Page 24 of Older Cowboy

That had been some kiss, so potent it’d been like having horse blinders on.

“Want to take a break? Maybe have some dinner?”

She nodded. “That sounds great.”

He took her to an Indian place since she’d never had any, warning her about the spice. “Curry has its own distinct flavor. I recommend not choosing anything on the menu that has a chili pepper beside it. Not unless you like burning holes through your tongue.”

She chose one of the milder versions of the dish, and he went with one only slightly hotter. His first bite was magnificent, just the right amount of heat and a rich flavor.

“What do you think?” he asked her, genuinely curious. Sometimes trying a new flavor palette could be more than someone bargained for.

“Um, I like it. I think.”

“It’s different isn’t it.”

“It is.”

She took another bite, chewed and looked into space as if considering how to describe it.

“Want a taste of mine?” He scooted his dish over toward hers. Without him having to ask, she nudged hers over toward him. Cody tried hers and found it to be right up his alley.

“Ooh, I like yours better,” she announced.

“Have it if you want. I like yours better. How about we swap?”

They did, his fingers brushing hers as they did. Her hands were so soft. So smooth. If it wouldn’t be too forward, he would take her hand and rub the back of it to his cheek just to test how it felt against his skin there.

He didn’t dare to voice this thought out loud, though.

After dinner, they wandered into a couple of attractions there including a historic mansion and museum that showcased lots of information and novelties about Yellowstone, the famous national park they were not far from. In fact, Cody pictured taking Erika there for a future excursion since there was so much to do, and he was sure the nature and landscapes had to be impressive based on the photos he’d seen online.

The park was on his bucket list.

He bought her a souvenir brown teddy bear wrapped around a little coffee mug displaying an image of the rim rocks, a famous formation in Yellowstone. She smiled at the surprise, even hugging it to her.

“I haven’t had a teddy since I was little, but I love it.”

Cody almost walked on air from her praise alone, especially when she unfastened the Velcro on the bear’s paws from the ceramic cup and connected it to her purse strap.

Everything was going so swimmingly that once they hopped in his truck to head for home, Cody let himself relax. The road trip date had been successful. The dance club had been a hit, and so had dinner, and downtown Billings. He was batting a thousand and didn’t want this streak of his to ever end.

It was as they were making their return journey that the mood shifted. They’d been talking back and forth, all he could see of her was provided by the faint illumination offered by his dashboard, when she began to grow quieter and quieter.

Figuring she might be getting sleepy—they both worked early hours and neither of them were anywhere near their twenties anymore—he left her alone. He popped the radio on to a station with easy listening music. If she dozed off, he’d wake her upon their arrival.

But when she sighed, audibly and forlornly, he checked in with her.

“Everything okay over there?”

“Oh, don’t mind me.”

He raised a teasing eyebrow at her even though he didn’t know if she could make it out in the dim interior of his cab. “I’ve never minded you.”

“I was just wishing…” Wishing. Wishing sounded promising.

“Wishing what?”

“Never mind.” She waved him off. “Really. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

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