noon.
Diesel: It’s a date, baby. Wear your hair in those braids I like.
Rowan: Get your mind out of the gutter! No getting handsy.
Diesel: Absolutely no promises…In fact, wear a skirt too.
She knows I’m joking, but just to be sure, I send her a winking emoji. We’re taking things slow, something I’m constantly having to remind myself, but it’s for the best. As much as I want to explore every inch of Rowan, I want to give this a real shot. No hopping into bed and screwing shit up. Though I know a lot about her, she’s slowly been opening up, and I’ve seen another side of her. Rowan confessed last night that she’s hesitant about jumping into a relationship after the way her last one ended. I assured her we’d go at her pace, and I’m not pressuring her to do anything she doesn’t want to. I’ll be one hundred percent patient for her. I’ve waited this long, and I’ll wait as long as needed until she’s ready to take a leap.
Rowan: SMH. You’re relentless.
Diesel: I can lift it again like I did at the church picnic when everyone saw your Barbie underwear.
Rowan: Another reason I hated you growing up.
Diesel: Lies. You adored me.
Rowan: That really was a cruel prank. I should get you back for that.
Diesel: What’d you have in mind? Handcuffs? Blindfolds? Maybe a whip?
Rowan: That’s a GREAT idea! Once you’re all tied up, I’ll take a picture and send it to all your exes, and they’ll realize they dodged a bullet.
Diesel: Man. You’re evil. Pure evil.
Rowan: You started it!
Diesel: I was eight!
I hear her cackling in the office and know she’s laughing at our conversation. She pretends to be annoyed by me, but by the way her mouth attacks mine, it’s more than obvious she’s putting up a front. Whether she’s holding back because she’s worried how everyone will react once we announce it or that she’ll get hurt, my goal will always be to make her laugh. I’ll prove to her I’m nothing like any man she’s ever dated, especially her douchebag ex-boyfriends. I’d take a gunshot to the heart before I hurt Rowan.
She returns to the bar moments later and tells Claire, one of the other bartenders, to start on some of their closing duties. There’s two hours left, but it’s been slow, which means she might actually be finished earlier than usual.
“I can start grabbing cases and restocking for you,” I tell her before finishing off my beer.
She rests her arms on the bar and leans close to me. “You should go home and sleep. Those bags under your eyes make you look old.”
“I hear chicks dig older guys.” I shrug.
“Really? What chicks are you referring to?” She makes a show of looking around at the near empty room. George is on the far end of the bar, and another couple are on the other side.
“The only chick I care about is right in front of me.” I smirk, knowing that’ll get me an eye roll because if I mention Trace, I might get slapped upside the head.
“Are you always a smooth talker, or do you just turn it on when it suits you?” she taunts.
“Oh, always. You were just too busy being a brat to notice.”
“A brat?” She scoffs, pulling back. “You constantly picked on me!”
My face splits into a knowing grin. “Because I liked your attention.”
I see the way her cheeks tint, and I crave more of it. Before I can open my mouth again, the door opens, and we both look.
“Uncle Evan,” Rowan says, surprised to see him here this late. We both are. I notice he’s still wearing scrubs too.
“Hey, kiddo.” He gives me a firm nod when our eyes meet. “Diesel.”
“What’s up, man? You’re comin’ in late.”
He takes a seat next to me. “Just getting off a thirty-six-hour shift.”
“Geez,” Rowan says. “Want a beer?”
“Yes, please, and an inventory report when you get the chance.”
“Sure thing.”
Evan and his wife, Emily, are both doctors and work in San Angelo an hour away, but he’s always found a way to stay involved as much as he can with his hectic schedule. John handled the bar between his duties at the B&B, but now that Rowan is back for good, they’re handing her the reins.
I’m proud of her because I know how hard she worked in school. She loves numbers and accounting, which is great for staying involved in their family businesses. Though we didn’t talk much when she was away, I always