Page 78 of Cowboys at Coconuts

Peering at him over her plastic wineglass, Cheri asked, “What are we going to do after we eat and drink? It’ll be dark in a few hours.”

Winking, he said, “I can think of a couple things.”

She giggled as she leaned back on her elbows. “I can’t get over how big the sky is here. In Manhattan, skyscrapers block most of the horizon. In the country it seems to go on forever.” Pointing toward the sky, she said, “The sun is setting. It’s gorgeous.”

Streaked with yellow, orange, and pink hues, the early sky was dotted with billowy, white clouds as the sun shone through tree limbs, making shadowy designs on the ground. Setting her glass on the grass, Cheri said, “This serenity is better than any yoga class. I’m already more Zen than I’ve ever been. If there was something to do around this small town, I could almost get used to this.”

“What do you mean something to do?” Cole asked. “There are tons of things to do.”

“Such as?”

“Campfires.”

“And?”

“Star gazin’.”

Cole shifted on the grass. “Let’s see. Hoedowns and county fairs.”

“Intriguing.” She chuckled. “Anything else?”

“Sure. Rodeos, truck pulls, I could go on and on. You’ll have to hang around a while and find out.” He clinked her plastic glass with his beer can. “Here’s to campin’ with a beautiful woman.”

“And a handsome guy.”

“Right.”

“It’s true.” Finishing her drink, she felt a little woozy. “Maybe we should eat or I might get drunk.”

He winked. “And that would be bad?”

“Very.” She flashed a smile.

“Slave driver.” Cole crumpled his empty can and threw it into a plastic trash bag. Rubbing his hands together, he said, “Prepare yourself for a gourmet campin’ meal.”

“I can’t wait. I get tired of cooking all the time.”

Cole jumped on her comment. “You cook?”

“You could say that.”Crap. I don’t want him to know about Fifth Avenue Catering. My cover will be blown.

Raising his eyebrows, he said, “Good to know. Maybeyoushould make the hobos.”

Cheri laughed. “Good try. Another time. I enjoy cooking. It relaxes me.”

Cole grinned. “I can’t wait for you to show me just how much it relaxes you. I’ll gladly be your guinea pig.”

“Deal.”

Opening the cooler, Cole pulled out a package of ground beef, potatoes, and carrots. He dug through his duffel bag for aluminum foil and tore off two big sheets. Spreading the foil across the top of the cooler, he used a pocketknife to slice the veggies and formed beef patties in the sexiest way Cheri had ever seen.

Her mouth watered while she watched him work. “Can I do anything?”

“Nope. My treat.” Cole placed the vegetables on top of the burgers, sprinkled the food with salt and pepper, and folded the two tin pouches into a tent shape. Throwing the tin packages onto the edge of the fire, he wiped his hands on his jeans. “Now we wait.”

“What did you call this dish again?”

“Hobos.”

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