AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Where did you grow up?” she asked.
“Texas Hill Country.”
“Do you ride horses?” she asked. “That’s important to me. The last guy I dated didn’t. I consider that a huge strike against a potential man in my life.”
Drake laughed. “I ride.”
“What’s your background?”
“I spent nearly fourteen years in the Navy, the last ten as a Navy SEAL, deploying to places I didn’t know existed until we landed there in Black Hawks. I’ve been shot three times, hit with shrapnel from mortars and IEDs and I despise politics and politicians.” He frowned, then smiled. “Oh, and I love dogs.”
Cassie laughed. “I have a soft spot for dogs. Had one up to the time I left for college. He died of old age when I was away. I will always regret that I wasn’t home with him. I also regret that I wasn’t with my parents before they left on the vacation that killed them.”
“I’m sorry for your losses. It had to be hard.” He sighed. “My folks passed while I was deployed. I didn’t get word until three weeks after they’d been interred.”
“No closure.” Cassie shook her head. “I feel you. Relationships?”
Drake chuckled. “I dated a few women, but none of them caught my attention long enough for me to ask them out on a second date. I just wasn’t that interested.”
“I’m sorry to say it, but I’m not that interesting. I live a life of service to my community, and I have obligations toward the running of the Double D Ranch. I haven’t been all over the world. I have been to Mexico and Canada on short trips at spring break with some of my fellow undergraduates.” She smiled. “Now that we know everything there is to know about each other, what’s left?”
“I would take my date out into the country and spread a blanket in the truck bed. Then we’d lie there, staring up at the stars.”
Cassie leaned back. “I don’t think I’ve ever been taken on a date where we ended up actually staring up at the stars. I’m intrigued.”
“If you’re up for it, we can do it tonight,” he said.
“I’m up for it if you are,” Cassie said. “You’re probably running on less sleep than I had.”
“I can function on less sleep,” he assured her.
“Give me a minute to wash my hands and use the facilities,” she said, pushing to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
Drake’s heartbeat pounded against his ribs. He was about to take a beautiful woman out stargazing. If he was really lucky, he might even steal a kiss. Anything else would be purely icing on the cake.
And he liked cake.
Cassie madeher way to the ladies’ room, where she used the facility, washed her hands and stared at herself in the mirror.
“This was not supposed to be a date,” she reminded herself.
But stargazing, her inner self said.
And if he wanted to kiss her?
Oh, hell yeah.
Her body heated as her blood raced through her system, making her hot to the core.
She splashed cool water on her heated cheeks and dried her hands and face before leaving the bathroom.
As she left the ladies’ room, she heard loud voices from the direction opposite the barroom. She turned toward the sound to find a back emergency exit standing wide open.
The voices sounded again.
Cassie recognized Abby’s voice and hurried to find out what all the commotion was about.
When she stepped out the back door, she had to step back into the building quickly to avoid being targeted.
