from the moment they were seated at a back table in the dimly lit restaurant until dessert showed up, was that Steiner wouldn’t show up and want to chat business, ruining what was turning into a pretty bang-up evening.

He did swing by briefly to see how their dinner—and his orders—were going, but in less time than it took to drink a glass of eighteen-year Macallan, Jill charmed Steiner into doubling his October order in advance of the winter when things would be tighter.

“She’s a shark, this one,” Steiner said, slapping Jax on the back. Didn’t he know it. “Hold on to her.”

Jax had laughed obligatorily, but something in his chest pulsed at the idea of holding onto any part of Jill.

Then they were alone again, and for a man who didn’t date—thanks to his high school heartbreak for that part of his charming personality—he was having a good time on one. They chatted about what made ranches so great to Jax, why Jill loved the city, and the books both of them had read and recommended. It was pretty damn nice to just … talk to someone without any expectation of taking them home or thwarting something more serious.

The only downside was her adamant opinion that the rodeo was a great way to kill oneself fast or ruin what was left of life with a debilitating injury. So, how could he tell her where he was going to work?

Still, since they weren’t dating, he reasoned he didn’t have to tell her anything he didn’t want to. He wouldn’t lie to her, but nor did he have to offer up any unsolicited information that would damn their friendship right off the bat.

When she excused herself to use the restroom, Jax texted Bennett to let him know about the Steiner up sale.

Bennett sent a thumbs-up emoji and an equally infuriating reply. “See? You’re good at this, like it or not.”

“Um, it was Jill, but thanks,” he typed out, then deleted it.

Jax had been getting a lot of those kinds of messages from his brother recently, as if Bennett could sense Jax’s itchy feet. Tonight, instead of stewing about it, Jax put his phone away and rested his chin in his palms as Jill sauntered back.

“I’m so full I felt like one of your cows after a day in the field.”

“Well, you’d better have some room left.”

They were waiting on some brownie concoction Jill had ordered. He didn’t usually care for dessert—give him more dinner any day over sweets—but how could he turn down her request to share when it had come with pleading eyes he felt he could drown in, and her hands clasped and resting on his chest? He’d eat a whole tray of brownies if she’d look at him like that. Like he alone was responsible for giving her what she wanted.

“Oh, I’ve got a separate stomach for desserts.”

He chuckled. “You do know cows have four? Well, one, technically. But four compartments?”

“See? I’m just as awesome as them.” She smiled wide. Whiskey-relaxed looked good on this woman.

“So, tell me how you ended up at Steel Born, Jill Henley. I seem to recall there being a family connection to the rodeo industry you could’ve exploited.”

She giggled and tilted her head to the right. It left the nape of her neck exposed and good God why did he want to kiss that swath of skin to see what it tasted like.

The brownie was delivered, and Jill wasted no time diving in. He shook his head and focused on her answer.

“Yes, Henley Apparel was, shall we say, an option. But it wasn’t—”

“A calling?”

She nodded, the corner of her lips quirked up along with her brows. Taking a forkful of brownie, she held it out to him. He took it, and yeah, it was a well-made dessert, but not as nice as being fed by an attractive woman.

“Exactly. If I stayed, I would’ve wondered what I was possible of on my own, doing something that I loved. I had to cut them off if I was gonna find out, or I never would have been brave enough to try and make a go of it with Maggie.”

He took a play from her book and fed her a bite, which she took like a hungry toddler being offered a chicken nugget.

“When did you quit?”

She grinned, and he opted not to tell her there was a bit of gooey chocolate goodness stuck between her teeth. He also opted not to help her remove it by kissing it free.

Christ, he was in top form tonight, wasn’t he?

“Yesterday.”

He let out a bark of a laugh, then mouthed, sorry when people turned to stare.

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