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“Faye,” he sighed, “just because I ask you on a date doesn’t mean it has to be romantic.”
And just like that, the little puffer fish with all the spines deflated. Faye’s shoulders dropped and she let out a soft breath.
He forced a chuckle because, up until this very moment, he’d been far too tempted to tell her he might just like more than one person, and he wanted to get to know her just as much as he wanted to get to know Dahlia. But that didn’t sound like such a good idea in his head anymore.
Adam cleared his throat and let out a strangled cough. “I like you, Faye. You’re funny, smart, and easy to be around… well, except for today. I thought maybe it might be fun to do another day’s worth of work this weekend with my friend.”
Inwardly he cringed. That word was the nail in the coffin for anything he might have wanted to pursue with Faye. She’d hear that word, and she’d never look at him the same way. It was just as well because the second they’d started talking about serious matters, she’d turned into something different. He’d scared her off.
A myriad of emotions crossed her face. Surprise, relief, and embarrassment were only a few of the ones he recognized. He was just grateful she’d relaxed.
There was just one problem.
He couldn’t do the same thing.
For a reason he could only assume was his continued growing interest in her, his whole body had woken up like never before. Yes, his heart was getting a workout, but more than that, every nerve ending, every synapse in his brain, was telling him he needed to fix this. How could he be so careless as to put himself into the friend zone?
Such a rookie mistake!
Adam gestured the way they’d come. “If you want to go home, I’ll take you there, but if you still have some time this evening, we could do something else. Maybe something with less awkward conversations?”
She laughed.
Thank goodness for humor because he was drowning right now.
“What do you have in mind?” She shoved her hands into her back pockets and didn’t meet his gaze for long. It was getting later, darker, but he could see the faint flush that filled her cheeks.
“I dunno. I guess we could go for a walk? I didn’t really plan on it turning out like this tonight.”
Faye laughed again.
Any rational person would ask him what he saw in her. They’d think he was nuts for even finding her attractive—not on the surface, but beneath.
Adam knew better than to judge her for their evening. She was strongly independent, for one. Faye was the kind of girl who figured out what she wanted, and she went for it. She figured out how to solve her own problems in a way that made sense. Faye was smart, too. She’d have to be in order to notice the small nuances that came with her situation with her family. When she’d discussed how she felt about finding her place, it had stuck with him.
And those were just the two biggest reasons. Of course there were a lot more. Like the way her laugh was contagious or the way she took charge on a horse. And today when she’d lifted her face to the rain—her beauty rivaled even that of Dahlia.
“You coming?”
Adam jumped. His eyes refocused on Faye only to find the space she’d occupied was empty. He turned around and found her right behind him.
“You okay?” She chuckled. “Maybe weweremeantto be friends. I never thought I’d meet someone who could zone off like I do. Come on. Let’s go find something fun to do.”
He fell into step beside her. “Like what?”
She shrugged. “Well, we’re in town. That rules out riding or anything on the ranch unless you want to head that way. The rodeo won’t be in Copper Creek for another couple of weeks. I guess that leaves us with bowling or axe throwing.”
“Axe throwing? You’re joking, right?”
Faye laughed again and the sound alone was enough to set his blood roaring. Why did he have to chicken out at the last minute and not tell her exactly where his affection stood? Because that would have scared her off, and he knew it. Time to get past that and make the most of the time he had with her tonight. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “You haven’t been axe throwing yet?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
“I suppose it’s fairly new. Most people like to spend their time at the country club, but it’s so crowded there—and the rodeo too—I’d rather spend my time somewhere I can actually think.”
“And that’s throwing axes.”
Her smile widened. “Hey, it’s better than going to a shooting range.”
