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He sat across from her, smiling as he reached for his menu. “So you’re a local, right?”
“And you’re not,” she said pointedly.
Marc chuckled. “Nothing gets past you.” He glanced down at the menu, then lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Do you like living in such a small town?”
“I don’t know if it’s that small. We have a lot going for us here. Your cousin has been drawing a lot of activity with his business ventures. Is that something you like to do as well?”
He shrugged. “I dabble in some stuff here and there, but nothing like Shane. He’s a workhorse.” He snapped his finger, placing his menu on the table. “That ranch we passed when you took us to the club. My sister and I made an offer on it.” Her wide eyes must have been something else because he let out a laugh. “What? Are outsiders not welcome? Your town seemed to accept Shane pretty fast.”
Eloise’s face filled with heat. “It’s not that. I’m just surprised you were so quick to make an offer when you barely know the place.” Her eyes swept over his body. “And no offense, but you don’t seem like the type to want to run a ranch.”
“No offense taken.” He laughed again, and the sound of it was so infectious she didn’t even bother fighting the smile that appeared on her lips. Marc closed his menu, then rested one elbow on the table and his chin in his hand. “Well, it’s always been the plan to reunite with our cousin. And he’s intent on staying here no matter how hard we tried to convince him to return to the city.” He shrugged. “So, I guess you’re stuck with me.” He winked at her, and before she could respond, the waitress arrived.
“Hey, I’m Hope and I’m going to be serving you today. What can I get for you?” Her eyes landed on Eloise and her smile widened. “Eloise, I didn’t recognize you for a minute.” Hope shifted her focus to Marc, then back. “Do you already know what you want or will you need some more time to think on it?”
Marc held his menu out to Hope. “I’ll have the all-American burger and a Coke.”
“You got it, hun. And you?” She turned, then winked at Eloise before mouthing the word “cute.”
Eloise gave a short shake of her head, then held out her own menu. “I’ll have the same.”
“Fries good for both of you?”
“Yes,” they said in unison.
Hope nodded. “Coming right up.”
Marc waited until she was gone to speak again. “And I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”
“What?” Eloise turned, peering across the restaurant to where Hope was placing the order with the cook.
“A town where everyone knows your name. You’re like a full-blown sitcom out here.”
She snickered. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right about that.”
5
Shane
Shane trudged up the steps to the Callahan residence, hating the way it made him feel. Brielle had demanded he never step foot on her family’s property. She insisted that he wouldn’t be welcome even though her father was allowing all her sisters the flexibility to date whomever they wanted. It didn’t matter that on their very first date, he’d come here with his friend Tristan to take her and her younger sister on a date. Brielle simply didn’t want her father to see them together.
At first, he didn’t care. A new relationship was bound to have certain quirks, and he was willing to do what she wanted. But the more they snuck around, the more he realized she wasn’t going to change.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t be home, and he could meet with Eloise to apologize for being too hasty in his decision a few days ago. They’d have a short chat, and he’d see her tonight when she showed up to work in the kitchen.
That was how things were supposed to go.
Only when he knocked on the door it opened to reveal the one person he would have given anything not to see.
Brielle’s eyes narrowed the moment they landed on him. She stood in the doorway, her forearm resting against the doorjamb and her lips pursed together. “I told you, Shane. I’m not interested in dating anymore. We’re not a good fit.”
“That’s not what I’m here for.”
“I mean, it’s been how long… Wait, what?”
He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. “I need to see your sister.”
“Over my dead body.”
