Page 70 of The Lost Book of First Loves
He had stopped to see her? She blinked, not quite sure how to respond.
“How nice.”
“So hey,” he said with a charming smile that made her pulse ratchet up.
“Hey right back.”
He gazed down at her with a bright smile. “Listen, there’s going to be live music tonight on the rooftop of the Bison Brew House. The Canyon Drifters. They’re pretty good. I was wondering if you would like to go with me to hear them.”
Was Clint Maclean asking her on adate?
She stared at him for a long moment, trying to process her shock. Impossible. He had never been at all interested in her before.
She remembered that appreciative look when he had bumped into her at the restaurant the other day with Xander. It wasn’t completely impossible, was it?
Tess, she saw, must have overheard his offer. As she helped the customer check out, she was giving a covert thumbs-up.
“I... Sure. Sounds like fun.”
His lean, rugged features lit up and he gave her that killer smile again. “Oh, great. That would be awesome. How late are you working? Should I pick you up here or at your dad’s ranch?”
Herranch now. “I’m off at four. I’m assuming the band won’t be playing until this evening.”
“I think they’re supposed to start at eight. I can pick you up at the ranch at seven-thirty. You’re not far from the Rocking M.”
They were basically next-door neighbors, on the other side from Beck’s place. If not for the river that split them, The Painted Sky and the Rocking M land would adjoin each other.
“That would be great. I’ll look forward to it.”
“Me, too.” He smiled down at her, looking like he’d stepped off the cover of a romance novel.
“I’m so glad you came back for the summer,” he said, his voice slightly husky. “I can’t wait to spend more time with you.”
If she were one of the women in the books she loved to read, she would have some smart response, something cute and flirty. But she was not like those women, especially not when she was facing the man who had occupied all of her teenage daydreams.
“Um. Me, too,” she said, a completely ridiculous response that somehow didn’t seem to bother Clint.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said and then he tipped his hat to her and to Tess before turning and walking out again, right behind the crafty customer.
As the door closed behind both of them, Ali slumped against the nearest display, a table full of young-adult fantasy books.
Talk about a young-adult fantasy. That was Clint Maclean. In the flesh.
Tess rushed over before she could catch her breath. “Seriously? Did Clint Maclean just ask you out on a date?”
“I guess so?” she said, hearing the question in her own voice. She wanted to grab the nearest paperback and fan her face with it, but she didn’t want to risk breaking the spine.
“I don’t think he has dated anybody in the past year. Not that I’ve heard about, anyway. Not since Angel Herrera broke up with him for about the hundredth time since they started dating and then left town.”
Angel and Clint had dated all through high school, though they were always on again, off again.
“Maybe he’s just looking for company until she comes back.”
“I think he’s going to be looking for a long time. Last I heard, Angel was engaged to a plastic surgeon in Los Angeleswith a hell of a lot more to offer than a broke-ass cowboy in Bridger Peak, Wyoming.” She paused. “Looks like you’ll get to go listen to the band at the Bison after all.”
“I guess. Should be fun.”
Tess reached for her hand and squeezed it in both of hers, eyes suddenly dark with worry. “I know you always had a thing for Clint. He is gorgeous and I totally get why, but I hope he doesn’t break your heart. I can’t help thinking there had to be a good reason he and Angel couldn’t manage to stay together.”
