from the family that first homesteaded the place. I don’t suppose you’d be interested in changing the name back?”
“You never know,” Cooper said, sidestepping the question.
“Whatever you’d choose, it’s bound to be better than Serenity Ranch.” She snorted. “Sounds like a retirement home for has-been rodeo stock.”
“Mr. Ryan’s bound to come up with something,” Ginny interjected.
Her tone caught Sammy Jo’s attention. There was something so calculating and slithery about it. Was Ginny interested in Cooper? She certainly acted as though she was, Sammy Jo thought, watching Ginny lean over the pool table once more. It irked her that Ginny played such a mean game of pool. Sammy Jo was hopeless at it. But then, Ginny didn’t know the first thing about ranching, so maybe they were even.
“Care to play me?” Ginny asked Cooper suggestively.
Sammy Jo burned. With difficulty, she kept her feelings out of her face. If Cooper Ryan fell for Ginny’s games, he wasn’t the man she thought he was.
“Can’t right now,” he told her. “I’ve got to be somewhere.”
“You meeting someone?” Ginny asked quickly.
Sammy Jo wanted to hear the answer to that, too.
“No, I just got work to do.”
He scooped up his hat and headed for the door. Sammy Jo followed him.
“I know you’re in a hurry, but I wanted to talk to you,” she said.
“About?”
“Oh…well…” she darted a glance to Josh, Sam and Jenny were all staring unabashedly. “The Triple R.”
Cooper’s gaze followed hers. After a moment, in that slow drawl she was becoming familiar with, he said, “I skipped out on dinner tonight with Lettie and Jack. Thought I’d grab something in town. You want to join me?”
Sammy Jo’s breath caught. This was the perfect opportunity. Better than she could have wished for.
“I owe you a dinner,” he reminded her.
“Yes, you do,” she agreed with a forced smile.
She didn’t turn around, but she could well imagine the annoyance that must be sharpening Ginny’s face. Her smile became more natural, widening into dimples.
Cooper held the door for her, his gaze rapt on her face. Uncomfortable under that frank appraisal, Sammy Jo instantly sobered, wondering what he found so keenly interesting about her face. “Tell me about the Triple R,” he invited as he strode past his truck and her pickup and meandered down the street to a steakhouse called Lou’s, little more than a hole in the wall, but renowned for its grilled T-bones.
“You’re pretty familiar with Coldwater Flats already,” Sammy Jo remarked as they stood outside the restaurant.
“I know this place and The Riverside are the only restaurants in town worth speaking of. I haven’t been to The Riverside yet.”
“The Riverside has better atmosphere, but more of the locals come here.”
“If you want to switch…?”
“I’m really more interested in conversation than food,” she admitted candidly.
For an answer, Cooper inclined his head and held open the door. A haze hung in the air from the wildly sizzling grill at the back of the place. Sammy Jo found a spot as far from the kitchen as possible and Cooper stretched out in a chair opposite her. His legs were long, lean and seemed to surround her. Sammy Jo tucked in her knees and felt intimidated.
“You really don’t have to buy me dinner.”
He shook his head. “It’s payback time.”
Staring at the menu, which she knew by heart, Sammy Jo said, “I’m not all that hungry. I think I’ll have a salad.”
“You’re not one of those women who starve themselves to save their figures, are you?” he asked curiously.
Sammy Jo shot him a look. “Do I look like the type?”
He grinned. “No.”
Her hands were sweating. Wiping them on her skirt, she dived in. “I just got some things on my mind, and food’s not one of them.”
“Y’all ready?” the waitress asked, pen poised. Dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, she shifted her gaze from Cooper
“You never know,” Cooper said, sidestepping the question.
“Whatever you’d choose, it’s bound to be better than Serenity Ranch.” She snorted. “Sounds like a retirement home for has-been rodeo stock.”
“Mr. Ryan’s bound to come up with something,” Ginny interjected.
Her tone caught Sammy Jo’s attention. There was something so calculating and slithery about it. Was Ginny interested in Cooper? She certainly acted as though she was, Sammy Jo thought, watching Ginny lean over the pool table once more. It irked her that Ginny played such a mean game of pool. Sammy Jo was hopeless at it. But then, Ginny didn’t know the first thing about ranching, so maybe they were even.
“Care to play me?” Ginny asked Cooper suggestively.
Sammy Jo burned. With difficulty, she kept her feelings out of her face. If Cooper Ryan fell for Ginny’s games, he wasn’t the man she thought he was.
“Can’t right now,” he told her. “I’ve got to be somewhere.”
“You meeting someone?” Ginny asked quickly.
Sammy Jo wanted to hear the answer to that, too.
“No, I just got work to do.”
He scooped up his hat and headed for the door. Sammy Jo followed him.
“I know you’re in a hurry, but I wanted to talk to you,” she said.
“About?”
“Oh…well…” she darted a glance to Josh, Sam and Jenny were all staring unabashedly. “The Triple R.”
Cooper’s gaze followed hers. After a moment, in that slow drawl she was becoming familiar with, he said, “I skipped out on dinner tonight with Lettie and Jack. Thought I’d grab something in town. You want to join me?”
Sammy Jo’s breath caught. This was the perfect opportunity. Better than she could have wished for.
“I owe you a dinner,” he reminded her.
“Yes, you do,” she agreed with a forced smile.
She didn’t turn around, but she could well imagine the annoyance that must be sharpening Ginny’s face. Her smile became more natural, widening into dimples.
Cooper held the door for her, his gaze rapt on her face. Uncomfortable under that frank appraisal, Sammy Jo instantly sobered, wondering what he found so keenly interesting about her face. “Tell me about the Triple R,” he invited as he strode past his truck and her pickup and meandered down the street to a steakhouse called Lou’s, little more than a hole in the wall, but renowned for its grilled T-bones.
“You’re pretty familiar with Coldwater Flats already,” Sammy Jo remarked as they stood outside the restaurant.
“I know this place and The Riverside are the only restaurants in town worth speaking of. I haven’t been to The Riverside yet.”
“The Riverside has better atmosphere, but more of the locals come here.”
“If you want to switch…?”
“I’m really more interested in conversation than food,” she admitted candidly.
For an answer, Cooper inclined his head and held open the door. A haze hung in the air from the wildly sizzling grill at the back of the place. Sammy Jo found a spot as far from the kitchen as possible and Cooper stretched out in a chair opposite her. His legs were long, lean and seemed to surround her. Sammy Jo tucked in her knees and felt intimidated.
“You really don’t have to buy me dinner.”
He shook his head. “It’s payback time.”
Staring at the menu, which she knew by heart, Sammy Jo said, “I’m not all that hungry. I think I’ll have a salad.”
“You’re not one of those women who starve themselves to save their figures, are you?” he asked curiously.
Sammy Jo shot him a look. “Do I look like the type?”
He grinned. “No.”
Her hands were sweating. Wiping them on her skirt, she dived in. “I just got some things on my mind, and food’s not one of them.”
“Y’all ready?” the waitress asked, pen poised. Dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, she shifted her gaze from Cooper
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