Page 11 of The Cowgirl's Chosen Love
“Great. Can I take you to dinner?”
Lisa’s brow rose. Slowly. Deliberately. Only the right one, without any other part of her face moving.
Impressive. “Wow. Can you do that again? My brother has amazing facial control, but I think you’re better.”
“I’m just shocked at the invitation. I figured you’d be heading for the hills in about five seconds,” Lisa folded her arms over her chest. “You seem to have a self-destruct sequence that kicks in the minute we start talking.”
Josiah thought it through. “Nope. Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The fact you’ve hightailed it away from me every time we’ve interacted during the last couple of months never registered?”
More like he’d hoped she hadn’t noticed, but he wasn’t about to confess to that. What he needed to do was make it clear his new path didn’t involve running away.
He lowered the saddle to his feet so he could grab his proof. “I make it a point of not arguing with the woman I hope to spend more time with.”
The skepticism on her face kept growing. She swayed from side to side, as if looking behind him. “Is this an alien kidnapping situation? Because you’re confusing the heck out of me, which is a talent all in itself, to be honest.”
Josiah finally fished the note cards he’d prepared out of his back pocket. “Hang on, this will help.” He handed her one of the cards. “You begin.”
Lisa eyed him, eyed the card, then glanced back at him, a grimace on her face. “Seriously?”
“You don’t have to read the setting,” he suggested. “Just start with the dialogue line.”
“Oh, I’d hate to waste any of your hard work. I’ll start at the top of the page and work my way down.” Lisa cleared her throat before she started. “Setting: interior of a barn.” She glanced around, shrugged lightly. “Okay, pretty good figuring that one out ahead of time.”
“I have a second set of cards for at the house,” he admitted. “I was prepared.”
Her lips twitched before she continued. “Characters. Female lead: a young woman in town helping her family. Hard-working, loyal, sexy as sin.” Lisa’s tone became more dramatic as she went along, as if she were a radio-show announcer. “After months of hard work, she’s in desperate need of some R and R.”
She stopped, looking up at him. That single brow perfectly arched.
He waited.
Happily, her amusement grew. “I have no idea what you’re doing, Josiah, but I’ll play along.” She lifted the card again. “Male lead: local veterinarian. A man with a gift for dealing with animals, but also someone who knows how to make a woman happy.”
A sharp snicker escaped her.
“Hey, that’s not the punch line,” Josiah complained.
Lisa held up a hand, raising the card to show she was getting into character. “Josiah. It’s been a long time.”
He adjusted his cowboy hat, checking her out and enjoying what he saw immensely. “Seems like just yesterday to me.”
“Not yesterday, or the day before that. It’s beenweekssince you came around. I’ve been pining for your company.” She seemed to have a hard time deciding whether she was going to smile, smirk or outright laugh.
“We’ve both been caught up in our work. We need to make time for us.” Josiah met her gaze. “Dinner tonight. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Lisa opened her mouth, gaze dropping to the words he’d written. “Okay. Your house. We can make dinner together.”
He ignored the temptation to lean forward and peek at what she was reading, because he knew damn well that wasn’t what it said on her card. “You’re improvising.”
“Yep. Because I don’t want to dress up and go out. It’s my first day off in a long while, and I want to spend it in comfy clothes, eating comfort food.” Lisa wiggled the card at him. “And if I read this line about us going to Longhorn’s Steakhouse, that meansnotbeing in comfy clothes and eating comfort foods. Although I do like steak, don’t get me wrong.”
He admitted defeat. “Comfort food, comfy clothes. My house—sounds like a date to me. I accept your revisions.”
“You still didn’t tell me why the sudden change of heart,” Lisa pointed out.
“I figured I’d need to clarify.” Josiah pointed to the card and motioned for her to turn it around. “Get back on script.”
