She looked at him for a long moment, and he could see the war playing out behind her green eyes. The part of her that wanted to let him in, and the part that was terrified of depending on someone who might not stay.
He'd just have to prove to her that he was staying. That he wasn't going anywhere without her.
"Okay," she said finally. "But I'm buying lunch afterward."
"Deal."
The drive to her first interview took thirty minutes through morning traffic. She was quiet, flipping through notes on her phone, and he wondered if she was nervous about the interview or about what had happened between them last night.
Probably both.
"Tell me about the consulting firm," he said, partly to break the silence and partly because he genuinely wanted to know.
"They're a startup. Three partners who used to work for bigger firms and went out on their own. They specialize in helping mid-size retailers optimize their supply chains and inventory management." She put her phone down and looked out the window. "It's interesting work. More strategic than what I was doing at Hartwell's."
"Sounds like it plays to your strengths."
"Maybe. If they can afford me." She glanced at him. "Startups don't always have the budget for experienced hires."
"Then they'll figure it out if they want you badly enough."
She smiled at that, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "You have a lot of faith in me."
"I have the right amount of faith in you. You're the one underselling yourself."
When he pulled up in front of the office building, she turned to him with an expression he was starting to recognize. Gratitude mixed with vulnerability, like she wasn't used to people being in her corner.
"Wish me luck?"
"You don't need luck," he said, catching her hand before she could get out. "You need them more than they need you, and they'd be idiots not to realize it."
Her smile became real then, soft and grateful and tinged with hope.
"Thank you," she said, and leaned across the seat to kiss him goodbye.
It was supposed to be a quick peck, but it deepened into more when she groaned into his mouth, and by the time they broke apart, they were both breathing hard.
"Go," he said before he could change his mind and drag her back home to bed. "Knock 'em dead."
He watched her walk into the building, admiring the confident line of her shoulders and the way she moved like she owned the world even when her personal life was falling apart. She was stronger than she gave herself credit for, braver than she knew.
Strong enough to handle whatever choice he was about to make.
Brave enough to love a cowboy, if he could prove he was worth the risk.
His phone rang as he pulled away from the curb, and Jake's number flashed on the screen. This time, he answered.
"Fleming."
"Finally. Thought you were avoiding me."
"Just busy."
"Too busy for the Oklahoma rodeo? Because entries close tomorrow night, and I need to know if I'm traveling solo or if you're coming back."
Tomorrow night. The deadline Bill had mentioned last week when they'd talked about his recovery. He'd been planning to decide closer to the date, see how his ankle felt, gauge whether he was ready to compete again.
He hadn't been planning on falling in love.
