A Gift for the Hopeful Cowboy: Love in Sweet Bloom

Chapter 6

Rob climbedbehind the steering wheel, tossing a look at Pippa out of the corner of his eye. This was a mistake waiting to happen. He knew better than to allow himself to get close to her like this. She wasn’t interested. Heck, she’d made fun of him in front of the regulars at her restaurant.

But she’s here, a voice inside his head pointed out. She came back.

No, she felt guilty. She’d invited him to the restaurant, and she was the kind of person who wanted to make sure everyone was happy. She’d always been that way. She’d bend over backward to do things for other people.

He’d just been too stubborn to see she was exactly what he wanted.

Rob took a bite of his burger to keep himself from telling her how much it meant to him for her to be here with him. It would be too easy to confess that over the years, he’d developed feelings for her—feelings that weren’t allowed.

Pippa’s soft moan drew his attention and he stared at her in surprise. She laughed, her eyes widening. “What? Do I have mustard on my face or something?” She pulled down the visor and stared at her reflection then pushed it back up and turned her focus to him again. “Why are you looking at me like that.”

“You sure sound like you’re enjoying that burger.”

She nodded, her smile widening. “This place is the best. Sometimes I come here after a shift just so I can get fries to eat on the way home from work.”

“But you literally work at a restaurant.”

Pippa snickered. “I’m allowed to enjoy my vices every once in a while. You’re the one who taught me that.”

His smile dropped. She was referring to his younger years, when he’d insisted on having all the perks of a girlfriend without being tied down to one. He’d been able to show her off to his friends, hold her hand, enjoy her company—but most of all, it was the kissing.

Rob turned his focus to his burger and plucked a piece of onion from the interior before popping it into his mouth. “I guess you’re right,” he said, though he really wanted to tell her he’d been wrong. While certain vices are appropriate to indulge in moderation, there were several that weren’t a wise thing in which to partake.

They’d nearly succumbed to one of his favorite vices a couple times now, and each time Pippa had been the one to pull back and refuse him. He glanced at her again. The temptation to ask her grew until he couldn’t take it any longer.

Rob cleared his throat and put his burger down. “You’ve always been one of my favorite vices.”

Man, that sounded ridiculous, and by the way her head snapped around so she could look at him straight on, he knew his mistake. He’d officially labeled her as something in which he shouldn’t indulge.

She coughed, then laughed as she covered her mouth, currently full of a large bite of her cheeseburger. “Gee thanks, Rob,” she said with a teasing sarcasm. “I’ve always wanted to be someone’s drug.”

“It’s not like that,” he said, regretting his decision. Why couldn’t he control himself when he was around her? Why did he have to turn into such a creep? “Sorry?—”

Pippa placed a hand on his forearm and chuckled again. “I was teasing. You know what they say. It takes two. If it makes you feel less weird…” Her voice trailed off. “You were one of my favorite ones, too.”

Maybe it was her soft voice. Maybe it was the close confines of his truck. Maybe it was simply being in her presence again and reliving all the good times they’d had. Regardless of the reasons, Rob wanted more.

He leaned toward her. It was only a slight movement, but it was enough. Just like before, Pippa pulled back.

She covered it up well—shifting the burger to both hands and taking another bite. But that burger would be gone before long. And then she wouldn’t have any way to cover up that she wasn’t ready to kiss him. Of course she didn’t have to have a reason to not be ready, but she definitely didn’t want to have the conversation. She didn”t want to admit to being a little afraid.

They finished their meal and sat in the truck as the tension between them mounted. Rob didn’t know how much longer he could take the silence. The question about her avoiding his advances was burning a hole right through him, but there was nowhere to go if that conversation went sideways.

He jerked his chin down the street. “Want to go for a walk? It’s pretty nice for a night in November.”

Pippa smiled. “That sounds like fun. I could show you around.”

It was as good an idea as any. If she was busy talking about the shops and the people she knew, he would be distracted enough that he wouldn’t have to point out how much things had changed between them.

They met on the sidewalk and Pippa wasted no time diving in. “Up here, is Scoops Creamery. It’s one of the hot spots during the summertime—obviously. And even during the day in the winter.” She glanced at him with mischief. “Do you want to stop and get some ice cream?”

He shook his head. “I’m good. It probably doesn’t hold a candle to Sweet Everything’s black forest brownies, though.”

“Probably not.” She laughed. “There’s the Cozy Cup across the street. Ruth owns it and she’s got the best macchiatos in town. Down that way is the sheriff’s station and the clinic. We have a resort on the other side of town, and right in the town circle there’s the cutest little diner.” She stopped in front of a darkened shop, but the window was lit up.

Rob pulled himself up short and turned to see the display. From what he could tell, it was a hair salon, but in the window, the owner had put up some Christmas decorations already.

Pippa smiled. “That’s what we have to look forward to in the next couple weeks. Everyone in town puts up a display so the kids can come through town and look at them. It’s one of the things I love the most around here.”

Rob watched the light enter her eyes as she spoke about her favorite traditions. He couldn’t help but smile with her. Pippa loved the upcoming holiday more than anyone else he knew. While she usually visited in the summertime, she’d send him a card or a gift every Christmas without fail.

She glanced over to him and her expression sobered. Her eyes locked with his, and for a moment, it almost felt like they were transported back to the first time they kissed. The pressure had only continued to build since he’d shown up and he could sense it would burst soon with or without his help.

He’d always been attracted to her. That had never been called into question. Pippa had definitely been his type back when he was young and dumb—she was everything he needed except for one thing. Though she didn’t admit it, he knew she wanted to settle down. She was the “good girl” who needed commitment. What had been nice at the time was the literal physical distance between them. He was able to convince her their no commitment plan would be better since long-distance relationships never worked out.

Well, they weren’t long-distance anymore.

“Why haven’t you let me kiss you?” He blurted the question without thinking, but Rob hated that it was the one thing he couldn’t shake from his head. Pippa had always been flirtatious and ready for some fun.

While his opinion on relationships had shifted as he’d gotten older, he still felt more attached to Pippa than anyone else in his life. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to explore the possibility of a deeper relationship than they’d had in the past.

“What?” she said.

“You’re avoiding me.”

Her loud laughter almost echoed off the buildings on the street. It might have been from the chill in the air, or it might have been because the buildings were old, but the sound bounced off every surface, only making the situation more strained.

“No, I’m not. I’m here with you, now, aren’t I?”

He took a step toward her, and she shuffled back a few inches. “See?” He chuckled. “You’re not acting like yourself.”

She folded her arms. “Maybe you’re not acting like yourself. Have you considered that? The Rob I knew wouldn’t have just up and moved here because he wanted a change of scenery. There’s more to it than that and you’ll never convince me otherwise.”

Maybe she was right. He could have moved anywhere. He could have checked in with family in different parts of the country. Rob’s father had connections. But none of those places had what he had here.

None of those places had Pippa.

Rob continued to stare at her, his stomach lurching with each passing second she ignored his question. “Are you dating someone?”

“What? Of course not.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m too busy for that.”

“So, if you’re not dating anyone and you’re too busy for something serious, what’s the harm? Why not let me kiss you? For old time’s sake?” He tilted his head and gave her his most charming smile. If nothing else, he’d be able to prove his point that something had changed between them and it wasn’t necessarily bad. Pippa was growing up, just like he had. “If you’re not avoiding me… prove it.”

Her eyes narrowed and she huffed as she glanced away. He could see her mind working, weighing the pros and cons of such a request. Once or twice, she brought her gaze back to him and huffed again. Then, without warning, Pippa took a long stride toward him. She placed her hands on either side of his face and crushed her mouth to his before pulling back to give him one of her trademark triumphant looks.

The triumph in her eyes lasted mere seconds. Her tongue traced along her lower lip as her gaze swept over his face. He was certain with how quiet the street was Pippa could hear his heart thrashing like never before. They were frozen in time, staring at each other. The kiss had been brash and short, but it had had a hint of the passion they’d shared as teenagers.

Rob lost it at that moment. He pulled her close, his fingers digging into her hips to pin her against him. His lips roved over hers, exploring every inch of her mouth. Kissing her was like coming home. She was a safe haven of sorts—someone who knew him probably better than he knew himself and not by any fault of his own.

Pippa clung to him as their kiss deepened. She might have kissed him to prove a point, but this had gone beyond that. This kiss was a reawakening of how good they were together. The door had opened to the possibility of a future together.

He simply had to convince her it would be a good idea.

Pippa pulled back, breathless. Her cheeks and nose were pink, and her eyes shone brighter than before. Desire lingered behind her gaze and he nearly thought she’d come back for more, but then she stepped back.

“See?” she said. “I could never deny you.”

Rob wasn’t sure he’d heard her right, and she strode away before he had the chance to ask her to repeat what she’d said. At this point, he didn’t need to know. He was still reeling from their kiss, and he wasn’t going to mess that moment up for anything.