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“You sure do,” Jill said, glad he was so happy about it.
“Thanks for coming.” Slate hugged her, and Jill did love the feeling of being enveloped in his strength.
“I did nothing,” she said. “You picked him out while we waited in line.”
“Yeah, but I got to learn about the ice cream levels.” He stepped back and smiled at her. “I’ll see you back at the ranch in a bit, I assume. Gotta stop at the store?”
“Yeah.” She drew in a deep breath and released it. “Do you need anything? Anything for Axle or anything?”
“I just like chocolate ice cream with brownies in it,” he said. “No break up needed.”
Jill rolled her eyes and swatted at his bicep as he laughed at her.
“Leave her alone,” Luke said. “And get in the truck. I’m melting out here.” He gave Slate a glare, but his look softened when he met Jill’s eyes. She smiled and nodded at him, and he returned the gestures. She wondered how long he’d wait to make his move, and as she walked to her car, she tapped out a quick message to him too.
She won’t need long to recover. Give her a couple of weeks. Then sweep her off her feet with something amazing and sweet.
She hadn’t even started her car yet when his response came in.Like what?
Jill turned the key in the ignition as she grinned.I’ll think of something, she promised him. And she’d start working on Hannah that very afternoon, as she ate too much butter pecan ice cream and lamented that her relationship with Bill hadn’t worked out.
* * *
“Wow, Slate,”Jill said when she opened the front door of the West Wing. “Look at you.”
He whistled, his eyes dropping down the length of her body too. “No, look at you.”
She lifted her arms and did a turn for him, the long, black dress almost glued to her body like a second skin. Sure, she had a few extra pounds on her curves, and she had to buy cowgirl boots in the wide width to accommodate her thick calves, but she knew she looked good tonight.
The hunger and desire in his eyes testified of it. He moved right into the doorway, though he didn’t fit there, and took her into his arms. “You are stunning in every way.” He lowered his head toward hers and kissed her, and Jill fell more in love with him right there half-in and half-out of the house.
“Thank you,” she said when he pulled away. This kiss had been much shorter than the one that morning. “You look amazing as well.”
He reseated his hat on his head, and it looked like a new one. “New hat?” she asked, taking his hand in hers.
“Yes,” he said.
“I like it.” She smiled up at him, and they went down the steps together. “How’s Axle settling in?”
Slate looked toward the Annex. “Good. He’s good. I’m not sure why she said he was nervous around kids. He seems to love Connor and Missy. Remmy even picked him up, though I think he weighs more than she does, and he was fine.” He smiled toward the house and then at her. “He laid down flat when Ursula came around.”
“She’s got a big personality,” Jill said.
“Yeah. He was fine after a few minutes with her. Ted’s got the cattle dogs with him too, and he’s doing good.” He sounded a bit nervous, but he didn’t detour off the path toward his truck.
Once inside, she asked, “Where are we going tonight?”
“Riverfront,” he said, glancing at her.
Jill’s breath caught in her throat. “Slate,” she managed to say past the blockage there. “That’s…insane. You need a reservation for like, six months to get into Riverfront.”
“Nah,” he said, backing out. “Only about six weeks.”
“You called and got a reservation for two at Riverfront six weeks ago?”
“I wanted to go there for my birthday,” he said. “I figured someone would go with me. Luke’s pretty mad I started dating you.” He laughed, and Jill wanted to join in but found she couldn’t.
He noticed and sobered as he turned onto the highway. “Relax, Jill,” he said. “It’s going to be amazing. I’ve heard the food is like nothing you’ve ever had before, and you’re the only person I want to spend my birthday meal with.”
