wrapped an arm across it, hoping he hadn’t heard the eager bid for consumption.
“Shall we dig in?” He reached across the table, took her plate and placed a slice against the china. “More than one?”
“Please.”
One more slice and Paul handed her the plate. Teeth sinking into the baked dinner pie, Cami savored a bite, watching as he ate nearly an entire slice in three bites. She wiped a drop of red sauce from her lips with a paper napkin. “I know you like to horseback ride, you said you’re into the outdoors. Like hiking? Camping? Fishing?” Why was she interrogating him?
“All the above.” He swallowed the last of the first slice of pizza. “Despite my white collar position.”
She smirked, took a bite of pizza.
“You don’t believe me?”
Cami shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? You are what you say you are, right?” She chewed through the thick cheese. “So, what, you punch out on Friday and live another life on the weekends?”
He laughed. “I feel like I’m filling out some kind of test. Am I passing or failing?”
“It’s not like that.” Cami sighed heavily. I knew this dinner was a mistake . “I just –“
“You’re guard is up and you don’t know how to let it down. At least not with me.” He took a sip from the cola, swallowed, rolled his lips in and out. “I know I started off on the wrong foot, attacking the very thing you are the most passionate about. But, maybe if you can see past it …”
She sat still, staring, considering. “Look, I know you’ve apologized, and I accept that. It’s not easy for me to trust people. And this,” she waved at the space between them, “This small talk, getting to know each other thing, it’s not my strong suit. I’m not sure, this doesn’t feel,” she stopped, struggling. “Let’s just finish the pizza, okay? Then, maybe we can get out of here.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Go someplace more comfortable?”
She nodded. “Maybe. Go for a ride, back at the ranch?”
“I’d like that.”
The ranch was lit in the glow of earliest twilight, faint pinks and purples growing in the fading day blue sky. The wheels of the truck bumped across uneven ground, and Cami rumbled against the seat, oblivious to the familiar joggling. The last date, no more with Paul Schotter . No connection. No magic. Where was the fire that was supposed to go with being in love? She’d never felt it. Didn’t stop her from looking, though. And she wasn’t going to accept anything less.
*
Alex watched the two trucks pull into the drive, the thread of straw he chewed on dropping to his feet as Paul Schotter stepped out of the truck which followed Cami’s familiar pickup. She was seeing him again? His jaw tightened. The man was out to destroy the sanctuary, she couldn’t possibly be interested in him. A hand tightened into a fist around the wood of the fence. He understood everything about the woman, but didn’t understand what she was looking for. He smirked. “I’ve certainly been trying to figure it out long enough.”
A leg pushed against the fence and Alex evened himself to face them, steeling the nerves sparked by seeing her with another man. She’s dated, he’s dated, never crossed the line together. He rubbed his chin. Why should this bother him now?
“Cami. How’s it going?”
“Hey, Alex. It’s going okay. How are things here on the ranch?”
He eyed Paul up and down as he moved to stand next to Cami. “Making progress.” Taking the Stetson off, he tapped it against a leg as dust swirled outward and placed the Stetson back on his head, arms crossed. “What was your name again?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Alex, I’ve introduced you to Paul before.”
He stiffened. “Yeah, I guess you have. You were at that council meeting to shut us down, weren’t you? Heading it, if I remember right. What are you doing here?” And why are you after her? Alex frowned. He could guess why – anyone’d be crazy not to be after
“Shall we dig in?” He reached across the table, took her plate and placed a slice against the china. “More than one?”
“Please.”
One more slice and Paul handed her the plate. Teeth sinking into the baked dinner pie, Cami savored a bite, watching as he ate nearly an entire slice in three bites. She wiped a drop of red sauce from her lips with a paper napkin. “I know you like to horseback ride, you said you’re into the outdoors. Like hiking? Camping? Fishing?” Why was she interrogating him?
“All the above.” He swallowed the last of the first slice of pizza. “Despite my white collar position.”
She smirked, took a bite of pizza.
“You don’t believe me?”
Cami shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? You are what you say you are, right?” She chewed through the thick cheese. “So, what, you punch out on Friday and live another life on the weekends?”
He laughed. “I feel like I’m filling out some kind of test. Am I passing or failing?”
“It’s not like that.” Cami sighed heavily. I knew this dinner was a mistake . “I just –“
“You’re guard is up and you don’t know how to let it down. At least not with me.” He took a sip from the cola, swallowed, rolled his lips in and out. “I know I started off on the wrong foot, attacking the very thing you are the most passionate about. But, maybe if you can see past it …”
She sat still, staring, considering. “Look, I know you’ve apologized, and I accept that. It’s not easy for me to trust people. And this,” she waved at the space between them, “This small talk, getting to know each other thing, it’s not my strong suit. I’m not sure, this doesn’t feel,” she stopped, struggling. “Let’s just finish the pizza, okay? Then, maybe we can get out of here.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Go someplace more comfortable?”
She nodded. “Maybe. Go for a ride, back at the ranch?”
“I’d like that.”
The ranch was lit in the glow of earliest twilight, faint pinks and purples growing in the fading day blue sky. The wheels of the truck bumped across uneven ground, and Cami rumbled against the seat, oblivious to the familiar joggling. The last date, no more with Paul Schotter . No connection. No magic. Where was the fire that was supposed to go with being in love? She’d never felt it. Didn’t stop her from looking, though. And she wasn’t going to accept anything less.
*
Alex watched the two trucks pull into the drive, the thread of straw he chewed on dropping to his feet as Paul Schotter stepped out of the truck which followed Cami’s familiar pickup. She was seeing him again? His jaw tightened. The man was out to destroy the sanctuary, she couldn’t possibly be interested in him. A hand tightened into a fist around the wood of the fence. He understood everything about the woman, but didn’t understand what she was looking for. He smirked. “I’ve certainly been trying to figure it out long enough.”
A leg pushed against the fence and Alex evened himself to face them, steeling the nerves sparked by seeing her with another man. She’s dated, he’s dated, never crossed the line together. He rubbed his chin. Why should this bother him now?
“Cami. How’s it going?”
“Hey, Alex. It’s going okay. How are things here on the ranch?”
He eyed Paul up and down as he moved to stand next to Cami. “Making progress.” Taking the Stetson off, he tapped it against a leg as dust swirled outward and placed the Stetson back on his head, arms crossed. “What was your name again?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Alex, I’ve introduced you to Paul before.”
He stiffened. “Yeah, I guess you have. You were at that council meeting to shut us down, weren’t you? Heading it, if I remember right. What are you doing here?” And why are you after her? Alex frowned. He could guess why – anyone’d be crazy not to be after
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