Page 25 of September’s Cowboy Travis

By the time we reached her car, most of the light had gone out of the sky. She put her bag in the passenger seat but didn't get in right away.

I rested one hand on the top of her open door. “Come to the rodeo dance tonight.”

Her eyebrows rose. “That almost sounded like you asking me out on a date.”

“Yeah.” I didn't add a joke. Didn't tell her it could be casual or give her a reason to pretend it wasn't what it was. For once, I just waited.

A slow smile spread across her face. “Okay.”

“Eight sound good?”

“I’ll meet you there.” Kaycee slid behind the wheel and pulled the door mostly closed, then lowered the window. “Travis?”

“Yeah?”

“Try not to overthink it.”

I laughed. “No promises.”

CHAPTER 6

KAYCEE

Apparently going on a date with Travis Cole meant having an audience. I figured that out less than a minute after walking into the rodeo dance and spotting him across the pavilion.

The committee had strung lights between the rafters and pushed folding tables to the edges, leaving the center open for dancing. After three days of dirt and stock trailers and an announcer who never stopped shouting, the place looked almost civilized.

Travis stood near the bar talking to Jace and Dallas. I'd been sitting across his kitchen table from him a couple of hours ago. That hadn't prepared me for Travis Cole cleaned up for a date. He'd changed since I'd left his ranch, trading his work clothes for dark jeans and a pale blue button-down with the sleeves rolled to his forearms. His hair was still slightly damp from a shower, and he'd shaved sometime in the short stretch between asking me to the dance and showing up here.

His gaze skimmed over the crowd and landed on me. He said something to Jace, then headed over, getting stopped twice before he made it halfway. By the time he reached me, I'd already noticed several people watching.

“You came.”

“You asked.”

“Yeah, I did.” His gaze moved over me, slow enough to make me suddenly aware of every choice I’d made getting dressed. “You look good.”

“Thank you.” I looked him over in return. “You clean up pretty well yourself.”

His mouth tipped up at one corner.

Before he could reply, Ruby appeared at my side with a plastic cup of lemonade in hand. Her gaze moved from me to Travis, then down to where his hand had landed at the small of my back.

“Having a nice evening, Kaycee?” The question was innocent, but her expression wasn't.

“So far.”

“Mmm-hmm.” She took a sip. “Good.”

Travis sighed. “Ruby.”

“What? I didn't say anything.” She smiled at me. “Enjoy the dance.”

I watched her walk away. “She knows.”

“Ruby knows things before they happen.”

“That sounds exhausting.”