Page 7 of Country Charm

Chapter Five

Hunter

“That smile on your face makes you look stupid,” Harrison jokes. I’m hopping on my ATV, and I do, in fact, have a stupid smile on my face.

“You’re just mad because I’m better lookin’ than you!” I yell as I start it up. He laughs loudly as I drive away.

I’m almost through my week and I can’t deny I am feeling pretty good. I’m getting close to the field and pull out my phone. I see that I have a message from CountryHeart_CityGirl.

CountryHeart_CityGirl: Mornin’ hope you have a great day out in the fields, hopefully Jake doesn’t almost have another heat stroke!

Stetson31: Mornin’! I hope so. His mom pulled up lookin’ as white as a ghost. I never want to scare her like that again.

I’ve been messaging this girl for a few days and she’s funny. I want to ask to meet her, but she’s about ninetyminutes away and I can’t ask my brother to run the stand if his cattle are testy. And Lord knows they have been.

I had opened by asking her how her weekend was going, and she replied, “Great, if you consider a hangover the size of Texas a positive.” None of the fake front bullshit, she just responded right away with something real.

It’s been a minute since I’ve been this excited about something. I haven’t told Harrison, or my folks, because they would immediately go into micromanagement mode. I don’t need their noses somewhere they don’t belong. So, for now, I keep it to myself.

I bring the radio out to the field to play some music while we’re all working and hum every tune that comes across. Maybe Harrison is right, maybe there is more than just the farm. I won’t know if I don’t try. I type out a message and smile as I hit send.

Stetson31: Hey, do you have plans this weekend?

I can get one of the guys to cover my Sunday chores if I offer a bonus, and this curiosity seems kind of worth it.

Lynn

I look down at the menu for a second before my phone pings. My husband looks up at me from our lunch date and smiles. I am not usually one to use my phone a lot, but I can’t help it this week. He’s noticed too.

“Who’s that?” He asks, his gentle smile never wavering.

“No one important.” I don’t pull my phone out of my purse.

“Don’t let me stop you, go ahead.” He nods his head toward my bag, and I pull it out. He raises a brow at me. I open up the Country Charm dating app and read the message from Stetson31.

Stetson31: Hey, do you have plans this weekend?

“Oh shit,” I murmur to myself. He can sense my rising tension, reaching his hand across the table and putting it on mine.

“Is it Rose’s school?” He tilts his head.

“No, no, she’s fine.” I smile and put my phone away.

“Okay.” He reaches across the table and tucks a brown lock behind my ear. “Well, since we’re trying a new place, I looked at the menu ahead of time and made sure they had grilled pineapple because I know you’re on a kick with that right now.”

Leave it to this incredible man to think ahead, like always. Then again, that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing. I’m trying to plan ahead, think strategically, and do something new. Hopefully, it just doesn’t end up biting me in the ass.

We eat our meal in companionable silence for a fair amount of the time, and he kisses me tenderly before he leaves and heads back to the office. Once he’s gone and out of sight, I pull my phone out again. I type out a message and hit send.

Plans? Saturday?

Lord, I really hope this whole thing ends okay.

Chapter Six

Hunter

After a ninety-minute drive into the city, I find myself suddenly growing nervous. I wasn’t nervous before but damn I can barely keep my hands dry. I reach over into my glove compartment, grab the bottle of cologne I brought, and give myself a quick spray.

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