of her brothers and sisters still lived at home. Two of them worked to support the family until Daddy’s disability claim could be settled. Coal mining had sucked the life from her family.
Her mind skipped to Ryan. He was a true gem, the kind of man she would want to marry, have a few kids with, a dog, and a white picket fence, but he wasn’t a provider. “He’s an ice-cream-cone clerk at an amusement park.” She smacked her thigh. “I need a provider.”
She looked at her watch again. He should arrive in fifteen minutes or less. She walked into the bathroom and brushed through her hair one last time. After pulling her lipstick from the drawer, she put some on and smacked her lips together. “Tonight, I’ll tell him we can only be friends.”
❧
Ryan couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this way. He was downright giddy. Truly unmasculine, that was for sure. He squelched the excitement inside him as he opened the restaurant door for Kylie. The host seated them, and Ryan picked up the menu.
“Do you know what you want?” Kylie asked before he’d had a chance to read what they offered.
He chuckled. “Not yet.”
“I always get the shrimp platter.”
“Good, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll trust your judgment and just go with that.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean. . .”
Ryan frowned. Kylie was nervous, and he couldn’t figure out why. Maybe just because this was their first date. One of many, if he had his way. “I love shrimp. I’m sure it will be great.”
He put down the menu. He watched as Kylie played with her silverware for several moments then scanned the room, looking anywhere but at him. Small talk. . .think of something to say. “So, how do you like working at Holiday World?”
“It’s good.”
“Great.” Ryan fiddled with the tip of his napkin. Strike one. Think of something else, Watkins. “What about school? You ready to go back?”
“Oh, yeah. I can hardly wait to graduate.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and watched the family beside them.
Strike two. This is like pulling teeth. She acts like I’m not even here. “Have you heard anything else from your job?”
“I go for a physical next week. If it goes well and my criminal record comes back clean, I’m hired.”
“Uh-oh.” Ryan tapped the top of her hand. “Your speeding tickets are going to come back to haunt you.”
“I don’t have any speeding tickets.”
“I was just kidding.”
“Oh.”
Ryan sighed. Strike three. No doubt about it, he had struck out. They ordered their food and ate in near silence. Ryan watched Kylie focus on everyone in the restaurant except him. Something was wrong. Sure, Kylie hadn’t sent tons of signals suggesting her interest in him, but she had shared her job offer with him first thing, even before she’d told Robin.
He smiled. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Yes?”
Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “When was the last time you went to Frosty’s Fun Center?”
“Never.”
“Never?”
She shook her head.
“Not even as a kid?”
Her expression clouded, and Ryan knew he’d said the wrong thing. He pulled cash for their dinner from his wallet and laid it on the table. “Well, I’m going to take you.”
“I don’t know. I’m a little tired.”
“Come on, Ki.”
A faint smile lifted her lips, and a glimmer shot through her eyes. “Something about you calling me that. . .” She shook her head and waved her hand. “Never mind.”
Aha. It was there. He hadn’t imagined it. She was attracted to him. He just had to convince her to let it grow. “Come on. We won’t stay long.”
“Okay.”
Ryan led her to the car, opened the door for her, then walked over to the driver’s side. He slid inside and drove to Frosty’s. “Arcade or miniature golf first?”
Kylie’s tenseness seemed to fade. “I’m afraid I’ll be terrible at either.”
“That’s okay.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I’ll just rub
Her mind skipped to Ryan. He was a true gem, the kind of man she would want to marry, have a few kids with, a dog, and a white picket fence, but he wasn’t a provider. “He’s an ice-cream-cone clerk at an amusement park.” She smacked her thigh. “I need a provider.”
She looked at her watch again. He should arrive in fifteen minutes or less. She walked into the bathroom and brushed through her hair one last time. After pulling her lipstick from the drawer, she put some on and smacked her lips together. “Tonight, I’ll tell him we can only be friends.”
❧
Ryan couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this way. He was downright giddy. Truly unmasculine, that was for sure. He squelched the excitement inside him as he opened the restaurant door for Kylie. The host seated them, and Ryan picked up the menu.
“Do you know what you want?” Kylie asked before he’d had a chance to read what they offered.
He chuckled. “Not yet.”
“I always get the shrimp platter.”
“Good, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll trust your judgment and just go with that.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean. . .”
Ryan frowned. Kylie was nervous, and he couldn’t figure out why. Maybe just because this was their first date. One of many, if he had his way. “I love shrimp. I’m sure it will be great.”
He put down the menu. He watched as Kylie played with her silverware for several moments then scanned the room, looking anywhere but at him. Small talk. . .think of something to say. “So, how do you like working at Holiday World?”
“It’s good.”
“Great.” Ryan fiddled with the tip of his napkin. Strike one. Think of something else, Watkins. “What about school? You ready to go back?”
“Oh, yeah. I can hardly wait to graduate.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and watched the family beside them.
Strike two. This is like pulling teeth. She acts like I’m not even here. “Have you heard anything else from your job?”
“I go for a physical next week. If it goes well and my criminal record comes back clean, I’m hired.”
“Uh-oh.” Ryan tapped the top of her hand. “Your speeding tickets are going to come back to haunt you.”
“I don’t have any speeding tickets.”
“I was just kidding.”
“Oh.”
Ryan sighed. Strike three. No doubt about it, he had struck out. They ordered their food and ate in near silence. Ryan watched Kylie focus on everyone in the restaurant except him. Something was wrong. Sure, Kylie hadn’t sent tons of signals suggesting her interest in him, but she had shared her job offer with him first thing, even before she’d told Robin.
He smiled. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Yes?”
Ryan furrowed his eyebrows. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “When was the last time you went to Frosty’s Fun Center?”
“Never.”
“Never?”
She shook her head.
“Not even as a kid?”
Her expression clouded, and Ryan knew he’d said the wrong thing. He pulled cash for their dinner from his wallet and laid it on the table. “Well, I’m going to take you.”
“I don’t know. I’m a little tired.”
“Come on, Ki.”
A faint smile lifted her lips, and a glimmer shot through her eyes. “Something about you calling me that. . .” She shook her head and waved her hand. “Never mind.”
Aha. It was there. He hadn’t imagined it. She was attracted to him. He just had to convince her to let it grow. “Come on. We won’t stay long.”
“Okay.”
Ryan led her to the car, opened the door for her, then walked over to the driver’s side. He slid inside and drove to Frosty’s. “Arcade or miniature golf first?”
Kylie’s tenseness seemed to fade. “I’m afraid I’ll be terrible at either.”
“That’s okay.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I’ll just rub
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