Page 23 of A Cowboy's Trust
Just make sure she didn’t cut him off at the knees.
Kevin raised his hands in the air. “I will entertain myself, then. And try to keep up with Dixie. She’s always a great companion.”
Jinx rushed past, offering high-fives to everyone on the outer side of the table as she passed. She jerked on her coat and slammed a toque over her head. She barely had her feet into her boots before reaching for the door.
“Slow down there, girl. Zip your coat and tie your boots before you set yourself up to freeze in the first ten seconds of being outside.” As Aiden waited for Jinx to finished dressing, he bent and patted the top of Dixie’s head. “Such a good girl. You take care of Petra. And Kevin. Kevin’s going to spoil you rotten, yes, he is.”
Once Aiden and Jinx were gone, Dixie wandered sadly back to her dog bed where she lay down and let out a long, mournful sigh. Everyone else scattered, and suddenly the room was down to Jake and Petra, clearing the table and preparing for their days.
“What are you doing today?” he asked. “Other than being a mooching moocher and nabbing dinner off your brother?”
“You’re so funny. You’re jealous that we’ll be eating something far more edible than I could cook. Or you, for that matter.”
“I’m not jealous at all. I’m going out for dinner, remember?” Too late it dawned on him that he hadn’t specifically mentioned that.
She eyed him, stacking the remaining plates in the industrial-sized dishwasher. “You said you were going out, but nothing more. From that guilty look you’re wearing, I’d say it’s time to share the details.”
Shit. He’d walked into this one. “If you must know, I happen to agree that Tansy deserves to celebrate how well everything went with her first catering gig for High Water. I’m taking her out so that she doesn’t have to cook tonight, not even for herself.”
Petra turned on the spot, jaw dropping. “You?”
He folded his arms over his chest. “Don’t you think that Tansy deserves to have a day off and something to cheer on how well things went?”
“Absolutely, but…” Petra frowned. “Are you like dropping her off and letting her eat by herself?”
Jake snorted. “Because I’m such terrible company you don’t think she’d want to eat with me?”
“Because the two of you have been bickering like cats and dogs ever since you laid eyes on each other last September.” Only her frown deepened. “Wait. No. That’s wrong. You haven’t been fighting lately…”
“And now you sound more concerned than before.” Jake rinsed a washcloth and went to the table. “We’re getting along fine these days. Tansy is a talented woman. It was helpful when you pointed out that while we might do things differently, she wasn’t doing anything wrong.”
He finished wiping the table with a flourish and turned to discover Petra right behind him.
Her fists were planted firmly on her hips. “You’re up to something.” She eyed him with suspicion. “Tell me, or do I have to break out the big guns and get Sydney to stick you with some truth serum?”
“It’s only dinner,” he said calmly.
A lot more calmly than he felt inside.
Why had he forgotten that any hopes of getting involved with Tansy meant running the gauntlet? Not only with her own family, but with a far more deadly group—her best friends.
Petra examined him for another moment. Then she took a big breath and shrugged. “So. If it’s only dinner, I hope you have a nice time. And if it’s anything more than that?” Her chin lowered the slightest bit, meaning if her eyes were laser beams, he’d have been burned to a crisp. “Then you better treat my girl nicely. Or else.”
Thank God her phone rang at that moment.
Petra answered it, the cheer in her voice miles away from the death threat she’d just offered.
Jake got the dishwasher going then hightailed it from the main house before Petra finished her call.
He didn’t see Tansy during the day. When he came in to grab lunch, she was out in the barn doing something. Come five thirty, though, he got himself dressed and headed into the house.
Damn butterflies in his stomach—he hadn’t been this nervous since tenth grade, which was before he’d had a driver’s license, and his stepdad Jeff had to drive him and his date.
He slipped into the house and was greeted enthusiastically by Dixie.
He scratched her head. “Hey there. Had a good day?”
“Pretty good.”
