With a grunt, Jack said, “Let’s not go into all the wild-child behavior the three of us once exhibited.”
Yes, he and Sky—along with Lydia, long before she’d gotten involved with the reverend—had had their fair share of crazy times, which they’d eventually pulled good-girl Reese into.
The group settled at the table. Ruby brought over several bottles of chianti, on the house. Then she and
another server delivered the special to everyone—Uncle Mike’s famed sweet ’n spicy sausage and peppers. For Sky, however, her uncle had prepared a sampler plate. She inhaled the rich aroma as the others stared at her with envy.
Pasta bolognese, lasagna, manicotti and eggplant parmesan. Her favorites. With a coy smile, she said to Sam, “I’ll share if you will.” Sausage and peppers were also her undoing.
“This has just become the best unofficial date I’ve ever been on.”
She elbowed him in the ribs. “That’s not really saying anything about me. You’re just interested in my food.”
“And your culinary connections.”
“Well, if you don’t piss me off, I’ll make sure Uncle Mike creates your own sampler the next time you come in.”
“Wasn’t intending to, darlin’.” He winked.
“Hmm. You might be a little more than I can handle.” What with all of his hotness and hypnotic green eyes and heroic qualities…
So much for thinking she’d lost interest in men after what Mac had done to her in Nashville. She wanted Sam. More than anything she’d known.
But Sky had serious issues to reconcile—and a slimy ex to get rid of—before she ventured into something new and exciting with Mr. Tall, Dark and Hunky.
Following dinner, they returned to the Painted Horse. Sam took the winding drive on the western edge of the property to the cottage Reese and Caleb shared and dropped them off.
Then he backtracked up to the main road, drove a little farther east and passed the monitored gate at the entrance of the ranch. They traveled up to the inn and he pulled into the gravel parking lot and cut the engine on the truck.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he offered.
“All five feet? Aren’t you just the sweetest?”
He chuckled. Then he slipped from the vehicle and came around to her side. He helped her out and they wandered over to her SUV. She opened the driver’s door and tossed her purse and keys onto the seat.
She said to the studly cowboy, “That wasn’t so bad. Sometimes, Reese sets her mind to something, and it scares the hell out of me.”
He grinned and it crinkled the lines around his eyes. “She’s a handful. But I do adore her.”
“What’s not to adore? Beautiful, determined, smart. I’ve always thought she was special, even though she somehow got it into her head that she dulled in comparison to me.”
“Well, now, you are pretty remarkable, darlin’.”
His emerald eyes mesmerized her and she took a step closer to where he stood next to her vehicle. Staring up at him, she said, “I’m kind of in a tough spot right now, cowboy.”
“So am I.”
She nodded. “You’ve got a lot on your plate.”
“And you’re going through something even Reese doesn’t know about.”
Sky sighed. “Intuition, powers of deduction, or did she mention this to you?”
“All of the above.”
Propping her shoulder against the side of her pearl-white Escalade, she said, “The past couple years haven’t been so great. I got mixed up with someone I shouldn’t have. Didn’t know it at the time, but boy did he jack my program.”
“Where is he now?”