Page 63 of Austin
“You haven’t filed either?”
Cody sent his brother a look. “No. I’m thinking about starting a business in addition to the ranch. I need some advice.”
Kristen propped a hand on her hip, narrowed her eyes. “You guys aren’t making up stuff to help your unemployed cousin, are you?” She wasn’t about to be the family charity.
Cody and Shane shook their heads in unison.
“Our ranch accountant is swamped,” Cody said. “We’ll pay whatever the going rate is.”
“The family rate is free.”
“Then we’ll find someone else,” Shane said easily.
“You guys are awful.”
“Yeah,” Cody said. “We are. And we’re paying you.”
On Monday, Kristen learned the ropes of lunch service, which was almost as exhausting as a busy night at the Silver Bow. She’d just finished bussing a table, and was about to take a break when she noticed Whitney signaling her to the bar. She crossed the room with her loaded tray, then nearly dropped it when she spotted Austin half perched on a barstool. Her heart slammed against her ribs as she met his oh-so-blue eyes, then let her gaze slip down to his half-smiling gorgeous mouth.
He looked…better than she remembered.
How could that be, when he’d been pretty damned perfect in her head?
“Hey,” she said with what she hoped looked like an easy smile. Her heart wasn’t supposed to start hammering like this. It simply was not.
This was the moment when they kicked off their new relationship—their casually friendly relationship that was manageable and realistic. This was not the moment for her hormones to hopefully whisper, “May we have more, please?”
No. No more. Not doable. You’re an accountant. He’s a bull rider. No middle ground. Remember?
Yes. That was the thing to focus on—no middle ground. And she would focus hard.
She set her tray on the bar as her insides tumbled with anticipation of something she wasn’t going to get.Take it easy—it’s going to take time for kinetic memory to fade. And pheromonal memory. He smelled so damned good, and the scent reminded her of long nights in tangled sheets.
“Just came to say goodbye.”
Whitney headed to the far end of the bar and started polishing glasses. Kristen shot her a look, then said to Austin. “Are you going to order something?”
“Nope.”
“You only came to say goodbye?”
His expression softened. “Seemed like the thing to do.”
Kristen felt the same. She’d wanted to say goodbye, wish him luck out on the road. “Let me drop off this tray and I’ll walk you to your truck.” She hoped she made it. She hadn’t expected just seeing him again to have this kind of effect on her—to make her knees feel all rubbery and her chest tight.
“Sure.”
She took care of the tray and clocked out for her break. Austin was waiting by the door when she came out of the staff room. Lindsey, the other server, gave her a thumbs-up and Kristen somehow refrained from rolling her eyes. Yes, Austin was thumbs-up worthy, but Lindsey had misread the situation between them.
“You’re moving better,” she said as they stepped outside and started toward Austin’s truck.
“Drugged out of my head.”
Her eyes went wide before she realized he was kidding. Okay. Good. Tension was now officially eased.
“The leg is feeling better.” He stopped close to his truck, cupping the keys in one hand. “I’m surprised to see you back in the service industry.”
“It’s different here.” She fought a smile. Lost. It felt good to talk to him. “I have an interview. A Reno company.”
