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Shane lifted his shoulders, then dropped them. “I can’t expect you to feel the same way I do at this moment. I get it. I do. I’ve likely lost my shot at having anything with you—”
“Fine,” she blurted.
Slowly he turned to face her.
She took a deep breath, then released it through pursed lips. “Fine, you can take me on a date. But I’m not going to agree to be your girlfriend. I’m still going to see Marc.” She watched him carefully, expecting him to show some degree of disappointment, and she was right. It was small—shown only in the way his cheek twitched. She’d noticed that twitch when he’d come to her house earlier.
Man, that moment had seemed so long ago. Everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours weighed on her as if she had experienced them over the course of a week. She felt utterly exhausted and yet surprisingly enthused over what might come next.
Shane shoved his hands into his pockets. “You’re going to be late for your shift.”
She glanced at the clock, then met his gaze once more. They hadn’t decided on when their date would take place nor what they would be doing. She hated leaving things open-ended like this.
Eloise shifted, clutching her hands together in front of her before dropping her gaze to the floor. “Marc said he was going to be busy tomorrow with his sister and finalizing a few things regarding the ranch they purchased. I suppose we could go on our date then—if that works for you.”
Shane pressed his lips together, and his brows pinched. “I have a business meeting in Texas. I’m not sure I’d be back in time…”
She hated how the disappointment swirled in her stomach, sending waves of nausea upward. Not even fifteen minutes earlier she was going to insist that he leave her and Marc alone. And now? There was that part of her that wanted to know what it was like to be taken on a date by Shane Owens.
He closed the distance between them. “Unless you’d like to come with me.”
Her eyes widened.
“You’d likely want to bring a book or something to do while I have my meeting, but when we’re done, we could get some dinner before we fly back home.”
Was that hope she detected in his voice? She couldn’t deny that the thought of him wanting to spend time with her so badly was incredibly attractive. She wasn’t necessarily impressed with his money or his position in the community.
In fact, that was a con on her list. Both Shane and Marc had money. She’d seen the way it could ruin people. In her experience when priority was placed on money, then relationships lacked the thing that made them strong.
So far Marc and Shane had both kept their wealth out of the conversation—a fact that she had appreciated. This trip to Texas was the closest she was going to get to Shane flaunting his money on a date—but it wasn’t really the trip that was the date.
Shane wanted to spend time withherso much that he was willing to invite her along.
It was flattering.
Eloise nodded. “Sure. I’ll go with you.”
He smiled at her. It wasn’t a grim smile like the one he’d been wearing since he’d opened his restaurant. There was a hint of relief in it, but mostly it was genuine.
A small flutter of anticipation started in her stomach, and she scooted backward down the hall. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Shane nodded. “I’ll pick you up at one.”
She stopped. “One?”
Another nod. “The meeting is at four and the plane leaves at one-thirty.”
“This is going to be an all-day sort of thing?”
Shane moved into the doorway, leaning his shoulder against the jamb. “Will that be a problem?”
Quickly, she shook her head. “It totally makes sense. I don’t know why I was assuming that we’d be leaving in the evening. It’s fine.” She forced a smile, swallowing back her nerves. Offering him a small wave, she turned and strode in the direction of the kitchen.
This was just a date. Yes, they were going on a plane, but she could trust him. This was the guy who had dated Brielle, for heaven’s sake.
Eloise stopped suddenly.
Brielle.
