Page 37 of Rocky Mountain Desire
That it was fine to feel the tension, but for now they could move on to the next thing.
By the time their food arrived, she was laughing out loud at his stories. They stole food off each other’s plates and thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Hope eased back in her chair and raised the last of her Coke in a salute. “Here, here. To a wonderful first date. Suggesting this place was fantastic. Ready for my addition?”
He nodded. “Movie? Walk? Are we going to cut innocent chunks of fabric into teeny tiny pieces then sew them back together?”
She snorted. “Innocent chunks of fabric?”
“That’s my nephew Lance’s description of quilting. Kind of the same concept as making trees into furniture, but what you do is nowhere near as manly, you know.”
“Good thing my manhood isn’t offended by that definition.”
Matt took a long, slow gaze down her body, enjoying every minute of it if she was any judge of his expression, before meeting her eyes again. “Your manhood has nothing to be offended about.”
Simmering lust shot way back up to a boil. Why, oh why, had she suggested no sex was a good idea? A change of topic was desperately needed. She sat up and clapped her hands together. “We’re going tobogganing.”
“Oh God, really?”
Hope nodded. “At the ski hill.”
He lifted a brow and smiled with a little more interest. “Really?”
“Ha, you lazy ass. You didn’t want to do it when it required hard labour.”
“Damn right. I got enough exercise today.” He rose to his feet and held out a hand, tucking her fingers into his strong grip. Outside he paused in confusion. “Where’s your car?”
She pointed and waited for the fireworks to begin.
“Okay…”
It was almost anticlimactic, his total lack of response as he walked her to the truck she’d pointed out and waited for her to unlock the door.
“Shall I meet you at the hill?” he asked.
Hope nodded.
He helped her in then shut the door and waved. Only he pulled out his cell phone as he walked away.Uh-oh.Seems a moment of brotherly love was about to take place.
She turned over the reluctant engine and shoulder-checked before slipping into the traffic and heading back into town.
Matt wondered how close to danger level his blood pressure was. Still, he wasn’t going to take his concerns out on Hope.
But his brother? He had no trouble stirring up some shit there.
He put through the call. Blake picked up. “Yo, bro.”
“What the fuck were you thinking?”
There was silence for a minute. “This is Matt I’m talking to, right? Calm, cool and collected—”
“Did you sell Hope that hunk of junk that’s been sitting in the back forty for the past ten years?”
“Nope.”
Matt swore as he caught up with her, positive he was going to be pulling over to pick up chunks of metal from the road as the wreck fell to pieces before his very eyes. “Well then, hallelujah, there’s been a miracle, because somehow she’s driving said wreck down the street in front of me. And so I repeat, what the fuck were you thinking?”
“I was thinking that she didn’t have a car, and it must be damn tough to be a single woman with no vehicle. And since the shop figured it would cost more to repair the crap she was driving than it was worth in insurance, when she came here last week and asked if I would sell her—”
