now—at least some of it. “Yes, I gave it up, but I have an opportunity to ride again. Not in the rodeo, but as part of the Cowboy Country USA Wild West Show.”
He stiffened, and she wished she had kept it to herself. Heck, she’d implied that the whole thing was still under consideration. What would he say or do if he knew she was already committed?
The maître d’ came by with their salads, and the conversation stalled for a while.
She’d been prepared for a gradual change of subject, but not for the silence that followed. But maybe Jensen was just being introspective.
“Does that bother you that I might ride in the Wild West Show?” she asked.
“Of course not. It sounds like a reasonable compromise.”
Did it?
Maybe she should give him some time to chew on it before she told him that she was not only committed, but legally bound.
When their dinner was served, they made small talk while they ate. But the sooner it came time for the bill to be paid and for them to go their own ways, the more Amber’s stomach rebelled at the roasted red potatoes and the herb chicken.
She’d give anything to take Jensen home with her or to drive off to a place where they could be alone, but it looked as though they’d be getting into separate vehicles again tonight.
Even after what they’d shared in the loft.
Her stomach knotted, and she pushed her plate aside even though it was still laden with enough leftover to take home for lunch tomorrow.
Finally, she lifted her goblet and took a sip of wine, preparing to bolster her courage.
“It’s a shame nothing can come of a relationship between the two of us,” she said, hoping and praying he’d tell her she was wrong.
Jensen reached out and placed his hand over hers, enveloping her with warmth. “As much as I’d like to argue, I can’t see how it could.”
In spite of the fact that she’d known all along that they’d never have a life together, Jensen’s words drove a spike in Amber’s heart dead center, creating a crack that threatened to break it in two.
Still, as long as he remained in town, she was determined to spend as much quality time with him as she could.
Because when he left Texas, he’d made it clear that the only part of his life she could claim wouldn’t be his future.
It would be his past.
Under normal circumstances, if Amber had heard her grandmother say that she was going on an overnight trip with a single man, she would have been shocked speechless. But when Gram casually mentioned over breakfast that she planned to accompany Elmer on a two-day trip to Lubbock for a reunion with his military buddies, Amber didn’t raise a protest or voice a judgment.
Well, she did nearly choke on her coffee. But when she’d finally coughed it into the correct passageway, she decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Having the ranch house to herself meant that she and Jensen could finally have a private place to meet and have the talk she’d been wanting to have since their dinner at The Garden, and she was going to use the opportunity to its fullest advantage.
Once the older couple took off in Elmer’s car, their names branded on the back window, Amber reached for the telephone and, while butterflies swarmed in her tummy, placed the call she’d been dying to make all morning.
Jensen answered his cell on the second ring.
She’d barely greeted him when she blurted out, “What would you say if I told you I had the house to myself for the next two days?”
“Are you suggesting you’d like company tonight?”
“Yes. And not in the hayloft this time.”
“That sounds wonderful. I’d offer to cook you a romantic meal, but as we discussed before, my culinary expertise is somewhat limited.”
So was Amber’s, but she didn’t need to advertise that fact. Besides, she had plenty of other skills to make up for it.
“Should we meet at the Hollows Cantina?” he asked. “I’ve had a craving for carne asada.”
“Another private dinner?” she asked. Because if that’s what he wanted, they could order takeout and bring it back to the ranch.
“No, I think it’s time we dined in the main part of the restaurant with everyone else.”
What? No more clandestine meetings? As much as she looked forward to having the house to themselves later tonight, she was glad to know that he didn’t want to keep her—or their relationship, if that’s what it was—under wraps anymore. And she counted that as a good sign. A very good one.
Evidently they’d reached a turning point. Maybe it was time to level with him about Cowboy Country USA. She could tell him that she’d decided to fully commit to the Wild West Show, although she wouldn’t mention anything else. First she’d gauge his reaction to the trick riding.
When the call ended, Amber set about getting ready for the weekend by changing her bedding, setting out scented candles in her room and choosing some romantic CDs to have ready for Jensen’s arrival later that night.
Then she took the last two hours to fuss with her appearance—taking a bubble bath, doing her hair and choosing just the right outfit to wear. There’d be no jeans or flannel this evening.
Now, as she looked at herself in the full-length mirror, she studied the low neck of her silky top, one she’d gotten as a gift but had never worn. She wondered if she’d gone a little overboard. After all, it wasn’t as if she and Jensen were meeting at a fancy restaurant out of town or in a dark movie theater.
They were going to the most popular restaurant in town—and on a Friday night. Everyone would see them together and, with her decked out in such obvious dating attire...well, it would pretty much be a coming-out party.
She glanced at the swell of flesh peeking out between the low swoop of her blouse. She hoped she’d chosen something that was enticing enough to remind Jensen of what she had planned for the rest of the evening, but not risqué enough to make her look like a truck-stop floozy.
When she had spent as much time as she dared, she reached for the perfume she favored but rarely used and applied a dab, wondering if Jensen would appreciate her efforts.
Or would he want her to cover up? The straitlaced Brit sure seemed to have a bit of a jealous side. Or had she read him wrong?
He hadn’t seemed to mind flaunting other women on his arm. So why her? Was it jealousy or embarrassment?
She shook off the insecurity. Either way, when she told him about Cowboy Country USA, she wouldn’t mention the part about the ad campaign. It didn’t take a crystal ball to know how the proper gentleman would feel about that, especially
