Page 11 of Please, Stay

Immediately, she hid her hands underneath the sleeves of her sweatshirt. Why did she look embarrassed again?

“Can I see how it operates? Maybe you could give me a tour of theDispatch.” It was a lame excuse to see her, but the small town of Statem had limited options for dates.

She looked down at her flip-flops. “It’s nothing special, really.”

He’d come to Statem to see her. Why hadn’t he thought she might not want to go on a date? Possibly because he couldn’t remember the last time a womanwasn’tinterested. Before now, he hadn’t cared about a woman’s motivations, but he always doubted them. Some kinds of women never showed their full hand. Were they there for him or for fame? He needed to find out if Juliana was even remotely interested before he decided to stay in town.

“Is there somewhere around to grab a bite to eat later? Tonight?”

“Dinner?” She wrinkled her nose before smiling. “Oh! You need a suggestion. Let’s see. There’s the diner that Ms. Iris runs, next to the coffee shop. Becky, who you met earlier, works there. There’s Rhonda’s Roadhouse about thirty minutes outside of town.” She ran a hand over her hair before pointing down the road. “There’s a buffet near the Interstate. Mama Gene’s. It’s also open on Saturday night, but people usually go there for weekday lunch—”

“What do you do on Saturday night? Surely you eat before you work all night.”

“Oh, well, I cook for my father most nights.”

Did she not date? She was smart, seemed sweet, and between the mass of hair piled into that knot on her head and gorgeous eyes, surely the men around this town were clamoring to take her out. He’d banked on her going on at least one date with him. He had to figure out what it was about her that had tainted his blood to the point he’d risk public exposure by putting himself out on such a small, insecure limb.

“Would you like a night off from cooking?” Odd way to ask a woman out on a date, as if he had to give her an extra incentive to see him again. The entire situation threw him off. “We could go anywhere you’d like.”

“We?” She swallowed. Her eyes widened. She looked around her as if someone would jump out at any moment. “Like together?”

Grayson dropped her hand and crossed his arms. “Look, you seem like an interesting woman but give me the heads up if you’re seeing someone else—”

“No!” She gripped his wrist, and her body shifted a little closer. The sunlight highlighted the green of her eyes. There it was. That snap of attraction. Her shoulders relaxed, and she dropped her hand. “It’s not that. You’re a little disconcerting.”

That confirmed that she didn’t have a boyfriend like Addie had said. He cleared his throat and leaned closer, missing the feel of her already. “Then let’s grab dinner tonight. You can keep telling me about the town.” He picked up her hand, tracing the ink stain along the inside of her thumb before meeting her eyes. When had he last noticed a woman didn’t wear makeup? Did she have any clue how irresistible she looked? Nothing hidden. It suited her. “I can pick you up at eight—”

“Juliana!” An older woman with a curly perm and gray hair waved from the corner.

As if someone threw a bucket of water of her, Juliana straightened and pulled her hand back before waving back to the woman. “Hi, Ms. Iris.” Her voice lowered. “I’m sorry. I should probably go to work before the gossip beats me there.”

Grayson swallowed over the disappointment. He leaned down and lifted her chin with one finger until her eyes focused on his. “Dinner. Tonight.”

“I can’t meet you tonight. I can’t get someone to cover my shift on such short notice.” She pressed her lips together, sealing off her next statement and pulling his focus to them.

Kiss her.

The command from somewhere in his brain made him take a step away. Not yet. He’d never intended to interrupt her life, but he wouldn’t give up. It was a dumb thought, but the rejection made him want to get to know her even more. A warm breeze lifted a small strand of hair, blowing it across her cheek. He fought the urge to reach for it.

“Fine.” His voice sounded tight. “You said Rhonda’s Roadhouse was open tomorrow? Can we meet there for dinner?”

Her mouth opened and then closed. She straightened her shoulders, her look growing serious. “Okay, if you’re sure…”

“Absolutely.” He smiled.

She raised her eyebrows, and a small squeak escaped her pursed lips. Grayson hated her being so nervous. When the wind pulled a strand of hair across her cheek again, he didn’t resist his urge. He tucked it behind her ear, trailing a finger down her cheek afterward.

Her eyes widened, and she stepped away, a small laugh escaping. “Tomorrow. At Rhonda’s.”

“Eight.”

She nodded, turned on her heel, and almost ran to theDispatch. It wasn’t exactly the response he’d expected, seeing her again. Which was a good thing. He was used to the screaming fans. The ones that grabbed at him and came up with creative ways to get him to notice them.

And here he was, being left in the middle of a small town’s main street with a gray-haired woman watching him as she pulled out her cell phone. Did she recognize him? Was she calling someone in the media, giving them the scoop?

He was here at least through tomorrow. He wanted a date with Juliana, and nothing would keep him from seeing her.

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