Page 75 of Rancher's Return

But for some reason she was burned right into him. His appreciation for her beauty was branded into his soul and he couldn’t seem to do a thing about it.

“What were you picking up in Portland?” she asked.

He was about to answer when the waitress came over. “Drinks?”

“Diet Coke,” she said.

“Is Pepsi okay?”

He watched her chew her bottom lip. “Sure...”

He could tell it wasn’t.

“Water is fine,” he said.

The waitress was clearly annoyed that he would be a cheap bill. A lot of times people saw him in his ranch gear and expected him to start ordering beer. But Buck didn’t drink, and given Colton’s own background and the issues his birth mother had with substances, he’d always thought it was better to go ahead and abstain.

Before the waitress could clear out, he stopped her. “I think we’re ready. I just want a clam chowder and a fish-and-chips.”

“Me too,” Lily said.

The waitress nodded and walked away.

“I think she might spit in the food,” he said.

“Why?”

“I think she’s annoyed her tip isn’t going to be as big as it might be if we were drinking alcohol.”

“Oh,” Lily said. “I don’t think so. I think she’s just busy.”

Lily had a kinder view of the world than he did. But she always had. She just hadn’t lived the kind of life he had. Not that she’d had it easy. Her dad hadn’t been in the picture or anything when she was growing up. She’d had a kind of stability he hadn’t, though.

“Sure,” he said.

The waitress returned a moment later with their drinks and with two bowls of clam chowder. She’d given him two bags of oyster crackers so maybe Lily was right and she wasn’t mad.

Double oyster crackers was a pretty nice gesture.

Lily only had one bag.

She opened it up and poured her oyster crackers into her soup and stared at his extra bag.

“I was wrong,” he said. “She thinks I’m cute.”

She let out a harsh breath. “Oh sure.”

“Women like me, Lily.”

“Yeah, I know.” She held his gaze for a beat, and it felt loaded. “So, why were you in Portland?”

“Picking up some supplies. I got a good deal on materials.”

“For what?”

“As it happens, I’m getting chickens.”

She frowned. “Why?”