Page 25 of Her Second Chance Cowboy

Her happiness notched all the higher. “With my cowgirl boots?”

Colin tried to picture the state of them: he’d just bought her a new, pink pair that probably weren’t too caked in mud. “Sure,” he said. “That sounds just fine.”

“Thank you, Daddy!” she yelled and ran to her bedroom.

Twenty minutes later, when they were both dressed in their best, Colin and Bex drove to Giorgio’s. It was one of the fancier restaurants in Windy Creek, popular with teenagers going to prom or couples celebrating anniversaries. He and Nancy had been here once before, but he wasn’t sure if she’d remember that or not. It had been a little over a year into their relationship, a few weeks before she left for college. He’d wanted to take her somewhere nice and talk to her about possibly coming to Boulder with her. But in the middle of the meal, he’d chickened out.

When Colin and Bex walked into the restaurant, Nancy was seated in the waiting area. She stood when she saw him, and it knocked the air out of his lungs. Pretty wasn’t the right word to describe the way she looked. Her hair was longer—Evie must have put in extensions that worked—and she was wearing this soft pink sundress that hugged her in the best way.Breathtaking.

She was obviously surprised to see Bex, but when Colin explained to her what happened, she smiled. “This place has the best spaghetti,” she told the little girl. “The meatballs are as big as your head!” It was an exaggeration, but not by much. Nancy glanced at Colin. “Your Daddy brought me here once a long time ago,” she said. “It was one of the best dates ever.”

Bex made a face. “But you’ll still have fun with me tonight, right?”

She and Colin laughed. “Of course, sweetheart,” Nancy said.

Not long after, the hostess seated them in a booth near a wall of colorful stained glass. The lighting was dim, and there was a votive candle in the middle of the table. It was an incredibly romantic setting. Bex chose to sit on Nancy’s side of the booth, and after they ordered, Nancy explained the different forks to her. “Why do people need lots of forks?” she asked.

Colin watched as Nancy just shrugged. “I have no idea,” she admitted.

Bex peeked up at her. “Can I just use one?”

Nancy nodded, smiling kindly. “I was planning on doing the same thing,” she said.

They ate and chatted, and Colin’s eyes kept finding Nancy’s. “The long hair looks good,” he told her, and then smirked. “I’m not going to be rescuing you from them later, am I?”

She shook her head. “Evie used ones for ‘sensitive scalp.’ I think I’m fine.” She twirled some pasta on her fork. “The girls and I played makeover all afternoon,” she told him. “Hopefully, your day was a little more productive?”

“I tried to be,” he said, “but it didn’t go very well. I ended up running around all afternoon getting things for the electrical and AC in the barn.”

She gave him a sympathetic look. “That doesn’t sound nearly as fun.”

“You would be right.”

Before the conversation could dive even further, Bex let out a little cry. His eyes snapped to his daughter, who had a splatter of red sauce on her dress from a dropped noodle. Her little chin wobbled, and tears welled in her blue eyes. “Sweetheart,” Nancy said, soothing, “that is no big deal at all.” She flagged down a waiter. “Could I possibly get a glass of seltzer from the bar, please?” she asked.

“What are you doing?” Colin asked, and Nancy grinned at him.

“Magic,” she said with a little wink. When the waiter brought the seltzer, Nancy dipped her napkin in it and dabbed at the stain on Bex’s dress. The stain disappeared, leaving nothing but a wet spot behind. “See?” she said to Bex. “No big deal.”

“I’m going to need you to teach me that,” Colin said, thinking of all of Bex’s clothes that were regularly stained. His heart squeezed when Bex hugged Nancy hard and thanked her. “How about some dessert?” he asked them.

Jessie picked Bex up just after they finished the chocolate torte that made both Bex and Nancy’s eyes roll back in their heads. He hugged his little girl tight and told her to have sweet dreams. “I’ll see you at breakfast?” Bex asked.

Colin nodded. “Absolutely,” he said. “Have fun and mind Jessie, all right?”

Bex smiled and pecked him on the cheek. “Okay,” she said. “Night, Nancy!” She got a kiss on the cheek too, and Colin saw the pleased surprise that swept over Nancy’s face. They watched her leave, and it hit Colin that they were finally alone on their date night. Nerves rose in his stomach, and he did his best to push them away.

“Ready to get out of here?” he asked her.

Nancy almost looked disappointed. “Sure,” she said. “Heading back to the ranch?”

“Yes,” he said, “but once we’re there, if you’ve got some time, there’s somewhere I’d like to show you.” She nodded, and he paid for their meal. He regretted that they were in separate cars, but it wasn’t a long ride back to the ranch. Once they pulled into the parking area, he motioned for her to join him in the truck.

“Where are we going?” she asked as she settled beside him.

“The overlook.” He could feel Nancy’s eyes on him, and while it was hard, he didn’t look at her. Instead, he reached over and took her hand, threading his fingers between her own. There was one spot on the ranch that rose higher than anywhere else; it easily had the best view in Windy Creek. When they dated in high school, it was their special place. He’d been wanting to bring her here for days.

They parked, and Colin reached over and turned the truck’s radio up. An old country tune poured from the speakers, and Nancy smiled. “This is one of my favorite songs.”

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