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Chet turned toward her. “I’d love that.”

“This time, it’s on me.”

He drew a breath to argue, and she pointed at him.

“Don’t argue. I’m asking you out.”

His smile widened. “Then I guess I’d better say yes.”

“That would be the smart answer.”

They settled on an evening and headed back toward her truck. Lydia wanted to stay, but she also wanted to leave while she was still comfortable with what they’d agreed. When she reached for her door, Chet stopped beside the front fender.

“I’m glad you came,” he said.

“Me, too.”

“Maybe we could take a trail ride one day soon.”

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” She smiled at him, climbed into the driver’s seat, and lowered the window. He waited while she put her keys in the ignition, Lola’s halter hanging loose in his hand.

“I’ll see you at dinner, then?” she asked.

“I’ll be there.”

Lydia smiled at him before she started the truck. She already had her first question for him ready. How the rest of his afternoon had gone. Whether Misty had let him try that stirrup again.

It was the first thing she’d had to look forward to with him since their argument.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Lydia reached for The Steer House door with a smile she couldn’t quite contain. She’d been looking forward to dinner with Chet since she’d left the barn. Now that she was here, she wished he were beside her. Chet was running late with his work. He’d called to apologize and told her he was going to pick her up as soon as he could, but she’d insisted she didn’t want him rushing.

She’d offered to meet him here instead. That would give her time to get a table and look over the menu before he arrived. She wanted to pay attention to him tonight, even if they spent half the evening disagreeing about which dessert to share.

On the drive over, she’d caught herself practicing a question about his property. What did he hope to do with it as the business grew? She could name which stall door stuck and where he kept the spare lead ropes. She wanted him to tell her what he pictured when he looked beyond the work waiting for him tomorrow. But rehearsing a conversation with Chet? She’d never needed to do that before. She tucked her keys into her purse and went inside.

“Just you tonight?” Lacey asked when she arrived. She smiled sweetly. There wasn’t a hint of judgment in her eyes or the smile she wore. Lydia had always liked Lacey despite old rumors. Now, she was married to Mack Reese, who happened to be Brent’s cousin and in a roundabout way, now part of Lydia’s family through Faith.

They didn’t interact much beyond seeing each other in town, but perhaps it was time to change that. Lydia offered her a smile. “Nope. Chet will be here soon. He’s just wrapping things up before he’ll get here.”

Lacey winked. “Ah. Well, then I’ll make sure to send him over to your table when he arrives. Do you have a preference on where you sit?”

Lydia glanced through the restaurant that was already filling up. “It might be nice to be farther away from the kitchen. Somewhere quieter, if you have it?”

She nodded. “That, I can do.” Grabbing two menus, she nodded toward the room. “Follow me.”

They headed through the crowded restaurant, having to stop a couple times to let the waitresses pass them with trays of food. There was also a moment when a little girl had darted toward the back with her mother on her heels.

Lydia stepped aside to let the little girl and her mother pass. The woman offered a breathless thank-you, and Lydia smiled before looking toward a booth tucked near the far wall.

A table where they could hear each other would be nice. Once Chet sat across from her, she could ask how his afternoon had gone. Let him settle in. The rest would come more easily then. She could almost picture the teasing remark he’d make if she admitted how much thought she’d put into asking him to dinner.

“You coming?”

Lydia turned to find Lacey waiting a few steps ahead, the menus tucked against her side.

“Sorry.” Lydia caught up with her. She’d been here less than a minute and already she’d gotten ahead of herself.