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We walked up to the entrance arm in arm. “Now that I think about it, Ruby, yes, that’s exactly what I want to do tonight: win.”
“Does that mean you have to beat me?” she asked with a wry smile. “Am I your opponent?”
“It’s too early to tell. I know to win I’m going to have to beat the forces that might try to keep us from having a good time. You can be a part of the team. We can win together.”
I opened the door for her.
“Deal,” she said. “I’m happy to join the winning team.” She looked back at me from over her shoulder. “By the way, Wyatt, I hate to lose.”
Don’t remind me, I thought, but I kept that comment to myself.
I wouldn’t say that the meal was bad, quite the contrary. But, with the fancy silverware and tablecloths and stuffy waiters, I think we were both out of our element.
“To be honest,” said Ruby after the waiter had cleared our plates, “New York is so expensive, I was always broke. I hardly ever went out to eat. This is quite a treat for me, thank you.”
“You’re welcome. And to be honest, back. I don’t get out to eat much, either, unless it’s at the counter of Maple’s Diner. But that doesn’t count.”
Ruby slammed her fist on the table in mock outrage. “Damn straight that counts! Maple’s has the best apple pie in all of Wyoming, maybe in all of the U.S. of A.”
I put my hands up defensively, open palms out. “Fair point. Fair point.”
The waiter returned with dessert menus.
“Profiteroles,” I said, pensively. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had profiteroles.”
“Sounds good,” said Ruby, putting down her menu. “You’ll give me a bite, won’t you?”
With the look she flashed me then, I would have given her anything she wanted. There was a glint of appetite and desire in her eyes, a desire I knew I could fulfill. I wanted to take her right there and then, knock the glasses off the table, lay her out, and lap her clean like a cat.
My thoughts must have shown, somewhat, on my face, because she said, “Looks like you’re thinking long and hard about it.”
I stifled a grin. I was long and hard, but not doing much thinking about it.
I put down my menu, leaned over the table, and said, “Why don’t we get out of here? We can share an apple pie at Maple’s then maybe take a spin down at the ranch.”
“No way!”
I was taken aback. What did I do? What did I say? What about the vibes she was sending me?
“No way, I’m sharing an apple pie. We’ll have to get two.”
I laughed in relief.
I had been to Maple’s hundreds of times, but never with a girl—at least not a girl like Ruby. I noticed a few men in the back were checking us out, probably asking themselves what a hot redhead was doing with a stable boy like me. Or what a stable boy like me was doing wearing slacks and a dress-shirt at Maples. Even though I was over-dressed, I didn’t feel the least bit silly about it. I was proud. I put my arm around Ruby as we walked in like it wasn’t our first date but that she was my girl.
Ruby waved to a guy she recognized. I know it was foolish, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit of jealousy.
Don’t start with that, Wyatt. She’s not your property. You don’t possess her.
I felt much better when it was just me and her lying on the hood of my truck gazing at the stars.
“I bet you missed riding when you were in New York. Is that why you came back?”
My question seemed to provoke a lot of emotions in her because she didn’t answer straight away. Instead, she creased her brow and chewed on the inside of her cheek before finally saying, “Actually, I’d quit riding before I left, almost three years ago now. But I left New York because I didn’t belong there. I mean, I had a job and friends, but I don’t know how to explain it, I felt like I wasn’t doing what I wanted to be doing, whatever that is.”
“I think I know what you mean.”
She turned to me. “Are you doing what you want to be doing, Wyatt?”
I took her hand in mine and smiled. “I’m gazing at the stars with you. Can’t think of anything I’d want to be doing more than that.”
She smiled back.
“Well,” I added, “maybe I could think of more I’d want to be doing.”
She pulled herself close to me. “Like what?” she said suggestively, her lips only inches away, and her words fell on my cheek in warm tickling breaths.
A cowboy knows many words, but I didn’t use any of them to answer. Instead, I cupped her cheek in my hand and brought my mouth to hers. My lips closed around her lips. I extended my tongue and felt her quiver at its touch.
