Page 36 of Older Cowboy

“How about I cut right to the chase?” he suggested. “Whatever wrong you think you’ve caused me, I forgive you. How about that?”

“You’re letting me off the hook awfully easy.”

“I’m not one to go around holding grudges. Life is too short.”

“It is,” she agreed, latching her gaze onto his. “It seriously is.”

There was something different about the features of her face, a quality to her complexion that was hard to pinpoint. But as he surveyed her and attempted to come up with an explanation, Cody supposed she seemed more settled and confident than she had when he’d initially spotted her. Also, now that she’d laid all her cards on the table, there was this sense of tranquility about her as she visibly relaxed.

“I’m glad you agreed to see me again.”

“Me, too.” Her eyes, those big and beautiful dark orbs sparkled. “I’m now a fully-fledged nurse practitioner.”

“Are you now?” Cody grinned over at her, thrilled to hear this. Especially since as she spoke the words, she literallyglowed.

“Yes. I have my own prescription pad and everything.”

“Now, now,” he teased. “Don’t let all that power go to your head.”

From there, the night switched to something he’d experienced with her before, a great time. And while he couldn’t quite help maintaining the teeniest bit of caution when it came to letting his guard drop all the way down, the giddy flow of ideas back and forth was addictive.

They ate some delicious if messy pulled barbecue, sharing their different dishes with one another and even fed each other the Three Sisters’ famous honey cornbread. They talked for hours, chatting about everything under the sun. He told her about his son choosing to stay in southern California for the sake of a girl and about Boone’s likely change in his professional hockey career.

Then, she enlightened him about what was happening with her own job.

“Where are you going to be working?”

“Well, I’d been planning this uncomfortable exodus from Tim’s office as I transferred to a clinic or even long distance to a hospital or something. But my boss surprised me by accommodating my new role right in the same location. We’ve only just started with me taking on more responsibility—especially for any kids with diabetes—while Tim takes a step back, but so far, it’s going well. With luck, it’ll work long term.”

She was so lovely as she sat there across from him. Erika had been gorgeous from the second he’d spied her at that wedding, but tonight, with her willingness to be transparent and honest with him, he could swear that her attractiveness had increased even more. Maybe because it was undeniable that her beauty happened to be both external and internal in nature.

That was when he noticed that she had a smudge of barbecue sauce on her cheek.

“You have a little sauce right there.” He gestured toward her cheek, but every time she swiped at it with her napkin, she missed the spot. “Uh, no. To your left. A bit lower. Back near your ear a little more. Almost…”

Erika huffed out in frustration, and he found it adorable. Really, neither of them were probably at an age that most would call adorable, but he didn’t care. The woman was mesmerizing and with her excitement about her freshly acquired position, she was basically shining like a star from the inside out.

“Will you just… get it for me?” she finally asked him, and his grin stretched even wider.

“I’ll do my best,” he drawled, using his thumb to remove the smudge. But that was when she turned her head and kissed his thumb until any remnants of the barbecue sauce were gone. This action sent a bolt through him that awakened Cody in every manner possible.

His desire to kiss her back became nearly overwhelming. Particularly when she peeked over at him, and the intensity of her gaze holding his hostage. It made him want to sweep her into one of those swirling dance moves, lean her back in dramatic fashion, and lock his lips to hers until her head spun.

Never had any woman inspired such a daydream from him. But that was the thing about Erika Cantrell. Not only did she make his imagination take flight, she kept it soaring among the heavens with no effort at all.

Again, the evening passed as if someone had put time on fast forward, the hour growing late before they realized it. That had occurred prior to now, but something hit Cody different this time around. Before, under the surface and unnoticeable if you didn’t know to look for it, there had been this slightly pinched aspect to Erika’s features.

It’d been nothing over the top, but since he’d gotten to know her better, its absence was apparent. Now, after her confessing what she’d been enduring and the conflict churning in her mind, that pinched aspect was gone. Just completely missing.

It gave Cody not just hope but the reassurance she wouldn’t run away from him this time. That he might actually have the opportunity to see if there was really anything between them. That thought made him give himself a mental shake. Of course there was something between them. The issue was figuring out the next steps.

With dinner finished, they meandered out of the eatery hand-in-hand. His truck was parked right next to her car and that made him smile like a lovesick fool.

He walked her to her car, barely even aware of the brisk winter weather. The next day would invite in the month of December, and suddenly, that month seemed rife with possibilities to him. He watched as she peered up into the night sky where a cascade of glimmering stars spread out overhead, highlighted by the brilliance of the Milky Way.

There was a sight he rarely if ever saw in Minneapolis. Another benefit of small-town living.

The only drawback was that most businesses were either closed or closing at this time of night. He didn’t want the date to end, and based on how Erika seemed to be reluctant to hop behind her steering wheel, she must agree with him.

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