As luck would have it, Riker pulled into the church parking lot at the exact same time as his dad. He removed his helmet and ran a hand through his unruly hair before adjusting his tie. His dad and Marley got out of the King Cab truck first, followed by his brothers. They all looked shocked to see him.

His dad stepped up and gave him a tight hug and hearty pat on the back. “I’m glad you came.”

“Thanks.” He wasn’t sure what type of reception he’d get after the other night.

“Hey, Bro. Good to see you,” Gavin boomed, giving him a fist-bump. Michael just looked at him.

Riker felt bad for rising to the bait the other night. Michael was a teenager, acting out because he was frustrated that Riker hadn’t been coming around. As the adult, Riker should’ve taken the high road. Starr was right—he needed to spend some time with his brothers, especially Michael. The irony was that he and Michael were a lot alike in looks and temperament. Had he been in Michael’s shoes, he would’ve felt neglected too. He felt Marley’s gaze. When she realized he’d caught her looking, she offered a nod and hesitant smile but kept her distance, probably because she feared another blowup. That was fine with him. The less contact he had with her the better.

“Is Starr here?” his dad asked glancing around the parking lot.

“She’s meeting me here.”

A pleased smile stretched over his dad’s lips. “That’s good.” A sparkle lit his eyes. “I like her.”

“Me too,” he said, a smile forming on his lips.

“You and Starr are welcome to come over for lunch,” Marley added, hope springing in her voice.

“Thanks, but we have other plans,” Riker said quickly, rubbing a hand over his neck. Why did Marley feel the need to push the envelope?

She nodded, her eyes drooping. “Some other time then.”

“Yeah.” Riker forced a smile.

His dad shifted his feet. “I think we’ll go on inside. We’ll save you and Starr a seat.”

Riker smiled inwardly. His dad hated being late to anything. His motto was, If you’re not ten minutes early, you’re late.

“Yeah, we’ll save you a seat … smack dab in the front. Close enough for Preacher Lang to spit on your head when he talks,” Gavin teased. “The old geezer needs to get a hearing aid. He doesn’t realize his voice is ten volumes too high. When he gets going on his sermon, the saliva starts flying.”

“Hey, cut the preacher some slack,” James warned, but there was a hint of laughter in his eyes.

Riker shoved Gavin’s arm, then swiped his hair.

Gavin darted out of his reach. “Don’t be messing with the hair.”

Michael chuckled. “Gavin’s got his own little fan club on the back pew.”

Riker was surprised and relieved that Michael joined the conversation. It was starting to feel like old times. “Little brother’s picking up on chicks. Way to go.”

Gavin’s face was scarlet, but he grinned from ear to ear.

“All right, guys. Enough horsing around,” James said, linking his arm through Marley’s. He looked at Riker. “See ya inside.”

As they walked away, Riker pulled out his phone, wondering if Starr had tried to reach him. It was ten minutes past the time they were supposed to meet. His heart dropped when he saw her text. He felt frozen, looking at it. Was she trying to blow him off? She didn’t say what had come up. His pulse throbbed dully against his neck. It never even occurred to him that she might not come. His throat tightened as he swallowed. They’d been texting back and forth since yesterday. This morning, all was good.

He replied. Is everything okay?

No response.

It dawned on him that aside from her name, he knew very little about Starr. He’d tried to open a conversation about her background on the terrace, but she turned the conversation back to him. At the time, he didn’t think much about it. But now … sweat beaded across his forehead … now he realized how lax he’d been. He should’ve at least found out where she lived. When they were eating cobbler, she mentioned that she lived outside of Ft. Worth. That could mean anything.

He blew out a heavy breath, shoving the phone back into his pocket. When he heard a familiar voice, he jerked, surprised to see Trisha coming toward him.

“Hey, you.” A large smile filled her face as she embraced him. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said joyously like he’d come to see her.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Gavin told me.” She thrust out her lower lip in a petulant pout. “He said you were out here waiting for someone.”

“Yeah.” Okay, this conversation was awkward. He kept half-expecting his phone to vibrate. Hopefully, Starr would respond soon.

Trisha cocked her head, her long hair swishing on her shoulder. “Is it anyone I know?”

He could tell from the crafty look on Trisha’s face that she already knew who he was meeting. He wasn’t in the mood for her silly games. “I don’t think so,” he said casually.

She linked her arm through his, giving him a coy smile. “You owe me some fries. Maybe we can stop by Skinny Stevens after church.” Her dark eyes flashed with adoration as she looked at him like he was the best thing since sliced bread. This was over-the-top, even for Trisha.

“Sorry, but I have to leave right after church.” Maybe Starr would respond to his text. If so, he hoped to meet up with her later today. If she didn’t … He tightened his fist. Now that he’d committed to go to church, he had to follow through. After it was over, however, he planned to go back to his condo and do a Google search for Starr. If that didn’t yield anything, he’d hire a private detective. His Titan buddies were always razzing him about living so conservatively. He’d might as well put his money to good use.

Trisha ran a hand over his bicep. “You’re so tense. I could fix that, you know.”

He jerked. “Huh?”

She leaned in, her voice going sultry. “I could give you a back massage.”

“Thanks, but I’m good,” he said firmly.

She scowled. “Why’re you playing so hard to get?”

He turned to face her. No doubt about it—Trisha was a beauty. Her white cotton sundress with bold red flowers molded to her shapely figure. She had a fabulous tan, perfect makeup, and hair so glossy it would’ve made a hair-model jealous. It was obvious that she was used to getting her way with the opposite sex. There was a time when she could work her wiles on Riker, but all he could think about now was Starr—his fiery, redheaded siren. A smile quivered on his lips. Interesting that he was already thinking about Starr in terms of his.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Trisha’s brows furrowed. “You are playing hard to get, aren’t you?”

“I know you find this difficult to believe, but I’m not.”

The corners of her full lips turned down. “Then what is it?”

There was no easy way to say it. Better to just face it head on. “Look Trisha. We’re pals, with a long history. But that’s all we’ll ever be. I care about you, but not like that.”

Her face fell. “How can you say that to me?”

This was getting old fast. “I’m not telling you anything I didn’t tell you the other night at the rodeo.”

She scowled. “You mean before you went off in pursuit of that barrel racer?” Her eyes flashed with understanding. “That’s what this is about, isn’t it? Her!” Accusation coated her voice. “Admit it. You’ve got a thing for her.”

“Yes, I do,” he said simply.

She released his arm. “You kissed her, didn’t you?” Her cheeks splashed with red, nostrils flaring.

“That’s none of your business.”

Tears pooled in her eyes. “I can’t believe you’d do that to me.”

He had to fight the urge to laugh. “This isn’t about you. The two of us aren’t a couple.”

She sighed heavily like she was trying to get control of her emotions. “But we should be.” Her eyes grew pleading. “Don’t you see? We’re perfect for each other. I know you better than anyone.” She scowled. “Better than some barrel racer you only just met.”

There was no winning with Trisha. “The service has probably already started. We should get inside.”

She grunted. “What about the girl? Aren’t you waiting for her?”

“No, she’s not coming.” Despondency settled over him. Would he ever see Starr again? Surely, she’d respond back. They had a connection—something rare that didn’t come along every day. Surely, she’d felt it too.

A triumphant smile curled Trisha’s lips. “Oh, I see. The quarterback drops the ball in the first quarter.”

Irritation crawled up his neck. “Was that really necessary?”

She laughed lightly. “Oh, I’m just teasing. You’re a champion. If the barrel racer doesn’t have enough sense to realize it, then shame on her.”

“Starr’s a good person,” he countered. No way he was going to stand here and let Trisha throw Starr under the bus.

“I’m sure she’s great.” She touched his arm. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

He stayed rooted to the ground. “There’s nothing between us, Trisha.”

“Got it! We’re just friends.”

“Exactly.”

She put a hand on her hip. “From the looks of things, it seems that a friend is what you need most right now.”

He couldn’t argue with that.

She grinned. “Alrighty then. Let’s go inside.”

He blew out a deflated breath. “Fine. Let’s do it.”