Page 6 of His Tenth Dance

“Yes, I’m starving,” Kristie said, grateful to have a friend to go with.

“How are things at the office?” Hannah asked.

“Good.” Kristie worked out of a home office to schedule her appointments at the farms and ranches where she worked. “I’m taking tomorrow off, in fact. I’m going to go through the files in my office and get everything put away.”

“You’ll be happy about that.” Hannah grinned and picked up a plate.

“Yeah.” Kristie kept her smile on her face as she moved down the table behind her friend, but she seriously wondered if her life’s happiness had come to her cleaning up her client files in the spare bedroom of her house.

Holy cow, she thought. Because it had.

As she sat at one of the checkered-cloth covered tables, she couldn’t help but keep glancing at Mission. He seemed more at ease now, laughing with some of the other ranch hands and accepting handshakes from what seemed like the same people as before.

“Mind if I join you?”

Kristie looked up to see Mission’s grandfather standing beside her table, a plate of food shaking in his hands.

She jumped to her feet and took his plate. “Of course not,” she said, pulling out the chair in front of him. “Please, sit with us.”

“Mission can have that spot,” the older man said as he went around the chair and sat. Kristie put his plate in front of him and glanced over to Mission. She found he’d moved to the buffet, and he’d have his food in only a few minutes. Surely he’d know to come sit with his grandfather, and Kristie's pulse rioted at the thought of eating with him.

“I’m Ted,” he said, extending a hand. “Mission’s grandfather.”

“Kristie.” She shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Ted.”

“Kristie,” Ted repeated thoughtfully. “Are you a veterinarian?”

“Yes, sir.” She smiled at him. “How did you know that?”

“My grandson’s mentioned you,” Ted said without revealing much else.

Kristie blinked, not sure what to make of that. “Oh, I didn’t realize he talked about me.”

Ted chuckled and picked up his fork. “Don’t worry, it’s all good things. Though between me and you, I think?—”

“Grandad,” Mission said as he sank into the chair between Kristie and Ted. “I hope you’re not tellin’ stories you shouldn’t.” He turned away from Kristie to look at his grandfather, then cut her a look out of the corner of his eye.

Kristie's heartbeat skipped over beats as she thought about what Ted would’ve said. Or maybe that was the scent of Mission’s cologne—a mix of cedar wood, something spicy, and a touch of delicious male. Or that mighty fine jacket.

“I was just telling Kristie here that I think you’re sweet on her.”

Kristie sucked in a breath, and Hannah coughed once, then started to laugh. Mission sat there, his face absolutely stoic. He seemed to have frozen; his chest didn’t even rise and fall.

After a few seconds, where both she and Hannah stared at Mission and his grandfather simply ate a few bites of his coleslaw, Mission turned toward Ted. “You know what? I kind of am.”

Kristie pulled in another breath, surprised she still had room in her lungs for more air. She and Mission had texted plenty of times in the past six months, but always about work. And moving forward, she expected to keep dealing with Gloria, but she’d have to copy him on the important things, because that was what she’d done with Matt.

He turned toward her, glancing over to Hannah before clearing his throat and meeting her eye. “I’ve been thinkin’ about asking you to dinner.”

“You’ve been thinking about it?” she asked, surprised her voice worked at all. “Or you’re doing it?”

The heat in his eyes turned into a glare. “I’m hoping you’ll be free for dinner soon,” he said. “With me. Dinner with me.” He looked over to his granddad. “See what you made me do?”

Kristie smiled, especially when Ted bickered back with him. Her curiosity about their relationship soared, and her pulse roared at her. She’d hoped he’d ask her out in the barn, and now he’d finally done it.

But she’d been hurt before, and getting involved with someone she worked with had never turned out well for her. Suddenly, everything felt exactly as Mission had said in the barn—complicated.

Mission turned back to her, his expression now a mix of hope, nerves, and irritation, and Kristie knew her next words could change everything between them. She cast a look over to Hannah, who nodded encouragingly.

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