For Sam: A new-girl small town cowboy romance

Chapter 6 Tommy

Holding back a chuckle, I give Sam a second to figure out how to get in her seat. When Mark sat next to me, I didn’t realize how much I ended up crowding her space, but I didn’t have any choice. Now I can see the gears turning in her head, and it’s adorable.

If it was at all appropriate, I’d pull her right into my lap.

If she wanted that.

Before she starts to panic, I pull her chair out and she steps to the side, allowing me to bring it farther so she can sit down without maneuvering through the little gap between the chair seat and the table.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

“Any time,” I say, helping push it in as she sits down.

I reluctantly take my hand from the back of the chair. Sharon’s presentation begins and I avoid groaning because it’s the same opening slide as the last two years. Instead, I flip open my notebook to a fresh page and grab my blue pen, noting that Sam has a heading already written with highlighters and pens. Without wanting to distract her too much, I gently nudge her elbow while she uncaps her black pen. She looks back at me with her deep blue eyes and I mouth “nice” as I nod to her notes.

A crease appears between her brows so I tap the heading. She looks back up at me with a huge smile on her face. One of her genuine smiles, the unguarded kind where she isn’t smiling because she thinks it”s expected. She turns so she can watch Sharon and a blush creeps up the back of her neck. That feels like a step in the right direction.

I can’t let that go to my head. Maybe people see her organizational side and she hides her artistic skills.

After noting the meeting and the date, I start flipping my pen through my fingers. Besides jotting down the code numbers that are relevant to permits, I don”t really need to write anything else.

We’re about twenty minutes into the presentation and Sam is already turning the page.

Yeah, she definitely always sat in front for every class.

Granted, if she was my teacher, I’d be fighting for a spot in front. The things I’d study about her…

Every now and then her eyes wander to my right hand and the pen that I’m barely thinking about. Shit. Is it annoying her to have me fidgeting over here while she dutifully takes notes?

I do my best to hold the pen still for the rest of the meeting, which means I end up doodling. At least I’m not snoring like Mark. Even with his daughter being one of my best friends, I don’t feel comfortable nudging him awake, maybe Jackson would feel more comfortable doing that than me, so I fake a cough, extra loud, causing him to startle awake.

Hank, across the table, smirks and pretends to be watching the presentation.

“Any questions?” Sharon asks.

Sam’s hand shoots up.

“Oh, um, yes, Sam?”

“I was curious about provisions regarding setups outside of those you outlined. What do we do if we get requests that don’t follow examples?”

Sharon gives her a smile, “I’m sure you will at some point. You can always call me to make sure we have everything properly handled.”

Sam makes a note. “Thank you, I always appreciate specific instructions. That was my only question right now.”

God, she’s cute. And I’m definitely going to remember that she likes instructions.

“Thank you for keeping us up to date so we can handle whatever requests that inevitably come through.”

“Of course, Hank,” Sharon replies to him, looking a little relieved to be done.

“I think that’s everything for tonight unless anyone has other business?”

We all shake our heads.

“In that case,” Hank says, “let’s get out of here early tonight. I’ve got the first round of wings for those going.”

Sam looks a little lost. I lean in and whisper, “We always do this after the fire presentation. He buys the blazin’ wings and then heads out.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I said it was a group.”

“I don’t picture Hank with a pile of spicy wings in front of him.”

“Don’t let the comb-over fool you,” I say, earning a quiet giggle. “The man might not eat them, but he loves this tradition.”

We pack up our things and everyone walks out together. Sam seems to hesitate a moment before walking to my truck.

“Everything good?” I ask.

She takes a quick inhale. “Of course.”

I get one of those partial smiles. And then I see that Hank is watching her. Not weirdly, just observing. Is she worried about being seen with me? Is this the kind of thing I missed with Maisy? I don’t open the door for her and go right to mine.

“I’m sorry if you’re uncomfortable riding with me. I can bring you back to your car if you’d rather drive separately.”

“Oh,” she says, looking torn.

“It’s okay either way. I won’t be offended. I promise.”

“Thank you.” She takes a breath. “Before I moved, I never walked in or out with someone from a work event. But I’ve done it before and I’d like to do it again. With you.”

Ouch, I didn’t fully need a reminder that Jax showed up with her to a few things.

“I just had a moment where I was worried that Hank might think I was being unprofessional. But there’s nothing unprofessional about two people carpooling.”

“No, I don’t think there is. We’re being eco-conscious.”

“Definitely.”

I breathe a little easier and pull out of the spot.

“Are you ready for the wings?”

“I’m not sure I’ll be able to eat any of the first round.”

“Not a blazin’ girl?”

“More like an almost-mild girl,” she says, looking like that might be an issue.

“Ooh, you’re not going to like the ones Hank gets then, but we can make sure there”s a basket of the sweet chili wings for you.”

“Okay, even that sounds too hot,” she says with a nervous laugh.

“It’s as mild as they make them, and it”s a very sweet heat.”

“Alright, sweet chili it is, I guess.” She makes a face that has me snorting.

“On second thought, you might need plain wings,” I say, throwing the truck in gear.

“They’d do that?” she asks.

“Why not?”

“I guess not every place I’ve been has been accommodating to special orders like that,” she says, shifting her iced coffee around in her hands and looking out the window.

“Where have you been going?” I ask, suddenly feeling protective.

“Oh, more so in the city, I suppose. I haven’t really been out to eat much here, actually. Just official functions so the food is already set for the most part.”

“We’ll have to remedy that.”

She chews on her thumbnail for a moment before nodding and saying, “That sounds lovely.”

“We should go to a new place each week and I’ll let you know where ahead of time so you can check out the menu.”

“I do like to do that.”

I just give her a smile because if anyone has paid attention to this woman for more than two minutes, they would have been able to guess that.