Shay hated that her vocal chords had frozen. Her brain, seemingly, too. Still, she felt like she was sifting through information so fast that she couldn’t get a coherent thought to form into a word.

“I bailed you out last time,” Austin said. “So this awkward silence isn’t bothering me.” He turned onto the road and pressed on the accelerator. Said nothing.

Shay’s world narrowed to just this moment in this ritzy truck. A deep breath helped settle her thoughts. “I was a tomboy growing up,” she said. “I’m sure that’s not a surprise. I wasn’t planning on going into the Army, but I’ve always loved working on motors and machines.”

“So why did you go into the Army?”

A flash of regret bolted through Shay. How many questions would she have to endure during this date?

Relax, she told herself. This was what people did when they dated. They got to know each other. They talked. Shared important and intimate details of their lives.

“My mother had just passed away,” she said quietly. “The ranch felt…too small without her on it. Or too big. Or something.” All she knew was she couldn’t stay there. She looked out the window, wishing she’d scooted all the way across the bench seat so she could steal from his strength while she spoke.

“So I enlisted and I left.”

“Did you like serving in the Army?”

“You know what?” She looked at him and twirled a lock of her hair around her fingers. “I did.”

He looked like he was going to ask another question. Instead, he closed his mouth and smiled. A cute, mischievous little smile that made her ache to run her hand along that bearded jaw and feel the joy radiating from him.

“So your turn,” she said. “Tell me something about you that I don’t know.”

Austin’s smile turned into a smirk. “I really hate mushrooms, and I’m terrified of snakes.”

Shay half-snorted, half-laughed. “Snakes, huh? And you own a ranch in Hill Country?”

“I put on anti-snake cologne.” He laughed, the sound of his made of pure happiness. She wanted to bottle the sound and listen to it whenever her anger started spiraling out of control. Not to mention the scent of his cologne….

“Right.” She nodded. “It sure smells nice for simply warding off serpents.”

A beat of silence passed before he said, “You think I smell nice?”

“Divine,” she said before she could censor herself. A blip of embarrassment flew through her. “I mean—”

“No,” he said, a twinkle in his expression. “You like how I smell.” He leaned closer as if Shay couldn’t already smell the musk and sandalwood and mint. Was that mint? “Just own it.”

“All right.” Shay chuckled too, relaxing further into the leather seat. “I’ll own that.”

“Just like I think you’re beautiful.”

Shay basked in the warmth blooming through her. The drive into town passed in the blink of an eye, something Shay had never thought possible. While she’d loved living out at Triple Towers, the drive into town had never been her favorite.

But with Austin, she could drive for hours.

“So where is this place?” he asked when they reached the outskirts of town.

“It’s right downtown. Turn right.”

Austin complied and took them downtown. “I’ve never seen this place.” He scanned both sides of the street and then looked at her helplessly. “Help me out.”

“It’s down the alley up there.” She pointed up to the right. “Like a legit soup kitchen.”

“Down the alley?” Austin eased to the side of the road, finding a parking spot easily enough because it was Monday night. “What kind of place is this?”

“It’s a Soup Kitchen.” Shay reached for the door handle. “C’mon, cowboy. Are you nervous?”

“To go down a dark alley? Yeah.”

Shay laughed and got out of the truck. He met her at the front bumper, his eyes still warily watching the mouth of the alley. “Oh, come on, Austin. I’ll keep you safe.” She linked her arm through his and strolled down the sidewalk.

He moved easily with her, and Shay really liked this feeling flowing through her. She couldn’t quite identify it, didn’t know how to quantify it, but she didn’t want it to end. He made her feel stronger than she normally did. More feminine than she’d ever felt.

She steered him down the alley, and he slowed. “There’s literally no sign or anything.”

“It’s right down there. See that patch of light?” A rectangle of yellow light fell onto the concrete, and the door opened. A pair of women spilled out, giggling, and Austin relaxed beside her.

“See?” She tucked him closer to her as both females locked their eyes onto him. Then her. She pinned a smile on her face and kept walking. She didn’t recognize either woman, but that wasn’t saying much. After all, she’d left town for a decade and then sequestered herself on the ranch.

“Hey, Austin,” one of them—a brunette—drawled, drawing a giggle from the other one.

“Oh, hey, Karla.” He sounded sort of surprised and sort of like it really was nice to see her. A wave of jealousy and uncertainty clouded Shay’s thoughts.

She pushed against it. Austin was a nice guy. So he’d said hello. It meant nothing.

He slowed and stopped and faced the two women. “I’m sorry,” he said, sounding truly sorry. “But I don’t know you.” He had his eyes on the blonde woman at the same time he casually tightened his arm against his body, keeping Shay right beside him.

“This is Pearl,” Karla, the brunette said. She had a pretty, heart-shaped face, and Shay wondered how Austin knew her.

“And this is Shayleigh Hatch,” he said. “Do you know her?”

“Oh, sure,” Pearl said, her voice as squeaky as a cartoon chipmunk’s. “From out at Triple Towers.”

Shay felt like someone had splashed ice water in her face. It dripped onto her chest, making her cold everywhere. She sucked in a breath as Austin said something she didn’t catch. They talked, all of them, and she stood there, wondering how people would know who she was now that she didn’t actually own the ranch anymore.

Come June, who would she be? Oh, sure. Shay from…. Who are you again?

Shay became aware of Austin gently tugging on her arm, and her feet stumbled to move with him. He opened the door to the Soup Kitchen, and a happy buzz of chatter and the scent of cream and mushrooms and chicken broth hit her hard enough to break her out of the stupor she’d fallen into.

“You okay?” Austin asked, gazing at her. With her heels, he only had two inches on her, and she nodded.

“Yeah. I’m okay.” But was she? Shay wasn’t sure.

Something flickered in Austin’s eyes. Something that said he knew the exchange in the alley had upset her, but he wasn’t sure why, and he wasn’t sure if he should ask right now. He didn’t, thankfully, and instead turned his attention toward the huge menu board that spanned the entire back wall of the store.

“Oh boy,” he said. “I had no idea soup could be this intense.”

She sighed, releasing some of the negativity and worry that had built in her system. She didn’t want to concern herself with the future. Not tonight. No, tonight was about her and Austin, so Shay forced herself to look at the menu too.

“They have chili,” she said, pointing to one of the left sections.

“Mm, I love chili.” He lifted the arm she’d kept in her possession since meeting him at the front of the truck and slid it around her waist. The movement was slow, almost seeking her permission. A trail of fire erupted along the path he touched, and Shay found herself relaxing into his half-embrace.

“Are you really okay?” he asked, his voice a mere murmur with all the hubbub around them. “Because we can go somewhere else. Or back to the ranch. Whatever you want.” His lips landed on her temple, and Shay wanted nothing more than to be wherever he was.

She had no idea how to deal with her feelings. She’d never let a man as far into her life as Austin had already gotten, and it was only their first date.

“I like the potato and sausage bisque,” she said, her voice wobbly. How would he react when she told him things were over between them?

Relationships end in one of two ways, she told herself, the lessons she’d learned in her life flowing through her mind like hot lava. Marriage, or a break-up. And she knew that marriage wasn’t an option for her.

So why was she even here with him, in her favorite restaurant, letting him hold her and kiss her? How had she allowed this to happen?

An inexplicable anger sprouted in her soul, expanding fast, faster, the longer she stood there, the longer Austin studied the menu, waiting for her to make a decision and tell him what to do.

In desperation, Shay did the only thing she could. The only option she could think of to slow this fury before she ruined everything.

She prayed.

Help me, Lord. She seized onto the prayer. I like this man, and I don’t want to hurt him. I need my job at the ranch, and if I’m cruel to him, he can dismiss me.

She pressed her eyes closed. Help me.

“Mac and cheese chicken soup?” Austin asked, his voice incredulous. It also sounded very far away from Shay, though the remnant of his minty breath wafted across Shay’s cheekbone.

She turned as if in slow motion to look at him. As soon as her eyes met his, everything snapped into place. She twisted against him so she could lift her hand and trace her fingers down his beard, as she’d fantasized about earlier.

He froze, but his eyes were so alive. Sparking and dancing and searching hers. She had so many things to say in that moment. I really like you.

I don’t want to hurt you.

I’m not the marrying type.

I don’t want to get hurt.

But I really, really like you.

She said, “You should try it. It’s really good.”

“You’ve had it?” He somehow made talking about soup feel like they were exchanging trade secrets.

“I think I’ve had them all,” she said.

He leaned into her palm, which still rested against his cheek. “What’s goin’ on with you?”

She dropped her hand back to her side, but she couldn’t look away from him. “I don’t know.” It was at least eighty percent true.

“Did I do something to upset you?”

Of course he had. He’d bought her ranch. Shown up all devilishly handsome, with those innocent blue eyes and that stunning cowboy hat. He’d worked hard every day since arriving at Triple Towers, grown out a beard to cover his baby face, making himself twice as handsome and four times as attractive to Shay.

He had a magnetic personality that had seized onto her heart and refused to let go for six long months. He attended church every week, and now he’d infiltrated her anger management classes too. She had no defense against him, and all of it irritated her.

And yet, there she stood, close enough to his body to feel the heat, his hand firm against her back, indicating he’d like her closer if they weren’t in a public place.

“I’m a mess,” Shay mumbled. “I don’t know what I’m doing here.” She’d never spoken so honestly about anything before.

A couple of people moved around them, joining the line to order their meals. Shay felt eyes watching them, and she didn’t care.

“Do you want to go?” he asked, his face falling.

Shay considered the option. Then she said, “No, we’re here. Let’s eat.” She stepped out of his embrace, her body instantly cold. A shiver passed through her. Couldn’t she enjoy one date with him?

He followed her to join the queue, kept his hands in his pockets now, and said, “So you’ll never guess who’s coming for Christmas.”

“Who?” Shay kept her eyes on the menu board, though she knew what she wanted.

“My mother,” he said. “And her boyfriend.”

Shay spun to look at him, the dryness in his tone obvious. “You’re kidding.”

“I wish.” A dark look crossed his face like a thundercloud obscuring the sun. It only stayed for a moment, and then the gloriousness of his light shone through his eyes again.

He nodded, that cowboy hat making him so beautiful it hurt Shay just to look at him. “Your turn to order, sweetheart.”

She turned away from him, sweetheart reverberating in her mind. She generally loathed it when a man called her that, taking it as a derogatory term meant to make her feel inferior. But when Austin said it, she felt like his sweetheart, like he said it because he treasured her, held her close to his heart.

As she put in her order, she knew she was in real danger with this man. The very real danger of falling in love with him. The danger of breaking her heart. The danger of breaking his.