something…”
Josie’s brow wrinkled. “What do they think of all this, then?”
“They’re proud of me,” I replied, glancing away for a moment. I shrugged and returned my eyes to Josie’s. “They like the perks of having a sports star for a son. My dad likes baseball.”
“Do they come and visit often?”
“Not really.” I took a beat and drank deeply from my beer. “What about you? What do your parents and brothers think about you being in OKC?”
Josie laughed softly. “Well, my dad tries to invent a new bribe every couple of months to get me to move back home to the family ranch.”
I grinned. “Really? Like what?”
“His latest pitch was that he would have a house built on a few acres, with a pool, and a horse pasture all for myself.” She paused and rolled her eyes. “He’s relentless. He paid for my college and never complained, but I don’t know…I guess he never thought I’d take that degree and turn it into a real career. I don’t know why.”
So that was it. She grew up with money, so my money or house wasn’t a perk to this crazy beautiful lady. “Hmm. So what does he want you doing instead? Barefoot and pregnant?”
Josie laughed but then cringed, her freckled nose wrinkling ever so slightly. “He wants me to get married, have a house, with some horses and yes, I’m sure grandchildren would be in the top five things on his list.” She sighed deeply. “It’s suffocating.”
“I bet.” I spun my beer bottle slowly in my hand. Before I could think of something to add, or change the conversation altogether, the waitress reappeared with a foil wrapped to-go container and set it on the table in front of Josie. She thanked her and went to dig through her purse for her wallet. “Charge it to my room. Twenty-one fourteen.”
Josie jerked her head up from her search and looked from the waitress to me and then back again. “No, no. I’ve got it. Just one sec…”
I laughed as she fumbled through her purse. “It’s fine, Josie. Really.”
The waitress looked my way and I nodded, shooing her off with a wave of my hand. Josie sighed and stuffed the gutted contents of her purse back together. “I didn’t want you to buy my dinner,” she said, pouting at me.
“Why not? You let me barge into your night. It was the least I could do.”
She looked at me, her expression firm, skeptical. “What do you want, Trey?”
“Nothing. Although, I wouldn’t say no to a bite or two of whatever you got in there. Smells damn delicious. And I’m starvin’.”
She laughed and peeled back the foil covering the top. “Well then eat!”
The warm scent of garlic French fries spilled out and we both made identical moans. Our eyes flashed together and locked in place. Josie’s were wide and alarmed.
“I have a firm, ladies first policy,” I said, my voice low. “Applies to french fries as well as…other things…”
Josie blushed, her face turning a dark shade of pink.
She blinked a few times, clearing her shock away, and then dug into the box. She snatched a fry and munched on it mindlessly. I laughed and dove into the box and snagged a fry for myself. “Damn! I’m gonna need to order some of these myself.”
“Mmm. These are really good.” She went back for seconds and our knuckles brushed together. She pulled her hand back at the contact like a viper was inside the box. “Sorry…go ahead.”
I laughed and pushed the box over to her and wiped my hands off on the linen napkin that had been resting off to one side of the table. “Go ahead. I’ll have some sent up to my room.”
She nibbled another fry and watched me. “You can always stay…you know.”
“Aren’t you leaving?” I asked, struggling to keep a straight face. I was reeling her in, little by little, and inch by inch, she was lowering her walls.
She shrugged. “I have to finish my drink.”
“Right,” I said, grinning over at her halfway emptied glass. “So, then, where were we? Aha, yes, you’re
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