Page 66 of Roping Her In

Colt smiled, because it had taken him a month to interview chefs and find the right one.

“It comes with buttery, dilly, Yukon-gold potato wedges, and a seasonal assortment of vegetables from Southern Texas.” He drank in the crowd again. “Have y’all eaten with us before?”

“We have,” Elaine said. “But I don’t think Jake and Hailey have.”

“I have,” Hailey said. “It’s just Jake who’s new.” She smiled at him and shifted her arm as if she’d put it on his leg under the table.

Colt couldn’t quite see, but he agreed with Elaine. They were cute together, and they did seem to like one another.

“Well, just as a reminder,” Faris said. “All of our meat and produce is sourced from local Texas farms, and sometimes we get a couple things from Southern Oklahoma.” He kicked a smile around the table. “A lot of our beers and wines and specialty drinks are also brought in from small Texas businesses, and we sure appreciate you supporting our small Texas business right here in Three Rivers.”

“What kind of apples are in that pork loin?” Elaine asked.

Faris’s smile didn’t falter one lick. “Those would be the Braeburns from right here in the orchard,” he said. “And I just want you to know that this pork loin is what I had for lunch when I came in, and it is so—good. You can switch out your vegetables for a side salad if you want, and we have the most delicious Granny Smith apple vinaigrette you’ll ever taste.”

“Give us a minute, Faris,” Colt said.

“I’ll give you a couple minutes and be right back with those drinks.” Faris left, and Colt looked back to Trap.

“How’s your house coming with all this brutal weather? You never told us.”

“We just quit working on it,” he said. “We pulled back the sheeting last week, though. Gideon and Jason have been going through what needs to be fixed from the weather, and then we’re going to continue.”

“Will it be done before the baby’s born?” Hailey asked.

“Yes,” Lila Mae said. “The baby’s not due until the end of July, and I’ve seen Trap work.”

“If the weather holds, the house should be done within a month,” Trap said, and he put his arm around Lila Mae. “She’s gonna need more help at Feline Friends.” He met Colt’s eyes. “You’ve got a couple of seasonal people. Will you send them her way when your jobs end? Maybe they’d like something a little more permanent.”

“Yeah, sure,” Colt said. “Mont and Macy are real great workers.”

“I’m going to have to replace Hailey too,” Lila Mae said, her eyes wide and knowing as she looked at Hailey, who simply blinked back at her.

“I’m almost done with my certification,” she said. “I suppose I could work with Thad at Feline Friends.”

“No, you won’t,” Jake said. “You have a large animal certification, and cats—at least the kind Lila Mae has—don’t count.”

Hailey giggled and shook her head. “No, I suppose they don’t.”

“What are you going to do?” Elaine asked.

Hailey exchanged a glance with Jake and since Colt played the observer at things like this, he saw a lot more than that going on between them.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m going to meet with my counselor at Amarillo State and talk to Smiles, because he’s well connected with the veterinary community.”

“Yeah, so is your boyfriend,” Elaine said dryly. She put her elbows on the table and looked innocently at Jake. But oh, Colt knew that look. His heart pounded extra hard for a beat, and he looked at Jake too. “Can’t you give her a job at Three Rivers?”

Jake’s expression hardened for a moment, and his jaw jumped. “It’s been real nice having interns there,” he said. “I know that’s what you want me to say.”

“Only if it’s true,” Elaine said with a sickeningly-sweet smile.

Jake sighed, smiled, and shook his head. “Well, it’s true. We’ve really needed the extra hands, and it’s been nice. Great.”

“I don’t know if I want to work at Three Rivers anyway,” Hailey said, saving him.

He swung his attention to her quickly. “Why don’t you want to work at Three Rivers?”

She blinked back at him, and this was clearly a conversation they needed to have in private.