Page 71 of Bait and Switch
“You’re asking permission? Again, that doesn’t seem very Charming Fucker of you.”
“Ha, ha, ha. I brought an offering. Ice cream.”
“What flavor?”
“The Duc and the Earl, from Jewel Creamery.” Gabe held the bag up for Casey to see. “I got to taste-test it, surprisingly delicious.”
“Well, in that case, come aboard.”
Casey led the way intoThe Barbara’scabin, where Bowie greeted Gabe with a tail thump.
“Have a seat and let me grab a couple bowls and spoons,” he said, toeing off his moccasin-style slippers.
Gabe hung up his jacket and set his boots next to Casey’s before claiming a spot on the curved bench seat. “Still jealous of your table.” Unlike the one on theTicket, Casey’s table was big enough to spread out at without bumping elbows.
Opening a cabinet, Casey got out bowls, one blue and one gray.
“Sorry, I don’t really care if my dishware matches,” he said, then added two spoons and sat across from Gabe.
“No worries.” Gabe opened the bag with a flourish. “Ice cream also does not care.” He pulled out the quart-size container and set it on the table before reaching back in. “I brought these too. They were not easy to find.” Next to the bowls, he set the flat wooden spoons Barry had found for him in the stockroom of the grocery store. “But I draw the line at the ‘frozen dessert’ these things normally accompany.”
A genuine smile curved Casey’s lips, and he reached out and slid one of the wood spoons toward himself. “You remembered.”
“Of course I remembered. I’m not in my dotage yet.”
A smiling Casey Lundin was—a lot. Gabe had already known he was in trouble when his main objective was to get more of that. To have Casey smile at him like he was a weird flat wooden spoon. Go figure.
“Not too far into it anyway,” Casey snarked, peeling the lid off the ice cream.
“Hey,” Gabe protested, “I’ve got a few good miles left in me. No guarantees about the rest though.”
Casey used one of the metal spoons to scoop their dessert into the bowls. “I bet you have plenty of mileage on you. But maybe I should kick the tires a few times before committing. Do you come with a thirty-day warranty?”
Gabe laughed, he couldn’t help himself. This flirtation, or whatever this was, was unlike anything he’d experienced in the past. He’d never taken things this slowly. But considering this was Casey Lundin, slow was probably a good thing.
“About last night—” Gabe started.
“A terrible movie, by the way.”
He wasn’t wrong, but Gabe refused to be sidetracked. He was a man on a mission.
“Nice try, Ranger Man. Look, I’m just gonna say it. I know we got off on the wrong foot, what with the trespassing thing and your general ‘follow the rules’ stance.” Gabe laughed at Casey’s raised eyebrow. “Okay, maybe it was the sexy devil-may-care attitude I bring to the yard. But?—”
“Yes.”
Gabe felt his eyebrows shoot upward. “Yes, what?”
“Yes, let’s see where this goes.” Casey waved a hand back and forth between them. “Warning, it’s been a long time since I’ve dated. But for reasons I cannot fathom, Bowie likes you and Greta is sure she will.”
“She hasn’t met me yet, but that problem is easily solved. Of course she’ll love me.”
“I think it’s your modesty that intrigues me,” Casey said, but his smile stayed in place. “You did bring the funky spoons.”
“See? Icanthink of others.”
Gabe relaxed against the back of the bench, pleased with himself.
“What’s yours?” Casey asked.
