“To pick you up?” he guessed.
“I can just meet you in town somewhere,” she said.
Brandon took a step toward her, because he knew how to flirt with women. Sudden anxiety flooded him, and he stalled. “Do you go to church, Lenore?”
“I haven’t for a while, no,” she said. “I’m assuming you go to church somewhere on the south side of town.”
“Yeah,” he said. “That pretty red brick building across from the Riverwalk Park? The sermons aren’t bad.” Even though Brandon sometimes felt nothing during the sermon, he always felt better about himself just for going to church.
“I’ll look it up,” Lenore said. “And pick something close to it.”
“I can drive wherever,” he said. “Especially by eleven-thirty.”
A hint of what had to be impatience crossed her face. “Okay, I’ll text you,” she said, and Brandon had the very real feeling heshould get out of there while he one, still had the job, and two, still had a date on the calendar.
It’s not a date, he told himself. He wasnotdating right now.It’s a meeting to sign an employment contract.
He reached up and tipped his cowboy hat, though Lenore had refocused on her phone again. “All right, then, Lenore,” he said. “I’ll see you Sunday.” He turned and started back toward his still-running truck.
He’d taken five or six steps before Lenore called, “Thank you, Brandon. See you Sunday,” in the most chipper voice he’d heard her use yet.
He groaned and sighed as he got behind the wheel and rebuckled his seat belt. He wanted to have a real discussion with God on the way back to Hidden Hills, but he ended up making the drive with the radio off and only his thoughts for company.
And they weren’t vitriolic or hissing threats to the Lord about helping him. Brandon just…sat with himself, and it wasn’t a bad place to be. The moment he turned onto the road that led up the hill to the epicenter of the ranch, the unease returned.
He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he knew he had a full day of work ahead of him, and that he’d gotten up hours earlier than normal. He drove past Duke and Zona’s place, then past the road that led to Dawson and Caroline’s.
The two-story farmhouse stood on the left, and Brandon went past it and then in front of his cabin too. He finally arrived at the barn, and he killed the engine with a semi-smile on his face.
“But hey,” he said softly to himself. “You got the job.”
He got out of the truck and faced the barn. Now he had to go tell Duke and Dawson that he got the job.
Brandon ignoredhis phone as it chimed for the sixth time in as many seconds. He fiddled with his tie—the third one he’d picked out. He’d gotten this particular one from Good Will, and it boasted pastel dinosaurs against a forest green background.
“Pastel dinosaurs?” He loosened the tie and lifted it over his head. “You’re not in fifth grade.” He tossed the now-offensive garment on his bed, wondering why he cared so much about what his tie looked like. He’d have worn the dinosaur tie without an issue any other Sunday. He had, in fact.
Today, though, he wore a dark green pair of pants with his white shirt and black cowboy boots, and he felt like the only way to stand out was the slip of silk around his neck. It had to be perfect, though he wasn’t even sure Lenore would see it.
Men really had limited fashion choices for church, and he reminded himself Lenore didn’t go to church. “So maybe I should take a polo to change into.”
He still hadn’t chosen a tie when his brother said, “What are you doing? Are you riding with us today or what?”
Brandon turned toward Dawson, who wore his grumpy older brother face. In that moment, he remembered that his phone had gone off several times. “No, sorry,” he said. “I’m meeting that woman after church today to go over the contract.”
Dawson’s frown deepened. “I can’t believe you’re going to go live on that homestead for three months.”
Brandon turned his back on his brother, because Dawson had a way of seeing things on Brandon’s face he wanted to keep hidden. “I can’t find a tie.”
“You can’t find a tie?” Dawson entered the bedroom and picked up all three discarded ties. He looked at them for a moment while Brandon pulled a bright blue polo from his closet and folded it against his chest.
“What’s that woman’s name again?”
Brandon cut his brother a glare. “It has nothing to do with her.”
“Oh, I think it has everything to do with her.” Dawson’s frown had disappeared, and he nudged Brandon out from in front of the closet and reached for a tie. “Try this one. It’s vintage and modern at the same time.”
“That’s not even possible.”
