Page 10 of Marrying the Billboard Cowboy

She shook her head, a wisp of brown hair escaping her ponytail and brushing against her cheek. “I’m not very hungry,” she murmured, her eyes darting away, hiding something more than just a lack of appetite.

“Come on, darlin’. That won’t do.” Zeke turned his head back to the waitress. Kaitlyn was trying to untangle the casual endearment. “She’ll have the Rancher’s Special.”

“Eggs?”

“Scrambled,” he said with a quick glance toward her, apparently deciding she wouldn’t answer herself. He was right. Her brain still wasn’t working. It had stalled on one word like a scratched CD in her old boombox.

Darlin’.

“Bacon or Sausage?”

Her mouth hung open as Zeke continued to answer the waitress’s questions, ordering her what sounded to be an obscene amount of food.

Kaitlyn’s eyes widened in protest. “Zeke, really, I—”

“Please,” he insisted, “it’s on me.” And with that, he ordered his own meal—a simple plate of biscuits and gravy, with eggs and sausage links, his decisiveness leaving no room for argument.

“Make sure there’s extra syrup,” Zeke added, his eyes flickering to Stetson, whose face brightened at the mention of the sweet topping.

“Coming right up,” the waitress said with a nod and turned on her heel back to the kitchen.

As their waitress walked away, Kaitlyn found herself staring at Zeke. The morning sunlight streaming through the diner window caught the natural highlights in his dark hair, and the stubble along his jaw seemed less unkempt and more ruggedly intentional. His profile, sharp and earnest, exuded a strength she’d only ever dreamed of leaning on.

The flutter in her chest surprised her; it was a sensation she hadn’t felt in so long, it felt foreign. He wasn’t just handsome; he was handsome in the way of mountain ranges and open skies—vast, breathtaking, impossible to ignore.

She’d known men who took charge before, but they had been controlling, not caring. Zeke’s insistence came from a place of genuine concern, and it struck a chord within her—a longing for a care she’d forgotten could exist.

Kaitlyn swallowed hard, trying to still the tremble that threatened to betray her newfound nervousness. No one had ever looked out for her this way, made her feel considered, without it being a prelude to a demand. There was a gentle authority to Zeke, a protective nature that didn’t suffocate but rather wrapped around her like a blanket against the chill of her hardscrabble life.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, a warmth rising to her cheeks, unsure if the gratitude was solely for the food.

Stetson’s legs swung back and forth under the table, his small heels thumping rhythmically against the wooden chair. The boy’s energy seemed uncontainable, yet when Zeke leaned across the table with a soft-spoken question about Stetson’s favorite dinosaur, the child paused, eyes wide with the thrill of sharing.

“Triceratops!” Stetson exclaimed, hands shaping imaginary horns on his head.

“Is that so?” Zeke didn’t smile much, but his voice was warm, the timbre smooth like worn leather. “You know, they’re plant eaters. Got a big frill on their neck too.”

Stetson nodded vigorously, taken with Zeke’s knowledge. Kaitlyn watched the exchange, her heart thawing by degrees as Zeke treated her son not as a nuisance, but as someone worth listening to. It was an act of kindness she hadn’t prepared for. She’d half expected Zeke to turn around and walk away when hesaw Stetson. But despite the questions in his eyes, he’d stayed. And that was more than anyone else in her life had done.

A woman with hair the color of summer goldenrod stopped by their table.

“Zeke, I didn’t expect to see you here,” the woman said, her voice lilting with surprise.

“Hey, Bella.” Zeke stood, his movements deliberate as he embraced her. “Kaitlyn, this is Bella Knight. Bella, this is Kaitlyn. My fiancée.”

Bella flashed a surprised look. “Really? I hadn’t heard you were dating anyone.”

Zeke shrugged. “When you know, you know.”

“And where’d you find this one, Zeke?” Bella asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief as she glanced at Stetson. “He’s quite the charmer.”

“Found him and his mom at a crossroads,” Zeke replied casually.

Bella laughed, apparently hearing Zeke’s words as a joke, instead of the truth they were.

Kaitlyn forced a smile, though her heart felt heavy, like a stone in a still pond.

“Must be a lively ranch with him around,” Bella said, glancing between Stetson and Kaitlyn. Her gaze lingered a moment too long, as if piecing together a story from the threads of their appearance.

---