Not be sneaky like that.”
Alex raised the Stetson, rubbed a hand over short jet hair, and replaced the hat. “I’m not so sure. Just be careful, okay?”
“I don’t know why everyone is so worked up over the tigers anyway. It’s humans we all have to be afraid of, isn’t it?” She chuckled. “We’re the unreasonable ones. An email like this just proves it, I think. Well, if I can handle the cats, I certainly can handle the humans.”
Crossing his arms, Alex narrowed his eyes. “Well, I hope so.” Nodding upwards, he said, “Just don’t get cocky.”
“Me?” She laughed. “I’ll keep an eye open, I promise.”
“Guess that’s all I can hope for.”
Her phone rang and she reached to a back pocket. Alex nodded. “Catch you later Cam.”
She nodded, finger sliding across the touchscreen to answer the call.
“Is this Cami?”
She paused, unable to place the voice. “Yes.”
“It’s Paul Schotter. Wondering if you’d like to join me for another dinner?”
Brows furrowed as she watched Alex’s retreating figure, his words dancing across her mind. “Why? There’s nothing else I can tell you about the ranch.”
The line was silent for a moment. “Yes, no, I guess not. That’s not the reason I’m asking.”
“Then I’m confused.”
Another pause. “I enjoy your company. Would maybe like to get to know you a little better. Maybe over pizza.”
“Well, I don’t know …”
“Or something a little nicer, if you would like. Steak and potatoes, all you can eat crab legs. Whatever you would like to do.”
Jaw tightened, her mind raced. Cami ran her tongue over parched lips. “A date?”
Another round of silence. “Yes, I suppose you could call it that.”
She thought quickly. A date with the man who wanted to shut her down, a little odd. Liz’s voice carried through her thoughts, along with her parents’ voices, alleging romantic feelings between Alex and her. A date is perfect . “Ok.”
“Yes? Great. What can I treat you to?”
“Pizza would be fine.”
“Great,” he repeated. “Tomorrow night at six then?”
“Okay.”
“See you then.”
A thumb slid to blacken the screen, and Cami tucked the phone in a back pocket, then leaned against the fence. She could handle Paul Schotter. And silencing everyone else’s conjectures was well worth consorting with the enemy for a couple hours.
Chapter Eight
Vinci’s Pizza buzzed with popularity, despite being the middle of the week. Cami searched the visible tables. Feeling a hand rest gently on a shoulder, she turned. How does he do that?
Paul smiled wide. “Thanks for coming.”
She nodded, “I was surprised by the invitation.”
“You shouldn’t be. You’re a captivating woman.”
“Bad line.”
“True line. Shall we get a table?”
“Yes, please.”
Together, they moved through the restaurant, weaving between crowded tables and noisy chatter. Settling into a booth alongside a salad bar, Cami leaned into the padded bench while Paul rested against the green trimmed table top. “What kind of pizza do you like?”
“Sausage, green pepper, onion. You?”
“What do you know? The same thing.”
Cami shook her head. “You don’t expect me to believe that.”
He shrugged. “No, you’re right, sort of. I like the whole nine yards – everything they have in the kitchen. But that also means I like sausage, green pepper and onion. So I’m not lying to you, and that sounds perfect for tonight.”
She sighed, shoulders dropping. “I’m sorry, Paul. I’m not trying to be difficult or rude. I’m just not understanding why we’re here, why you wanted a date with me, of all things, and of all people. You’re a good looking guy, so I know you aren’t desperate for attention from women. You don’t understand what I’m doing, and this is my life’s work. I’ve been planning it for a long time, and will be doing it for even longer, if I have anything to say about it.
Alex raised the Stetson, rubbed a hand over short jet hair, and replaced the hat. “I’m not so sure. Just be careful, okay?”
“I don’t know why everyone is so worked up over the tigers anyway. It’s humans we all have to be afraid of, isn’t it?” She chuckled. “We’re the unreasonable ones. An email like this just proves it, I think. Well, if I can handle the cats, I certainly can handle the humans.”
Crossing his arms, Alex narrowed his eyes. “Well, I hope so.” Nodding upwards, he said, “Just don’t get cocky.”
“Me?” She laughed. “I’ll keep an eye open, I promise.”
“Guess that’s all I can hope for.”
Her phone rang and she reached to a back pocket. Alex nodded. “Catch you later Cam.”
She nodded, finger sliding across the touchscreen to answer the call.
“Is this Cami?”
She paused, unable to place the voice. “Yes.”
“It’s Paul Schotter. Wondering if you’d like to join me for another dinner?”
Brows furrowed as she watched Alex’s retreating figure, his words dancing across her mind. “Why? There’s nothing else I can tell you about the ranch.”
The line was silent for a moment. “Yes, no, I guess not. That’s not the reason I’m asking.”
“Then I’m confused.”
Another pause. “I enjoy your company. Would maybe like to get to know you a little better. Maybe over pizza.”
“Well, I don’t know …”
“Or something a little nicer, if you would like. Steak and potatoes, all you can eat crab legs. Whatever you would like to do.”
Jaw tightened, her mind raced. Cami ran her tongue over parched lips. “A date?”
Another round of silence. “Yes, I suppose you could call it that.”
She thought quickly. A date with the man who wanted to shut her down, a little odd. Liz’s voice carried through her thoughts, along with her parents’ voices, alleging romantic feelings between Alex and her. A date is perfect . “Ok.”
“Yes? Great. What can I treat you to?”
“Pizza would be fine.”
“Great,” he repeated. “Tomorrow night at six then?”
“Okay.”
“See you then.”
A thumb slid to blacken the screen, and Cami tucked the phone in a back pocket, then leaned against the fence. She could handle Paul Schotter. And silencing everyone else’s conjectures was well worth consorting with the enemy for a couple hours.
Chapter Eight
Vinci’s Pizza buzzed with popularity, despite being the middle of the week. Cami searched the visible tables. Feeling a hand rest gently on a shoulder, she turned. How does he do that?
Paul smiled wide. “Thanks for coming.”
She nodded, “I was surprised by the invitation.”
“You shouldn’t be. You’re a captivating woman.”
“Bad line.”
“True line. Shall we get a table?”
“Yes, please.”
Together, they moved through the restaurant, weaving between crowded tables and noisy chatter. Settling into a booth alongside a salad bar, Cami leaned into the padded bench while Paul rested against the green trimmed table top. “What kind of pizza do you like?”
“Sausage, green pepper, onion. You?”
“What do you know? The same thing.”
Cami shook her head. “You don’t expect me to believe that.”
He shrugged. “No, you’re right, sort of. I like the whole nine yards – everything they have in the kitchen. But that also means I like sausage, green pepper and onion. So I’m not lying to you, and that sounds perfect for tonight.”
She sighed, shoulders dropping. “I’m sorry, Paul. I’m not trying to be difficult or rude. I’m just not understanding why we’re here, why you wanted a date with me, of all things, and of all people. You’re a good looking guy, so I know you aren’t desperate for attention from women. You don’t understand what I’m doing, and this is my life’s work. I’ve been planning it for a long time, and will be doing it for even longer, if I have anything to say about it.
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