Page 33 of Wild and Unruly
Stepping into view of the lobby, I see Stetson standing by the front desk, laughing with Amelia. He’s got on a straw cowboy hat, his shirt is a nice blue button-down with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his jeans are a dark blue settling over black boots.
He dressed up for our date.
The sight sends another rush of nerves through my belly, and I take a deep breath before walking toward him. Amelia sees me first and gives me a knowing look, smiling to herself. Okay, maybe she doesn’t hate me. That was good.
“Hey,” I call out, and Stetson turns to face me, showing his newly shaven face, and smiles at me.
“Hey,” he says, reaching for my hand and looking me over as he pulls me close. He presses a soft kiss to my lips and says, “You look incredible.”
“Thank you,” I say quietly, shy now that everyone in the vicinity is staring. Which, to be fair, was mostly Amelia and a couple of bystanders from The Lodge I didn’t even know.
“I love that dress, Bonnie,” Amelia says, giving me a kind smile.
I grin and look down at it, stuffing my hands into the sewn pockets. “Thanks, it even has pockets!”
She cracks up at the comment and looks between the two of us. “I had no idea you two were…”
“Well, she just can’t keep her hands off me. So, I figured I’d put her out of her misery,” Stetson quips, making me gape at him.
Amelia laughs. “Oh, I’m so sure.”
“Um, excuse me, it’s you who can’t keep your mouth off of me.” I burn as I realize what I just said out loud. “I mean—I—Well—Ugh, stop making me do that!”
Stetson laughs lightly and tucks my burning face into his chest for a moment before letting me go. “Never. That’s one of my favorite things about you.”
Amelia smiles at me and raises her hands. “I heard nothing. You two have fun.”
“Oh, we definitely will,” Stetson says, making me pinch him in the stomach and wonder what the hell I’ve gotten myself into.
Stetson’s truck allows us to sit side by side. Being older than mine, it doesn’t have the new consoles in the middle. I have to appreciate his just a little bit more when he’s able to rest his hand on my thigh as he drives.
By the time we get to the restaurant, his stories have me half distracted enough to actually be relaxed. I was a terrible dater. I never could say or do the right thing on dates, and rarely did they lead to second ones, which was fine with me.
For the last several years, I’ve been a casual dater, allowing myself to be free with whoever I want. Now, though, with Stetson as the man next to me, I couldn’t quite find that relaxed approach I once had. Something about him made me take this more seriously than I ever would have before.
We’re led to our table, and I’m relieved to see that this restaurantis a casual place, with nostalgic sports gear along the walls, trophies, and pictures of different teams scattered throughout. It gives off a homey feeling.
“Hope this is all right,” he says, unfolding the napkin and laying it in his lap. I smile at the move and nod.
“Oh yeah, as long as it’s not poison. I’m not picky about what I put in my mouth.” Of course, right as the words leave me, the waitress steps up to the table, grinning broadly at me.
I hide my face in my hands as I hear Stetson chuckle and order us some waters. She leaves and I lift my head, glaring at Stetson.
“Hey,”—he raises his hands and smiles—“I didn’t say anything.”
“Yeah, but you wanted to.”
“Of course I wanted to!”
His grin makes my smile break, and I give in, letting myself laugh along with him. “See,” he starts. “That’s what’s cool about you, though. You know how to laugh at yourself.”
I shrug and roll my eyes at myself. “Well, I couldn’t learn to keep my mouth shut, so I had to learn to laugh about it.”
He nods his head, his eyes roaming over my face. I’m enjoying the sight of his face without the stubble he normally sports. “That’s a good quality to have. I know a bunch of people who can’t laugh at themselves. My brother Mitch is one of them.”
I frown and tilt my head. “Have I met him yet?”
He nods. “Yeah, he’s the surly bastard that hasn’t said a word to anyone.”
