“A half hour east. I’d take you to my uncle’s ranch, but my cousins would be on the phone to my brothers before we even took our shoes off.”
He gives a soft laugh. “Probably. And I don’t need four McMurrays after me.”
Pressing my lips into a smile, I pull us to a stop in front of Rustic Brew, where the rich aroma of fresh coffee is almost as strong outside as it will be inside. “Just a heads-up. We may see some of my friends. Macy and Britt usually spend their Saturday mornings here working their side hustles.”
He quirks an eyebrow. “That gonna be a problem?”
“Not at all. But they may gush over the fact that I have a hot man with me.”
“Ah.” His concern morphs to amusement.
“And they’re going to recognize you from the wedding, too, so be prepared for questions about how serious we are.”
“Got it.” He reaches for the door and holds it open. “I’ll be sure to tell ’em I already wifed you up.”
“Don’t you dare!” I swat at his stomach as I pass by. “Way to give me a heart attack at eight o’clock in the morning. Jeez.”
As expected, my friends are huddled at a table near the back of the café, heads down and laptops open. Macy glances up, as if to look for a server, and does a double-take.
“Holy crap. Am I hallucinating, or is that amanstanding next to you?” she asks, which snags Britt’s attention, too.
“Wait,” she says with narrowed eyes. “How do I know you?”
Dean chuckles and holds out a hand. “I’m Dean. We met at the wedding in Vegas last month.”
Britt’s grin turns devious as she shakes his hand and glances between us. “Girl, you’ve been holding out.”
And I probably would have continued to if he hadn’t shown up last night and pushed us a little deeper into the dating category.
“No need to make a big deal of it,” I say, looping my arm through his. “He’s just in town for a few days, so we’re hanging out.”
“Right.” Macy giggles. “Hanging out. I bet.”
I roll my eyes. “On that note, we’re going to find our own table so we can catch up.”
Britt gives a finger wave as I tug Dean toward a table for two on the other side of the room and pretend Macy didn’tmeowunder her breath as we walked away.
“We could’ve sat with them,” Dean says, pulling out a chair for me.
“Yes, but they really do have work to do, and call me selfish, but I kinda want you to myself.”
He grins as he takes a seat and rests his elbows on the table, the stance making his biceps look particularly yummy in the white T-shirt he’s wearing. “What else do you have planned for me today?”
“Besides breaking in more of my furniture later, I thought we could grab some things for a picnic and hike up to a spot I love in the mountains. It’s a short walk, but the view of the city is gorgeous.”
“Sounds good. Especially the breaking in part.”
I laugh as a server comes over with menus and takes our coffee order. “I wish I could take you out to Shadow River. The views out there are hands down the best around, but again, too risky. Maybe someday, though.”
He nods slowly before he opens his menu.“You think that’ll ever happen? Realistically?”
“I’d like it to.” The more we get to know each other, the more convinced I am that my instincts about him were correct. He’s one of the good ones.
“How are the biscuits and gravy?” he asks, changing the subject and making my heart drop.
“Um, they’re great. Big portions, too.” Kinda like the heartbreak he’ll be serving me soon enough.
“Then sign me up.” Flashing a grin, he sets the menu aside as our server returns with our coffee. She jots down our breakfast order and hurries back to the kitchen just as the bell over the front door rings and Spencer walks in.
