“Amen to that.” Zach playfully pulled her closer and laid a sloppy kiss on her cheek. Evie nudged him away, but that didn’t change the massive smile on her face. They all started helping with the cleanup. After Amanda turned down Miss Leona’s seventy-fifth offer to take some leftovers back to the ranch with her, she was starting to feel all the pleasant weight of everything she ate. She tried to hide her yawn, but the yawn won. Sam rubbed a smooth hand down her back as he came around the counter.
“You want to head to the ranch?”
“Yeah. I’m pretty tired. I could use a nap or a massage. Or a nap while I get massaged.”
“We can work all of those things out.” He turned to his brother.
“What are you two getting into tonight?”
“We’re going to Claim Jumpers?” Zach said, sounding unsure.
“The fuck?” Sam laughed, then quickly ducked his head, probably worried his grandmother had heard him swear, but she was busy tinkering with a large iPad on the counter. “That’s where you’re going on your first Valentine’s Day as almost–husband and wife.”
“Speak to Evie,” Zach replied with a shrug.
“They’re doing a nineties high school dance thing. I thought it would be fun. Plus, Brit and Delfi are going,” Evie said.
“What are you two doing tonight?” Sam asked Vega. She and Corie were working on loading the dishwasher.
“Uh, we’re going on a proper date,” Vega said.
“To where?”
“I don’t know,” Vega replied with a saucy smile. “She said it’s a surprise. We’re leaving at seven.”
“It’s freaking Valentine’s Day!” Corie said, throwing her wet hands in the air. “I’m not taking my date to a bar. I’d ask who raised you bums, but I know Miss Leona, Nana Buck, and your parents aren’t to blame for this mess. Tsk.”
“You don’t have to ask me. It’s okay,” Lilah said snarkily.
“Do you have plans?” Sam asked his cousin.
“You know I don’t. It’s just nice to be asked. I think I’ll help Jesse out with bingo though, since everyone is busy.”
“Come to Claim Jumpers. I bet Chris will be there,” Evie teased.
“Ugh. No thank you.”
Sam turned to Amanda, eyebrow raised. “You wanna go to a cowboy dive bar for the most romantic night of your life?”
“Sure,” Amanda laughed. “But is it truly a dive bar, ’cause the nicest thing I brought with me is my comfy cardigan. And by nice, I mean off the Old Navy clearance rack. I don’t want to show up and your idea of a dive bar is Hamptons casual.”
“Oh no. It’s a real shithole,” Zach said.
“Try again, young man,” Miss Leona called from across the room.
“Yes, ma’am. Sorry. It’s a somewhat remodeled dump, but all the locals hang out there. Friends from high school, a lot of our people from the ranch. Cheap drinks and the music is usually good.”
“You could go in what you have on now and you’d be fine,” Evie added. “You guys should come with us.”
“You down?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
“Great.”
Amanda said her goodbyes, collecting hugs all around except from Jesse, who was still seated at the table doing something on his phone. He did however stand and shake her hand. “Here until tomorrow?” he asked all businesslike.
“Yeah, leaving in the morning so I can beat the traffic back.”
He just nodded, then went back to his phone. Amanda had no clue what to make of him. She followed Sam outside and across the cul-de-sac. Only two dogs followed them this time, but they happily trotted back to Miss Leona’s when Sam told them to get on.
“So?” Sam said when they got into his Tesla. “That wasn’t bad.”
“Oh, you missed the part where I basically confessed my undying fangirl love for your grandmother.”
“When was that?” Sam said, chuckling a bit.
“When you were in the shower. She handled it well, thank God, but yeah. I was pretty sure I’d blown it right then and there.”
“But you didn’t. She really likes you.”
“Well, I like your whole family. And Vega.” She didn’t mention how homesick it made her for her parents.
“They all liked you,” he insisted. Amanda couldn’t help but notice the sudden softness to his voice. She looked up at him through her lashes and fought the urge to sigh at what she saw. Sam Pleasant was looking at her, really looking at her. Not her tits or her ass, which were both amazing, but really looking at her and she couldn’t ignore what she saw reflected back at her. Sam liked her. Or he was starting to. She hadn’t been on the receiving end of that look in a while, but she knew when it was real. She took his hand and scooted a little closer even though the center console stopped them from getting as close as she wanted.
“I want to apologize for what I said, about your career.”
“You kidding? I was serious. That was exactly what I needed to hear. Listen, I talk to Zach about this every day and of course I talk to my grandma and my dad, but they are more on that basic encouragement tip.”
“Oh man. That must be awful,” Amanda whined before she smiled back at him.
“You know what I mean. Miss Leona is exhausted with Hollywood. She’s just chillin’ waiting for grandchildren, waiting for Rory’s War checks to roll in. And my dad—he’s great, but he’s really focused on his own shit now. And he should be, but you were right. I am in a unique position.”
“Listen, it’s scary to go for what you want,” Amanda said.
“It is.” There was more, something just on the tip of his tongue. She could tell, but instead of confessing whatever was on his mind, he turned back to the fancy dashboard and started the car. Amanda took that as her cue to put on her seat belt. Maybe he’d tell her when he was ready. Maybe she’d tell him how much she was starting to like him when things felt a little less scary for her.
They
