Page 30 of Ocotillo Kisses
Caleb stepped forward before Con did to claim the table when the game between the former players was done. “How should we do this? Boys against girls or couples?”
Con opened his mouth to point out he and Britt were not a couple when Sofia said, “Women against men.” She nudged Caleb with her arm. “You set them up.”
“So when was the last time you played?” Britt asked Con.
“I don’t remember. It’s been a while. I haven’t been out here in a while.”
“So we’re all pretty rusty?” Britt asked Caleb and Sofia. Sofia nodded, but Caleb bent over the table to break the balls with the flourish of a pro.
“Maybe we need to switch sides,” Sofia laughed when he sank both a striped and a solid ball.
“Solids,” Caleb called, and rounded the table to find his next shot. He sank another before remembering, apparently, that he had a partner.
“So I take it you’ve played more recently,” Britt said.
“Not recently so much as there wasn’t much else to do in the man camps when I was in the oil fields. We played a lot of pool, and a bunch of those guys were way better than I was.”
Con took his shot but didn’t manage to sink a ball, so the turn went to the ladies. Sofia motioned for Britt to go first, and Con’s gaze was drawn to her graceful movements, the curve of her back as she bent over the table and lined up her cue, the way she tossed her hair over one shoulder to get a better view. She straightened and flipped her hair back in place before Con even realized she hadn’t hit any balls with the cue ball.
Caleb tapped the side of Con’s boot with the end of his cue, and when Con looked over, Caleb smirked before taking his place and sinking another ball before handing the table over to Con.
Con missed again, having trouble concentrating, wondering if Britt was watching him the way he had watched her. He stepped back for Sofia to take a turn.
“So you did end up going to college?” Britt asked him.
“I commuted to San Angelo State, mostly to help run the business part of the ranch. I never did go into veterinary science, or even husbandry.” He didn’t know why he was telling her this. He just figured his mom had probably told her some of it, and he wanted to make sure she had the right story.
“I’m really sorry about that.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I could have gone a few years ago, you know, started late. But it was harder to leave then.”
“You stayed for your family,” Sofia reminded him.
He nodded. “I stayed for my family, but Dad had enough help at that point that I could have gone and not really been missed.” And he hadn’t. He hadn’t had the courage. Why was he going into this now? It would be easier to just blame the situation, right? To just blame the obligations he had on the ranch. It was a lot harder to accept that he hadn’t followed his dream because he’d been afraid to do so.
“It isn’t too late,” Britt said. “If that’s still what you want to do.”
He grimaced, his focus on the table. “Honestly, the idea of starting now holds no appeal.”
“But you would be a grad student. It’s not like grad students are babies. You have your bachelor’s degree.”
“In business.” Why did she care? “I didn’t take any classes that would go toward a veterinary science degree.” He had looked into it. And other than his basics, he’d have to start over.
“Could you do any of that online?”
He looked sideways at her, leaning a bit on his cue. “Britt, it isn’t important to me anymore.”
She shook her head. “It just was your dream for so long. I hate to see you leaving it behind.”
“I’m fine with it. You should be too.” Did she blame herself for him not going away to school? Was that why she was so interested in his education?
She flipped her hair back and turned to face him. “So you’re going to continue running the ranch?”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve been doing for the better part of a year.” He didn’t know why Britt thought he could leave his mom to go to vet school anyway. Maybe if his mom was healthier, maybe if she was the sociable woman she’d been when he was younger. But she couldn’t drive right now, and he was afraid if he left, she’d become too isolated, and he couldn’t allow that.
He wanted to change the subject, but Britt was up again, and this time she did manage to sink a ball, and again, Con didn’t notice right away because he was watching the shape of her world-class body in those soft dress pants.
He happened to notice the men at the next table were also appreciating her form, and he stepped forward, glowering at them enough that they looked away.
