He nodded. “I knew by looking at you that you were a good kid. Now let’s get these boots all boxed up for you.”
I followed him to the cash register, where he placed the boots inside a brown box. I took out my wallet. Despite what Gray had said, I couldn’t allow him to purchase a pair of boots for me. He was already doing so much.
“How much are they?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll invoice Gray later.”
“He’s already helping with the wedding.” Like all of it. “I don’t mind paying for the boots.”
“If you insist.”
As he told me the price, my mouth nearly fell open, but I’d already initiated the purchase, so there was no turning back. My wallet squealed in protest, but I handed over my credit card. I’d never spent two hundred dollars on footwear before. They’d better last for years.
Carrying the box, I walked out of the store. Gray and two other men were loading the back of the truck. Gray picked up an enormous burlap bag, making his muscles bulge, threw it over his shoulder, and tossed it into the bed. He wiped his brow and glanced up. Our eyes held, and heat flushed through me.
He said something to one of the men, which resulted in a nod. Gray strode toward me, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he shot me a warm smile. No wonder Carter was so devastatingly handsome. His father must have been a ladies’ man back in the day. Hell, if he wasn’t married, women would be throwing their panties at him even now. Maybe they did, given his unusual relationship with his wife. I couldn’t imagine being married to such a fine man and living so far away from him.
A man Gray’s size made cuddling fun. Carter and I never cuddled. He made comments about my size he considered funny. He thought I was already too sensitive, so I never mentioned how much I hated those jokes, which made me even more self-conscious about my body.
“You found something?” Gray asked.
“I did, thank you. I should have thought more about my choice of clothing when I packed.”
“If you need anything, just let me know.” He extended his hand. “I’ll put this in the truck for you, and we can walk over to the diner and pick up something to eat on the way back to the ranch. I’m starving, and I bet you’d like a bite to eat too.”
I handed him the box, and his fingers brushed mine, sending an electric jolt through me that made my heart flutter. I released the box quickly and pulled my hand behind my back.
When Gray had stowed my purchase in the truck and returned to my side, my jumpy pulse was back to normal. “The diner’s this way.” We walked along an old-fashioned boardwalk, the worn wood groaning under our weight. The town had an old-world charm I had only seen in movies. I wanted to explore every nook and cranny of it.
“We’ll have to cross the street.” Gray placed his hand on the small of my back. Again. Had it been any other man, I would have thought he was flirting with me, but he did it so effortlessly I knew that touching was his natural way of helping others. Heseemed to think nothing of the casual way he used his hands to guide me wherever he wanted. His words would have been fine, but each gentle prod from him slowly built up a yearning inside me. A yearning to be touched like this all the time. But Carter wasn’t keen on touching me other than when we were having sex.
I frowned. How strange to have figured out his father’s character traits in less than a day, but I’d been with Carter for almost two years and was still trying to understand him.
“You don’t like the diner.”
“Huh?” I blinked.
“You’re frowning. I know it’s a simple diner, but the food’s good. Promise.”
“Oh no. It’s not the diner. I was just… thinking.”
His gray eyes held a lot of questions, but he nodded as he opened another door for me. Why hadn’t Carter taken after his father? He was cold like his mother.
Guilt pricked my conscience. I’d been comparing Carter to his father since Gray picked me up. It wasn’t fair to him. For all I knew, Gray was pretending to be this nice to me. Besides, they were two different people with their own personalities and quirks. Gray must have his shortcomings. I just didn’t know them yet.
The Mom and Pop diner was as quaint as it seemed on the outside, with its checkered tablecloths, chrome-trimmed bar stools, and a jukebox in the corner. The nostalgic notes of Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” gave the place a cozy vibe.
“Do you want to eat in or get it to go?” Gray asked.
I wanted to stay but remembered all the goods Gray had loaded in the back of his truck. Three weeks was enough time for me to get to know the diner and the whole town better. Exhaustion from our trip seeped into my limbs too. If I didn’t find a bed soon, I would crash. With or without that bed.
“We can get something to go.”
“That sounds good.”
We walked to the bar, and I studied the menu board affixed on the wall.
“Hey, Gray,” a woman with strawberry blond hair threaded through with silver said. “You not eating in today?”
