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Jesus, maybe I’d been lying. Maybe I was hard up. It was true I hadn’t had sex for a good long while. It was almost a year now. But considering the train wreck that some of my past relationships had been, I wasn’t exactly racing to find the next Mr. Right Now.
Thankfully, we pulled into Benny’s and I all but exploded out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. I expected Jeremiah to stay in the car, but a tall shadow was blocking the last of the sunlight as the clouds rolled in as I reached for the door. A raindrop splashed my cheek.
I spun on him and glared. “I’m just dropping off a check. I don’t need babysitting.”
His face was a placid mask. “I’m hungry. They have good burgers.”
“I don’t have time to stop and eat! We still have to go by the dress shop and then to get over to Wimberly to put in the check for the caterers.”
His features didn’t change. “Then I guess you shoulda checked your gas gauge before you left this morning.”
Ugh, he was impossible. I shook my head at him and then stormed inside. He was right on my heels.
By the time I’d gone to the back and dropped off the check with Maria, Benny’s partner, Jeremiah had installed himself on a barstool and his eyes were glued to the game playing on the TV up in the corner. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently. Eventually, his eyes came my way. “You tappin’ away like that isn’t gonna make George cook any faster.”
I smiled at him hard. “I don’t know, I think it just might.” I started tapping louder and more obnoxiously. The rain outside began to ping ping ping on the tin awning of the entryway as the gentle shower became a downpour outside.
For a few minutes, he ignored me. The bar was pretty empty except for us. So I knew he could hear me. Confirmed when he finally turned to me, eyes flashing. “If I’m an old man, then you’ve been possessed by the demon of a goddamned child who doesn’t know how to sit still.”
I grinned even wider, delighted to have gotten under his skin. I had no clue why it felt like such a victory. “Aww, is someone having a grouchy day? You know, if you frown too much, your face will get stuck that way.”
“Fine by me. I never give a shit what people say about me.”
I think he even meant it. Which was infuriating. Everyone in a small town was conditioned to care what other folks thought about you. Gossip was our bread and butter, occasionally even our currency.
When Maria brought out Jeremiah’s burger a few minutes later, it wasn’t in a to-go box. When I made an exasperated noise, he just looked my direction and picked up his burger. “It’ll take me five minutes to eat it. Five minutes ain’t gonna kill any dead things.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, fine,” I said and reached over to snatch a hot, salty fry. And then another.
“Get your own,” Jeremiah said with his mouth full, yanking his plate away.
“I’ve barely eaten today and you’ve got a plateful.”
“Kitchen’s open.” He gestured toward the menu plastered on the wall. “No one’s stopping you.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “No, I’m fine. I’ll just wait and eat after we’re done with our errands like I’d planned.”
“Suit yourself.” He shoved another huge bite of burger in his mouth. He’d already downed almost half of it in two bites. He really would be done in five minutes. Still, any gentleman would’ve shared his fries.
Ha. Who was I kidding. Jeremiah Walker? A gentleman?
“Oh, fine,” he sighed. “If you’re gonna make eyes about it.” He shoved his plate back toward me.
I grinned and grabbed two fries, dipping them in the little bowl of ketchup at the edge of his plate.
We finished off the food and then headed out, covering our heads and dashing to the truck through the rain. We stopped off at the dress shop and then got to the caterers right before they closed—but at least I’d made it and the last check was delivered.
I climbed back up into the cab, slightly damp, and breathed out in relief. “All done.”
“Good,” Jeremiah said, “Cause I told Raul I’d be by his ranch before sunset to pick up the horse trailer I just bought off him.”
“Why do you need a—”
“It’s my boss’s wedding present for Reece. He’s driving a gelding down with him when he and his family come. And I’m buying a roan off him. Always meant to have horses around the place.”
I nodded. I guess I’d known they were fixing up the stables. There just hadn’t been horses on the HB Ranch for over a decade. Not since I was a kid. I had a horse named Winnie till I was eleven and we had to sell her cause we couldn’t afford her upkeep. It was stupid that it made me swallow down a lump in my throat even thinking about it after all this time.
“Cool,” I said, looking out the passenger seat window.
