Page 12 of Hit the Ground
Phoebe’s head shot up, and she sent me a puzzled look. “You don’t know?”
“Wouldn’t have asked if I did.”
“It’s Clark.” She slapped the lid of the box closed. “Sometimes you amaze me, Cay. You help run one of the largest ranches in the state, but I’m not sure you see what’s right in front of your face.”
“Should I have known Alice’s last name?”
She shoved the box at me. “Yes. It’s not like this town is big, and she—” She shook her head. “Just be nice to her, all right?”
Straightening, I tucked the box under my arm, wariness stirring in my gut. It couldn’t be good this was the second warning I was getting about treating this woman right. I didn’t have any kind of reputation for doing women dirty, so I wondered if it had more to do with Alice than me.
“Is there a reason you think I wouldn’t?”
She patted my chest. “I know you’re a good man. That’s not in question. Like I said, it’s taken you all this time to notice her, while she—” Phoebe cut herself off again, biting down hard on her lip.
“She what? Fill me in so I don’t screw this up.”
After a beat, she sighed, tucking her hands in the pockets of her frilly apron. “I don’t know anything for sure, but I think she’s been into you for ages. And if you’re just noticing now, well…”
“Into me?” That couldn’t be right. Sure, there’d been the kiss, but Alice and I had barely exchanged words.
Phoebe poked the spot she’d just patted. “See? That’s what I mean. Everyone knows, but it’s brand-new information to you. At least you finally opened your eyes. You have no idea how happy that makes me.”
I shook my head. “Nothing to get happy about. Like I said, I thought I’d be nice and take her something sweet after a crappy night. Don’t read into it.”
She nodded, trying to control her flighty smile. “Sure, Cay. I’m not reading into anything. Have fun and tell her I say hey, all right?”
After leaving Sugar Rush, I sat in my truck with the box of treats and a bouquet of flowers, wondering what the hell I was doing. This wasn’t me. I wasn’t this guy.
So…why was I doing it?
That kiss…
In those minutes after she’d kissed me, I would have agreed to a hell of a lot. I remembered exactly what her lips had felt like, but now that I was clearheaded, agreeing to tonight was looking like it’d been a really unwise decision.
Everyone knows.
Phoebe had said that. Joy too, in her own way.
Like Alice had been waiting for tonight longer than I could wrap my head around. She’d asked for one date, but what if that wasn’t all she wanted?
This wasn’t feeling simple.
No.
I wasn’t equipped for this. I hadn’t been in a long time. The more I thought about it, the more it felt like the right thing—thefairthing—would be to back out before anything else happened.
I stared at the flowers, the pink box, my hands gripping the steering wheel too tight…
Hurting Alice was the last thing I wanted. I had to figure out what to say to let her down easy.
It was the right move, but I was dreading every second of it.
Chapter Five
Alice
Ishouldhavewaitedand let him come to my door, but I was too antsy to stay inside, and so nervous I needed fresh air so I could actually breathe.
