Page 46 of Rancher's Return

Yet, he had proven he was safe.

They wanted the same things. He was investing in her business. They had a connection that transcended sex, but sex was an equally strong connection. And neither of them wanted it to be romantic. Today hadn’t been romantic.

She paused again.

“Mom?”

She snapped back to reality for the second time in just a few moments. She had forgotten that her first jolt was the door closing, which meant Lily was home.

“I’m in here,” she said.

“I wanted to go to Colton’s house for dinner tonight?”

“Sure,” she said.

“You don’t have to come,” Lily said.

And that made Marigold feel sort of hurt. Also, she wanted to see Buck. Which was silly.

She tried to smile. “Okay. I won’t. That’s fine.”

“Are you okay?” Lily asked as she made her way over to the fridge, opened it and took out a sparkling water. She popped the top on the can and stared at Marigold suspiciously.

“I’m very okay,” she said.

“Good. Glad to hear it.”

“Well. I hope you enjoy dinner at Colton’s. Did you talk to Buck about it?”

“I don’t know. Colton did.”

As if on cue, Marigold’s phone rang. Buck’s name appeared on the screen, and her heart tried to race up her esophagus and out of her mouth.

“Hi,” she said, answering the phone almost immediately. Lily was staring at her.

“Hey,” he said, his voice soft as velvet, like hands against her skin. She shivered. She looked at Lily out of the side of her eye and then studied the celery she was chopping. “Lily tells me she wants to come to your place for dinner?”

“Yeah. I know I have those great prepared meals but I was thinking of grabbing a pizza for the kids to throw in the oven, and maybe you and I could go have dinner somewhere else so we aren’t overrun by teenagers.”

“Yeah. That sounds good.”

“I’ll come get you after Lily arrives at my place.”

“Okay. See you then.”

“What was that?” Lily asked.

“Oh, Buck just thought maybe it would be more fun if you guys were at the house by yourselves. I mean, with Reggie and Marcus, obviously. We aren’t leaving you in the house alone.”

“Oh,” Lily said.

“He and I are going to go have dinner somewhere else. It’s not a date.”

She felt her face getting pink.

“Mom,” Lily said. “You’re blushing.”

“I don’t think I am,” she said.