Page 13 of Aiden & Lily

Jasmine was so completely different when it came to romance. She didn’t believe in the happy stuff, and Lily could already hear her picking apart any hope Lily had for something new to spark to life.

Reese, on the other hand, would likely be willing to cheer her on.

It was strange, the way that dynamic had turned out. They hadn’t been broken up all that long in the grand scheme of things, and yet she felt like she could tell him anything. Would he be disheartened to find out she’d found an interest in someone so soon?

They were planning to meet at the café where Jason worked. It was Reese’s way of making up for not being at the rodeo last week, and Lily was really looking forward to it. It felt like forever since they’d seen each other in person.

Their calls and text messages had started getting shorter lately. Less personal. She couldn’t explain it, but Reese seemed to be withdrawing from her in a way, and it made her sad.

“Earth to Lily. Come in.”

She blinked, and her eyes locked with Jasmine’s. “What?”

“Are you going to get your butt moving? Or am I going to be the one feeding the animals on my own this time?”

“It’s not like you haven’t left me hanging before,” Lily pointed out. “I’ve lost track of how many times I had to feed the pigs on my own. And the stuff they eat?” She pinched her nose and made a face.

Jasmine laughed. “True.” Then she sighed. “Okay, okay. I know you have something with your boyfriend who isn’t your boyfriend anymore. What was his name again?”

“Reese.”

“Yeah. Him.” She narrowed her eyes at Lily. “He’s not the one you’re hiding from me, is he?”

Lily snorted. “Not in a million years. At least not anymore. I don’t think either one of us sees a future with the other now.”

“Too bad the good ones are always so unavailable.”

“Yeah, too bad.”

Tempted to pull out her phone and check it even though she hadn’t gotten any notifications, Lily balled her hands into fists at her sides. “I’m going to head out. I’ll see you later?”

“Yeah, yeah. Just remember. You swore.”

Lily rolled her eyes and headed for her truck.

She ploppeddown into a chair at a table for two in the café. It was starting to get busy, and Reese would be arriving any minute.

It felt strange meeting him for lunch when they weren’t technically together. Their friendship had been pushed mostly to calls and messages, and sitting across from each other again felta little like stepping into a room where someone had moved all the furniture.

Almost against her own will, Lily pulled out her phone to check her messages one more time. At least that was what she told herself.

Jasmine was right. Christopher didn’t seem like the kind of guy who wanted to appear desperate. He was the kind of guy who probably wanted to keep her on her toes.

She wasn’t even mad about that. Heck, she understood it. And being the hopeless romantic she was, she didn’t want to be the first one to reach out.

Maybe that was old-fashioned. Maybe it was silly. But Lily had always liked the idea of a man showing her he was interested without her having to chase him down first.

It didn’t hurt to make a guy prove they were interested, right?

The chair across from her screeched against the tiled floor, and a smiling Reese settled into it. “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

She grinned right back. “And you look better than ever.”

Her gaze swept over him, from his honey-blond hair that brightened during the summer months to his warm hazel eyes.

He pulled his cowboy hat from his head and placed it on the table before running his hand through his mussed locks. “I wouldn’t say that.”

The way he said it, and the way his brief gaze scanned her face, tugged at her heart but not in the way it used to. It was disappointing that they couldn’t make things work. But their mutual understanding helped them through the hardship of it all.