Page 26 of Rescued Hearts

She eyed him up and down. “You’re going to need a tie. This isn’t an occasion for barn chore clothes. And no—they had to make it an early lunch date. I talked to them when they got back to the ranch.”

“A tie?” He let out a groan about formal dress even though he was relieved he wouldn’t run into his family at the restaurant. Carson would never let him live it down if he saw Gray with a date—and dressed up too.

This was what he got for leaving his room. But deep down inside came a flicker of excitement.

Chapter Seven

Honor locked the door of her van and stepped back from the vehicle. The street was quiet. In this part of Willowbrook, there were no traditional streetlights, but a few of the neighbors had left their porch lights on. Why hadn’t she thought to do the same when she left her sister’s house that afternoon?

Something about the hush of the town made her uneasy.

Or maybe it was because earlier she thought she saw Sully. Now every time she thought of her ex, her stomach bottomed out.

She shook off the feeling and, casting a look around, started toward the front of the house.

At that moment, a car hummed down the street. Heart throbbing, she looked up at the vehicle.

Relief shot through her veins and made her fingers tingle as she realized it was Felicity’s small SUV buzzing up to the driveway.

With the key her sister gave her already in the door lock, Honor opened the door. The familiar sound of the automatic garage door moving upward was somewhat of a comfort.

Get a grip. Sully isn’t in Willowbrook.

Besides, even if he were, she was in no danger. He wasn’t a threat to her. He was too soft, a beta man.

Not at all like Gray…

Now what made her think that? She didn’t even know the man.

She stepped through the front door and locked it behind her. A moment later, her sister entered through the kitchen.

Felicity juggled a tote bag and a sack of groceries she must have picked up at some point during the day. Honor set down her own handbag and rushed forward to take something from Felicity.

“You made good time,” she said as she set the grocery bag on the counter.

Felicity eyed her. “And you lollygagged.”

She fizzled with barely suppressed excitement, but she didn’t quite know how to bring up her news about dinner with Gray yet.

She began unpacking the bag, setting out a jar of vodka sauce and a box of pasta. “This looks like it will be a good meal.”

“I know you like that brand of sauce.”

“I do…but I won’t be here for dinner tonight.”

Her sister slowly turned to face her, head cocked and a meaningful look in her eyes. “Oh, do tell, little sister.”

“Gray asked me to dinner.”

“You’ve been in town two minutes and already have a date. I’ve lived here five years and I can’t remember the last time I had one.”

Honor moved to the kitchen door, where she kicked off her leather sandals and set them neatly on the mat side by side. “It’s not a date—it’s business.”

Felicity let out a snort. “Business, huh? If it was just business, don’t you think he would have just talked to you about it in the parking lot? It wouldn’t require dinner.”

She opened her mouth, then shut it. Okay, she had a point.

From the counter—all the way across the room—Honor’s phone buzzed with an incoming text.