Blaine blinked at her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You’re my best friend, Blaine.” She stepped out of his arms, some of the excitement of the past few moments dying. “I didn’t—don’t—want anything to be weird between us. I didn’t—don’t—want to lose you, and I figured if I said something and we dated and then broke up, I would’ve ruined everything between us.”
Blaine’s mind raced ahead again, and this time, he saw the future she mentioned. He didn’t want to lose her either, and instant regret filled his head. “I shouldn’t have kissed you,” he said, backing up but meeting the door behind him. “I’m sorry. Sorry, Tam.” He pushed his hands through his hair. “Oh, no, what have I done?”
He met her eyes briefly and stepped past her. “Sorry,” he said over his shoulder. “I won’t do it again.” He flew down the steps, feeling like someone had strapped him to a wild roller coaster that went up, down, and around every few seconds.
“Blaine,” she called after him, and he paused. He didn’t turn around, but he didn’t need to see her to hear her say, “Will you still be my boyfriend when Hayes comes into town?”
He twisted back to her, unable to fully commit to turning all the way around. “I never made the rules.” He hadn’t been able to do so, and he hadn’t shown up for dinner at Mindie’s either.
“I’ll make them,” she said from her spot at the top of the steps. “If you’ll show up to dinner this time.”
Blaine turned and considered her. “Did you show up last time?”
“Yes,” she said, coming down the steps and stopped at the bottom. Several feet separated them, and blast it, all Blaine could think about was kissing her again. “I felt like a real idiot sitting there by myself, telling the waitress over and over that you were coming.”
“I’m sorry,” Blaine said, his apology count so high in the past few minutes he couldn’t keep track of it. “I’ve been thinking about you, if that counts.”
Tam cocked her head slightly, and they just looked at one another. “Is this what we’re going to do? Pretend you didn’t drive over here and admit you’ve wanted to kiss me for a while?”
“Yes,” he said. “That’s what I’d like you to do.” He needed to turn this into something light, because what she’d said was absolutely true. He didn’t want anything weird between them, and if a romantic relationship didn’t work out between them, he’d lose her. They’d never be able to go back to what they were now.
“As for me, I’ll forget you said you had a crush on me, and we’ll make the rules and I’ll be so good when Hayes comes into town. He’ll really think we’re so blissfully happy, and he’ll see you’re so over him, and then we can laugh about it after he leaves again.”
Tam didn’t smile or scoff, the way she sometimes did. When she stayed silent, he said, “Okay. Dinner tomorrow night? Is that enough time for the rules?”
She didn’t move, and Blaine clapped his hands together. “Text me and let me know.” He had to get out of there right now before he said or did something else that would embarrass himself further—or ruin every good thing he and Tam had.
He spun and strode away, got behind the wheel, and refused to look at Tam as he backed out of her driveway.
“You’re such a loser,” he muttered to himself.
His mother’s words echoed through his head. You had a perfectly good woman, Cayden, and you blew it.
She’d been talking to Cayden about his latest girlfriend, but her statement could apply to Tam too. Had he really just blew everything with one kiss?
If he had, it had been a very, very good kiss, and Blaine found himself with a small smile on his face as he arrived back at Bluegrass Ranch.
He hurried back to Spur’s room and knocked again.
“Yep,” Spur said, and Blaine ducked inside.
“Okay, I just did something stupid and yet possibly amazing, and I need help.”
Spur sat up, his eyes alight with interest. “Keep talking.”