Page 4 of The Cowboy and His Best Friend's Daughter

Not even asking me what I want, he takes me right to the street taco booth and orders my favorites down to no tomatoes. Of course, he has to also get us a funnel cake.

"Come on, let's take our food and watch the kid’s rodeo." He nods toward the arena.

Once again, he nails it. The kid’s rodeo is one of my favorite parts of the festival. I love watching the little kids try their best to stay on the backs of the sheep and calves as they buck and thrash around. It has all the thrills of the rodeos Finn rides in, but a lot less danger and injuries.

We find a good spot near the fence and settle in, our plates of food balanced on our laps. As we watch the kids, I’m hyper aware of Josh's muscles rippling through his shirtsleeves as he laughs and claps along with the crowd. I've always found his strength and confidence incredibly attractive. But his powerful physique is a marvel of tight muscles that catches the eye. So there’s no way I’m going to lose this opportunity to let my eyes wander over his body.

"Hey, you okay over there?" He asks, catching me watching him and snapping me out of my thoughts.

I quickly turn my gaze back to the rodeo, feeling a blush rise to my cheeks. "Yeah, I'm fine," I reply, trying to play it cool.

But Josh doesn't let it go. "Are you sure? You were staring pretty hard," he says, a playful glint in his eye.

I feel myself getting more flustered, but I can't deny the attraction I feel towards him any longer. "I'm sorry, I just can't help it. You're so... handsome," I blurt out, feeling a surge of bravery.

Josh's eyes widen, clearly surprised by my confession. But then he smiles, a slow, seductive grin that makes my heart race. "Is that so? You know, you're looking pretty damn good today, too."

His words catch me off guard, and heart starts to race. Is he flirting with me? Could it be possible that he feels the same way I do?

"Thanks, Josh," I say, trying to keep my voice steady.

Just then, the crowd erupts in cheers and clapping, pulling us from the moment, and we both focus back on the rodeo.

Things stay light as we watch the rest of the kids, and there isn't any awkwardness that you might expect.

"Want to walk some of the craft booths?" He asks after we finish up with the rodeo.

"Yeah, I ate way too much. I need to walk it off anyway," I joke.

We start walking around the square that is blocked off from traffic and lined with rows and rows of booths.

"So, how's your book coming along?" he asks. While I knew this question was coming, inwardly, I cringe. Josh had always been supportive of my dream to become a writer, but I haven't made much progress on my book in the past few months. After hitting a major writer's block on how to end the book and wrap it all up, I can't seem to shake it off.

"Uh, it's... coming along," I say hesitantly, not wanting to disappoint him.

But Josh can see right through my answer. "That doesn't sound too convincing," he says with a knowing look.

I sigh, knowing I can't keep hiding from the truth. "Honestly, I've hit a wall. I just can't seem to find a way to end the book and wrap it all up into a pretty bow that I'm happy with."

Josh nods understandingly, and I can see the gears turning in his head. "Well... what if you take a break from the book and focused on something else? Maybe a change of scenery or activity will help clear your mind," he suggests.

After considering his words for a moment, I nod in agreement. Maybe he's right. A change of pace could be just what I need to get my creative juices flowing again. Certainly sitting and staring at the screen every night isn’t working.

"It can't hurt to try," I say as we walk into a booth filled with home decor items.

I pick up a few items for my room, and Josh is right there paying for them before I can even pull out my wallet.

"Thank you for these," I tell him.

He spoils me even more with some baked goods, a few books, and a necklace. As we complete our round at the booths, I’m noticing how much this feels like a date. There is such an ease as we walk, talk, laugh and joke. Things are so effortless between us.

I've always wondered what a date between us would be like, and I think it would be a lot like this. Just comfortable and fun enjoying spending time with each other. There wouldn't be any awkward first date because we already know each other so well.

As the sun gets ready to set, and we’re walking back to the car, I say, "Thanks for hanging out with me today."

"No problem. I had a great time," Josh responds, his voice deep and smooth.

I turn to look at him, and our eyes meet again.

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