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“I’d be the only guy, right?”
“Well, yeah, but you’d also be surrounded by admiring females. You must be a little bit tempted.”
“I’m not sure if it would be a dream come true or a nightmare,” he chuckled. “I think I’d better pass. But I’ll walk you to your car in case Duke’s hangin’ around.”
“Thanks, though I don’t think he will be.”
“I don’t think so either, but you know the old sayin’, better—‘
“Safe than sorry,” she said, cutting him off as she rose to her feet. “I hear it all the time.”
“I’ll be right back,” he called to Dan as they made their way to the door.
Though he wouldn’t have been surprised if Dan had followed them out to demand payment from Bailey for her drinks, it didn’t happen.
“So, uh, why don’t I give you my number,” she suggested, lifting her phone from her pocket as they reached her Jeep. “That way, if something comes up tomorrow afternoon and you can’t make it you can reach me.”
“And visa-versa. I don’t know what happened between you and Duke, but not callin’ or textin’ if you can’t show up is just plain rude.”
“Are you scolding me?” she muttered, staring up at him with wide eyes.
“If you wanna take it that way. Mostly I’m just pointin’ out he had good reason to be ticked off, and if you do the same thing to me, I will be too.”
“Rick, you don’t have to come with me tomorrow if you’d rather not.”
“Did I say that?”
“Now things have become weird,” she grunted. “I hate it when that happens.”
“I’m not feelin’ weird,” he said with a smile, “and you don’t have to either. We’re just talkin’— makin’ things clear. I’ll see you tomorrow at one o’clock by the Burgers and Hogs food truck. Do you know it?”
“Sure, I know it.”
“Good,” he said, opening her car door. “Oh, and if you drink tonight, don’t drive.”
“Okay pops,” she retorted with a sassy grin, then climbed in and settled behind the wheel.
“Hey, Bailey, has anyone ever told you…”
“Told me what?”
“Never mind,” he muttered, leaning through the window. “I’ll save it for another time.”
“I’ll hold you to that!”
As she shot him a wink and started up her Jeep, he stepped back and watched her drive from the lot. Shaking his head at her smart ass attitude, he strode back into The Tavern and up to the bar.
“Let me guess,” Dan said as Rick sat on the bar stool, “you’ve got yourself a date.”
“Not really a date. She’s lookin’ at a horse tomorrow and asked me if I’d join her.”
“That’s a date, just thinly disguised.”
“Yeah, maybe, but I expected you to come after her to make her pay for those drinks, Rick remarked, wanting to change the subject. “Why didn’t you?”
“Duke called and told me he’d settle her bill.”
“You’re kiddin’?”
