Page 59 of More Than a Good Friend

“Perfect.” This conversation went exactly as I hoped. Now I’m guaranteed more time with Goldie.

* * *

Ridingon the trailer as Archer and I head out to feed cattle, I have my earbuds in and am watching videos about how to drive a manual. This afternoon, I have my first lesson with Goldie, and I don’t want to mess up her car. I’d much prefer to impress her, but I’m not sure that’s possible because none of these videos make a lick of sense to me.

What’s a clutch anyway?

I rewind back to the beginning, hoping the second time through will make more sense.

Archer knocks on the window. “Are you going to open the gate?”

“Sorry. Yeah.” I shove my phone and earbuds in my pocket and hop off the trailer.

Once the gate is open, Archer pulls the tractor into the pasture, then hops out. “What’s got you so distracted?”

“Goldie’s going to teach me how to drive a manual, and I’m trying to not look like a complete idiot when she does.” I snip wires on the bales.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Hope so. I asked her out, but she said no.”

Archer coughs, trying to cover a laugh. “You mentioned that when you asked Anderson if he’d go out with you. Poor guy didn’t know what to say.”

Now the laughter makes sense. “I forgot about that.”

He climbs back into the cab and starts rolling. And I toss hay.

When the trailer is empty, he stops again. “You act like no one has ever turned you down before.”

“She’s the first. But that’s because I only ask out women who are interested. I only asked when I knew what the answer would be.”

“Like at your birthday party.”

“Goldie told me she loved me, and I saw the way she reacted when I got close to her. Those two things made it seem pretty clear that she would want to go out with me.”

Archer rubs the back of his neck. “Dag, I think maybe—”

“I’m not so upset anymore because I have a plan.”

“Mason’s advice?”

“But with a twist.” I tap a finger to my temple. “While we’re spending time together, I’ll be the kind of guy she’d want to go out with. Like opening doors and stuff.”

“Please tell me you aren’t going to do all that just to get her to say yes and then quit once y’all go out.”

“It hurts that you’d even think that. Of course not. You’ve heard the things people have said about that cowboy chef who has the restaurant at the winery. How he was a playboy, then changed. And now he’s married. Difference is I’m not going to wait until I’m fifty to grow up. Also, I need a good reason to take Goldie to dinner there. I bet she’d like that place. I’ve never been, but people rave about it.”

Archer tilts his head. “You really like her.”

This is not something I want getting around until I can show her that I’m not the same clueless dud who spent so many years taking her for granted. “Maybe. Yeah. I think I do. From the time I wake up in the morning until I fall asleep, unless I’m focusing on something, Goldie is on my mind. And I keep thinking of reasons to spend time with her. Whenever I hear her laughing, it’s like that feeling when your favorite song comes on the radio. Pretty sure that means I like her.”

He nods. “Sounds like it.”

“But why I’m not sure is because there’s no thumpity-thump. My heart just beats like normal.” I rub my face. “So yeah. But anyway, please don’t say anything about this. I don’t want it getting back to Goldie.”

“Isn’t that kind of the point?”

“Not yet. But when the time is right, I’ll say something. I need to be absolutely sure because if we went out and it didn’t go well, she’d be really upset. At least I think so. And I won’t do that to her. I guess I almost did by asking her out, but that was before I started thinking about it.”

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