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For the next hour, they all lazily floated around the pool, discussing the potential for a fall trip to Napa. When darkness smudged out the last traces of the sun, everyone started to pack up.
“Remember the days we would’ve gone to the lodge to play some poker?” Silas asked as they walked out of the pool area. “Times have changed.”
“No offense, but I’d rather spend the evening with my wife than with you two,” Aiden said as he waited for Kyra.
“I think we feel the same way.” Silas elbowed him. “Right, Thatch?”
“Right.” He glanced at Lyric, who was walking ahead of them with Tess. Truthfully, she looked every bit as good in that bathrobe she was now wearing over her suit as she had in the bikini. He would much rather spend the evening with her than with Silas and Aiden, but where would an evening together lead them? He didn’t know what she wanted. Not really.
The walkway diverged to lead them to their separate cabins. They all said a quick good night, and then he and Lyric walked the rest of the way alone.
She caught him in a shy sideways gaze. “Today was nice.”
“Until you tricked me,” he teased.
They climbed the porch steps together, and Lyric waited for him to unlock the door. “You didn’t like my tactics?”
He’d never seen her so coy, and he liked it. “I didn’t say that.” He pushed open the door and gestured for her to go in first. Inside the cabin, the soft lamps on two end tables glowed, and a fire crackled in the small stone hearth. A chilling bottle of champagne had been left on the counter of the kitchenette on the far side of the room during turndown service. And the luxurious linens on the canopied king bed had been folded over and fluffed, rose petals sprinkled on the pillows.
Damn. Someone had really set the mood for them.
“I think I’m going to rinse off in the shower.” Lyric reached up and pulled the rubber band out of her hair, letting the tresses cascade down her shoulders.
“Sounds great.” She would be in the shower, and he would be out here, minding his own business. “I need to, uh, catch up on some email.” Email? As if that would keep his mind off Lyric wet and naked only one room away.
Without another word, the woman disappeared into the bathroom. The sound of running water made him pace for a while. Thankfully, his phone rang, though when he pulled it out of his bag, he hesitated. But his mother would only keep calling if he didn’t answer.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?” Thatch sank into the leather couch in front of the fire.
“Not too much.” She sounded as chipper as always. “I was trying to get our schedule set for next weekend while we’re in town, and I wondered if Friday or Saturday would be a good night for us to all take Lyric out to dinner.”
“Oh.” And just when he distracted himself from thinking about her. “I’m not sure. I’ll have to get back to you about that.”
“Well, I know the rodeo awards ceremony and party are Sunday, so we can’t do it then.” Her voice was unrelenting. “That leaves Friday or Saturday.”
“Right.” But he couldn’t take their charade that far. He couldn’t involve his family when he didn’t even know what was going on between him and Lyric. “Um, I can ask her about dinner. She’s usually pretty busy teaching yoga on Fridays and Saturdays, though, so it might not work out this time.”
“She’s teaching yoga atnight?” His mother didn’t give him a chance to answer. “She has to eat dinner, right? We can be flexible on the time to accommodate her schedule.”
“I guess—”
Lyric exited the bathroom in a cloud of steam, dressed in gray pajama pants and a long-sleeved T-shirt. “Hey, have you seen my—?”
Thatch held up a finger against his lips, but it was too late. His mom gasped.
“Did I hear Lyric? Are you two on a date right now?”
After this, there’d be no getting out of dinner for sure. “Yeah. I guess you could say we’re on a date.”
“I knew it!” his mom sang. “How long have you been dating her? And why haven’t you just told us about it instead of all the avoiding?”
Because he hadn’t wanted to get her hopes up any more than he wanted to get his hopes up. “The dating is pretty new still.”
“Really new,” Lyric called, shoving some clothes into her suitcase.
“Still. I’m your mom. I need to know these things.” She was too excited to sound stern. “Tell her I said hello.”
“Will do.” Thatch covered the speaker part of his phone with his hand. “My mom says hi.”
