Blinding Rain, Season 2, Episode 7 (Rising Storm) by Elisabeth Naughton

though, told him he was wrong. He was on his way to talk to his good-for-nothing brother all because one very pretty strawberry blonde had looked at him as if she saw something in him no one else did.
    He forced his gaze back to the road. Forced his hands to stay curled around the wheel so he wouldn’t reach for Mary Louise again. He’d liked touching her in the bar. He’d liked holding her hand. He’d liked it a hell of a lot more than he’d thought he would and he wanted to do it all again. He’d always thought Mary Louise was pretty, he just hadn’t realized they had a lot more in common than he’d known. Or that underneath all that sweetness she was a take-charge kind of woman.
    He really liked that about her. Hannah had never looked at him the way Mary Louise had. She’d never told him he was being an idiot or tried to talk any kind of sense into him. In fact, thinking back, Hannah hadn’t ever taken any kind of initiative in their relationship. He’d been the one to do all the courting. He’d been the one to always check in on her, not the other way around. He’d been the one pushing for more in their relationship, right from the start, and she’d just sat back and let it happen.
    He rested his elbow on the open window and brushed his fingers over his mouth as he thought back to Mary Louise’s questions in the bar. Had he ever really loved Hannah? He’d thought they made the perfect couple. On paper she was everything he’d always wanted. But he couldn’t deny that he’d felt more of a spark sitting with Mary Louise for an hour at Murphy’s than he’d felt with Hannah in all the time they’d been together. He glanced her way and couldn’t help but feel an increase in his pulse as he took in the soft curve of her jaw and the gentle slope of her nose. If he’d had someone like Mary Louise by his side these last few years, how different would his life be now?
    “Um, Tate?” Mary Louise braced a hand on the door at her side. “You’re drifting.”
    “Huh?”
    “The road. You’re drifting!”
    Tate glanced back at the road and quickly corrected the wheel to keep from driving onto the gravel shoulder. “Sorry.”
    Mary Louise breathed easier and pressed her hand against her chest. “It’s okay. You’re nervous. I get that.”
    He was nervous. But not about talking to his brother. He was nervous about her . He hadn’t expected her to say yes when he’d asked her to go out to the ranch with him so he could talk to Tucker, but he really liked that she was here now. Everything just seemed easier with her. More relaxed. And he was almost afraid of fixing things with his brother because he didn’t want to give her any reason to leave.
    He turned down the lane to his parents’ place and pulled to a stop behind Tucker’s truck. This time of day, Tucker was probably in the barn. Tate glanced past Mary Louise toward the massive structure and frowned.
    “Hey.” Mary Louise’s hand covered his on his knee. “You got this. Just remember what we talked about. She’s the fool, not you. And you’re the much better man.”
    He looked down at her and felt a tug toward her, followed by an overwhelming urge to kiss her. Right here. Right in front of his parents’ place. Right where anyone could see.
    His gaze drifted to her lush, pink lips. He really wanted to kiss her but he wasn’t sure if he should. Would he look like an ass if he did? A couple hours ago he’d been ranting and raging about his ex with his brother. Would Mary Louise think he was mental if he so quickly changed his mind about what he wanted?
    “Will you come with me?” The words left his mouth before he could stop them.
    Mary Louise smiled and squeezed his hand. “I think this part you should probably do on your own.”
    He nodded and looked down at her hand covering his. Man, she had great hands. Long fingers, delicate nails. He really liked the look of her hands. They weren’t callused or rough from working outdoors or with