Page 114 of The Guy Who Stole My Ranch

“Because the fate of this dish is in my hands.”

William reached out and squeezed my arm. “Lorenzo needs to know if he’s on the right track for authenticity. You’re here to help him. That’s all.”

That made me feel a little better, and I picked up my fork.

For a split second, I wished we were back in Whitehill at Mama’s Diner, where there was no pressure, where I wasn’t wearing a dress that I was a little afraid of getting dirty—especially now—and where William could relax.

Maybe that was the real problem. William was still tense. So was I. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

“What’s wrong?” William asked. I could hear the concern in his voice.

I opened one eye and looked at him. “Nothing. I’m trying to chill out.” He frowned, and I reached for his hand. “You know you don’t have to impress me, right?”

He glanced around.

“We could be here or at the ranch or eating gruel on a cattle drive. All I want is to be with you.” I smiled. “Now please, relax. Be yourself. This business you is sexy and all, but I like the real you better.”

William’s chest rose and fell a few times. When he finished, he pulled my hand to his and kissed the back of it. It was a tender gesture, full of gratitude and caring. “You know, Brooke Shaw, if you continue telling me things like that, my feelings for you may grow into much more than they are now.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked even as my stomach twisted in the most delightful way possible. First off, he’d just admitted that he had feelings for me. He’d shown me as much, but he’d never said it.

On top of that, he’d also alluded to the fact that there could be more between us.

My heart began to gallop in my chest.

Did he really mean that?

Chapter 30

-William-

I hadn’t anticipated telling Brooke that I had feelings for her and that they were teetering on the edge of more. I also hadn’t anticipated the blush that engulfed Brooke’s face after I’d said it.

The dress had been a pleasant surprise. While I’d always prefer Brook in overalls and a cowboy hat, or maybe her sweats and a hoodie, the dress drew attention to some of her more feminine assets, which I couldn’t ignore. She was beautiful, sexy, and adorable, all at the same time, and it was taking every ounce of self-control that I possessed to not sweep her up in my arms and kiss her until we both couldn’t breathe.

My memories of doing just that the day before at the horse barn heated the skin on my neck.

As it was, I wanted to be constantly touching her, as if I worried she might suddenly disappear.

But that’s not what I wanted this meal to be about. I wanted to talk to Brooke. Ask her a thousand questions and hopefully get her to laugh. I wanted this to be normal. I hadn’t brought Frank, and it had cost me a pretty penny to get Lorenzo to open early for us. This was just the two of us. No broken fences, and no business matters. My phone was being forwarded to Courtney for an hour and a half, and I’d already wasted precious minutes of that time.

Brooke was correct in her observation that I was nervous. I imagined our time together at her ranch and used it to let the tension drain from me.

Yes, we were sitting in New York, but I could pretend that we were at Mama’s Diner in Whitehill.

Brooke, who was still red, broke the silence. “You’re going to make a declaration like that and then just stop talking?” Her voice shook, and I hoped it was because she could imagine the two of us as more than a trainer and a learner, or even friends. Much more.

I cleared my throat and gave her a soft smile. “I hope my words didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“They did.” Brooke snorted, but she also smiled. “But I’m okay with it.”

Relief swelled inside of me. Hopefully that meant she was open to being more than friends or even kissing partners. “Good.”

Neither of us had eaten any of our food, so I picked up my fork and gestured to Brooke’s plate. “Are you ready to help Lorenzo?”

Brooke nodded and ate a bite of the biscuits and gravy. I did the same, so I wouldn’t just sit there and stare at her and found the gravy to be lacking.

Brooke made a face, and I knew her honest opinion would come next. “It’s okay.”

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