Page 11 of Falling for Forever

He chuffed out a laugh. “Of course you did.”

Lydia placed her elbow on the table and her cheek in her hand. “What? You were late.”

“You must have super speed or something, because my shower was less than five minutes,” Chet insisted, reaching for his cola.

Her eyes followed the movement, lingered at his mouth when he took a drink, then lifted to his head. “But you take longer than me when you do your hair.”

He tossed her a mock scowl. “When I’m not wearing a hat, I do like my hair to look nice. Is that a crime?”

She leaned over the table. Her fingers reached for his hair, and she feathered them through the freshly styled locks. They were still damp from his shower and easy to manipulate at her whim. Her eyes took on a far-off look. “I love your hair,” she murmured. It was so quiet he was certain she didn’t mean to say it. But then her focus drifted to his eyes, and she offered him a soft smile.

There wasn’t any embarrassment, nothing to say she’d been caught doing what she shouldn’t have. For a brief moment of euphoria, he could envision what life with Lydia could be. Working together with the horses. Teasing each other when no one was listening. Sharing dinners with her family. Date nights when she didn’t hold back.

But then the moment splintered when their waitress arrived. Lydia sat back in her seat and beamed up at Lacey who presented them each with a plate full of food. Lacey glanced between Lydia and Chet, but she said nothing. Had she been privy to that intimate moment and interpreted it differently than it was meant to be?

He couldn’t worry himself with that. Lydia wasn’t usually one for idle gossip anyway. At least he didn’t think she was. They never discussed other people’s lives or past mistakes. She wanted to live in the moment, and he was more than happy to oblige.

“Is there anything else I can get for you?” Lacey asked.

“Nope. We’re good. Thank you so much.” Lydia picked up her fork and dug in as if nothing had happened. He wanted to reach for her hand and return it to where it had been, hating the sense of loss that came from her now phantom touch.

When her gaze found his, he forced a smile.

They ate in silence for a few long moments until it grew excruciating. For once he wanted to fill the void with conversation. Grasping for a topic, he glanced around the restaurant. A couple that sat a few feet away caught his attention. Normally, he wouldn’t even be focused on them, but the man was staring at her all love drunk, and that Chet related to.

Chet jerked his chin in their direction. “How long until they get engaged, do you think?”

Lydia considered the couple for a moment. Then she shrugged. “Probably never.”

His eyes widened. “What? Why?”

“He’s a rodeo cowboy.”

“So?” She’d had a bad experience dating a rodeo cowboy once, but she’d never gone into detail. All she was willing to give away was her opinion that she’d never date one again. He figured it was because they never stuck around for long. But maybe it went deeper.

“So…” she drawled, giving him a pointed look, “it’s not often that relationships work out with men like that.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her to explain, but instead, he went a different route. “Isn’t your brother-in-law a rodeo cowboy? You have friends who run in the rodeo circuit. They’re not all bad.”

She wasn’t ruffled by his statement. “Brent works with kids who want to be in the rodeo. He doesn’t compete anymore. But I still think that relationships like that don’t usually work out.” Lydia shrugged as if that was all the explanation he needed.

This was one more reason he needed to be cautious. He didn’t think she’d hold his past against him. He’d been in the rodeo before, but he’d settled down. It wasn’t as if he’d up and leave to do a rodeo tour. His life was good right where he was.

The conversation left a bit of a sour taste in his mouth, and he wasn’t sure how to get rid of it. Thankfully, Lydia was always ready with a new topic.

“Tate said that if I help you get this horse trained right, he’d consider letting me go looking for a horse of my own. Can you believe it? He’s finally giving in. After all this time.”

An unexpected smile broke free. “What are you hoping for?”

Her eyes lit up with undeniable excitement. “I was thinking about a quarter horse. I know they’re the most common, but I wouldn’t be competing with it. I guess I could look around for a Dutch Warmblood, though.” She tapped her finger on her chin. “Just in case I do want to compete again.”

“Misty is a Dutch Warmblood.”

Her eyes found his. “I know.” They dropped and that disappointment surfaced before being doused. Seeing her disheartened was the worst. Why did he have to put his foot in his mouth all the time? “Do you know who her owner is?”

He shook his head. “Jason takes care of the clientele. I just help with the horses.”

She nodded. “I wonder if they’d consider selling her to me after she’s done with her training.”