Not the outcome he desired, but not altogether disagreeable.
Although Mattie had hinted at jealousy, he couldn’t believe a woman as pretty as she was would fret over a girl half his age. Especially one that bore an uncanny resemblance to Mattie’s sister Jenna.
The thought of the dark-haired girl reminded Gil of the complications he would face if a romantic relationship with Mattie developed. Was she worth the risk? Would she understand his past?
He cleared his throat, and Mattie lifted her head from the gelding’s neck. She turned and for a brief second her anxiety went unmasked. Then she quickly forced a smile, but her eyes lacked their usual luster.
“I thought I’d find you here.” At his words, Mattie’s beagle came rushing toward him, its pointed tail whipping back and forth. He bent down to rub the pup, and it rolled over onto its side. “Have you decided about this weekend?”
Mattie kicked at the ground with her boot and nodded. “I can’t go with you.”
His jaw stiffened. Even though he’d anticipated that answer, he wasn’t prepared for the ache it caused in his chest. “Can’t or won’t?”
She turned to Dusty. “Why don’t you ask your dad to go? Maybe you could work out some of your problems.”
Gil scoffed at this idea. “You know he’d never agree. He hates football, and he hates even more that I played.”
Mattie shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt to try.”
“Your mind’s made up, then?” Gil stopped scratching the pup’s stomach and stood. He wanted to run from this humiliation, turn, leave, and never come back. He’d been smart to avoid women all these years. Women were nothing but trouble. “Does this mean you don’t want anything to do with me?”
Again, she shrugged. Gil studied the slope of her back, the gentle curve of her waist. How could she give up so easily? A part of him wanted to yank her long braid like a schoolboy, but that thought led to a stronger inclination to loosen her woven hair with his fingers and kiss her into submission.
“I thought we had a good thing started. That we were growing closer.”
“We hardly know each other,” she said without meeting his eyes.
“I know you, Mattie. I can see through you from where I stand.”
She straightened, but still refused to look at him.
“You may not want to acknowledge that there’s something between us, Mattie, but I know better. I’ve heard it in your voice when you’ve called my name, and I’ve felt it in your touch.” He turned on his heel, tired of the trouble, then glanced back one last time.
“I can’t force you to join me, so I’ll go to my retirement party — alone. When I return, though, you’d better be ready to finish this conversation.”
LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON, MATTIE ENTERED CLARA’S CAFÉ AND leaned on the counter.
“What brings you to town?” Clara carried a pot of coffee and poured Mattie a cup.
“I was out on a call and figured I’d grab a bite to eat before going home.” Mattie studied the menu, though she’d memorized it by heart.
“Is everything okay? You look like you lost your best friend. Don’t tell me — you didn’t lose another patient, did you?”
Mattie shook her head. “Work is fine.” She stared at the list of food options until the words started to blur.
“Hey, what’s going on?” Clara snatched the menu from the counter and held it in her hand. “If it’s not business, it must be a man. How is Gil?”
Mattie peeked up at Clara, amazed at her friend’s ability to read her mind. “I wouldn’t know. He left this morning for California.”
“What about his dad’s ranch? Wasn’t he in the middle of fence work?”
“His team’s throwing him a retirement party. But I don’t care whether he returns. It’d probably be better if he didn’t.”
“I thought you two were getting along? Didn’t you go look at horses with him a couple weeks ago?”
Mattie’s eyes started to sting as they’d done all day whenever she let her mind drift to her relationship with Gil. She rested her forehead on the counter and brushed at the tears before Clara had a chance to see. “He asked me to go to California with him.”
She raised her head. “Shoot, he asked me to work for him there.”
Clara grabbed her dishrag and wiped circles on the counter. “What did you tell him?”
“No, on both counts.”
The circles stopped. “You don’t seem too happy with your decision.”
Mattie’s discomfort grew. “He wanted to show me the property he intends to buy — tempt me