Page 27 of Road to a Cowboy

On the other hand, he had everything to be nervous about.

This was Cal.

Cal, who’d held Austin’s hand the entire time he’d gotten stitches on his elbow after he’d fallen out of a tree during recess in second grade.

Cal, who’d share his math homework with Austin when Austin would get distracted with his photography.

Cal, who provided the voice of reason when Austin had grand ideas, like putting a worm on their teacher’s chair or skipping first period to play soccer at the park.

Cal, who’d been a steady presence in Austin’s life for so long that Austin didn’t remember a time when he hadn’t been there.

Cal, who Austin knew inside and out.

Except... he didn’t know this Cal. He knew his best friend. He knew the rancher. He knew the son who went out of his way to support a mother who didn’t appreciate him.

He didn’t know what Cal-as-potential-partner material was like.

But he was looking forward to finding out.

Facing himself in the mirror, Austin tucked an errant strand of hair back into place. He’d opted for an indigo shirt tucked into white slacks and a sports jacket in dark teal that he’d bought purely because the sales associate had said that it brought out his eyes.

Austin wasn’t above using every advantage to get Cal to fall for him as hard as Austin had fallen for him.

Although... was it possible Cal already had? He’d agreed to the date.

It wasn’t a pity date, was it?

Fuck. What if it was a pity date?

As quickly as the thought hijacked his mind, he shook it off. Cal wouldn’t go on a pity date, even with him. If he wasn’t interested, he would’ve declined.

Austin had expected him to decline. When he hadn’t answered right away, back at Windsor Ranch, Austin’s heart had sunk as quickly as a shooting star fled from view. And when Cal had shown up with dinner last night, Austin had known just by the downturn of Cal’s gray eyes that he was about to be gently let down.

He’d braced himself for it. Told himself it would be okay. That now that he knew Cal wasn’t interested, he could move on.

He hadn’t realized that a small part of him had held on to hope until Cal had told him that he didn’t want to pretend Austin had been making a bad joke.

That whole knock-me-over-with-a-feather thing? Austin hadn’t known it was a real sensation until then.

Nerves rolling around in his stomach like wayward tumbleweeds, Austin grabbed his keys and wallet and headed out. It took about ten seconds to drive from his house to Cal’s, and when he pulled into Cal’s driveway, Cal was already waiting on the porch.

“What’s that look for?” Cal asked once he’d buckled himself in.

“You were supposed to let me knock on your door,” Austin grumbled.

“I don’t think you’ve ever knocked on my door,” Cal said with a smile. “You’ve always let yourself in.”

“That’s not the point. You were supposed to let me knock and pick you up properly. Like a proper first date.”

A complicated series of emotions passed over Cal’s face. “Do you... want me to go back inside?”

“No, I... No.” Huffing out a breath that was an odd mix of amusement at himself and disappointment, Austin backed out of the driveway. “Just... wait inside next time.”

There was a short pause before Cal said, “Sure.”

The drive to Ce Soir downtown was a short one, but then it didn’t take long to get anywhere in Windsor. The inside of the French restaurant was quite lush: gold accents on the walls, sturdy wooden tables with cutlery wrapped in cloth napkins and wine glasses at the ready, and wooden chairs with plush red seats.

They were seated at a table for two by the front window with a view of Windsor Town Square across the street. Now that the market had shut down for the week and the vendors’ tents had been removed, people were picnicking in the park and walking their dogs along the paths as the sun began to set.

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