Page 17 of More Than a Helping Hand

“We could split one. And then get salads or dessert. Or even both.” I force my tongue to silence and give the lady time to decide.

“Sure. That sounds like a plan.”

The waitress walks up and pastes on a smile. She looks like she’s trying to hold it together after a long shift. “I’m Liz. And I’ll be your server tonight. What can I get y’all to drink? We have house-made sodas on tap.”

Primrose runs a finger along her lower lip as she ponders. “I’ll have the black cherry soda.”

These little habits of hers crank up the attraction. She has no idea. Or she’s intentionally touching her lips. If so, that’s devious. I’ll be spending all night thinking about how it would feel to touch her lips. With mine.

“Root beer for me, please.”

“Great. And are y’all ready to order?”

We give the waitress our order, and she hurries away. A group of teens sits down around a long table, and the noise level in the room increases by several decibels.

I lean forward so that Primrose can hear. “Your house is nice. How long have you lived there?”

She scoots closer to me. “Nice? Really? How old do I look to you? There are canisters with country geese on them in the kitchen. The dining area has a wallpaper border.”

Now that she’s pointing out those tidbits, I question whether she decorated the place. “You had me so captivated, I didn’t notice any of those things.”

“It’s my parents’ house. Bailey and I have been living there for a while, but hopefully, we’re moving soon. I’m just trying to find a place to rent.” She leans back and crosses her arms. “But I don’t think it’s the right time for us to exchange backstories. I’m not ready.”

I’m curious about hers. I know from what Parker told me that she’s lost people because of death and some sort of betrayal. “Same. Once you know me a bit better, I’ll give you my life story.”

“What happened to ‘anything you want to know, just ask’? Have you changed your mind on that?”

“I figure if secrets work for Miss Victoria, then maybe they’ll work for me too.”

Even in the dim light of the restaurant, the blush on her cheeks is noticeable. “How did we go from talking about wallpaper borders to Victoria’s Secret?” She smiles and reaches for her glass when the waitress returns.

“Food will be out shortly.” The waitress tosses straws on the table. “Y’all okay for now?”

Primrose nods. “We’re good.”

As soon as the waitress walks away, I slide closer to Primrose. “I think you’re great.”

“Calm down, Tony the Tiger.” She pats my hand, then yanks hers away.

“Before I get totally caught up with talking to you, let’s address the reason we’re here. Bailey. What did you want to tell me?” I’m bringing it up now because I was always a vegetables-first kind of guy. Get the hard stuff out of the way and enjoy the rest of the night.

“Normally, I wouldn’t let a stranger come over to the house for donuts. I would’ve completely discouraged Bailey from talking to you. But for the past year, nothing has been normal. We moved from Arizona back to Texas. We share a house with my parents. And Bailey isn’t the same kid she was before. She’s always been smart and quirky. But she retreated from people.” Primrose takes a deep breath, then sips her drink. “Parker sent me that picture because it was such a huge step for her to touch a horse and for her to even talk to you. So I’m not shutting this down. But so help me, if you break my little girl’s heart, I will?—”

“I won’t.”

Primrose stares at me, and her rawness stirs something deep inside my gut. Someone has definitely broken Primrose’s heart, which gels with what Parker told me.

I hold her gaze. “You don’t know me, and I’m not going to bombard you with a sales pitch of all the reasons you should trust me. But without hesitation, I promise that I’m not going to be mean or heartless to your little girl. And if you give me a chance with your heart, I won’t break that either.”

She swallows, and pain flickers in her eyes. “I trust my brother, so you must be a good guy. He wouldn’t have let you around her otherwise.”

I nod, accepting that her heart is not currently a safe topic. “Anything else you want to talk about?”

Because of the loud teens, she shifts right up next to me. “How did you know what donuts to buy?”

“I followed your rules exactly. Parker has no idea that you fixed me up after Fred hurt me. But I did mention that I was headed over to see Bailey’s cactus collection. And asked what donuts I should take. He told me what you liked.”

“Thank you. It was really sweet.” She leans back as the waitress sets the salads on the table.

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