Page 3 of The Fear (The Hillers of Barratt County #7)

It had been a nice evening, Hala decided, as Luis drove her to Aubrey’s after they’d finished dinner. But the heat just really wasn’t there. He was a perfectly nice guy, she just…when he got close to her, she just didn’t feel it.

Still, she thanked him nicely. But she wasn’t going to go out with him again.

At least…not unless it was a ‘just friends’ kind of thing.

Worry about how she was going to convey that to him without being a total jerk about it had her silent.

And…he was her boss at the elementary school.

That could present a problem. Her stomach tightened with nerves.

“I had a good time tonight,” Luis said. “I think it was good for us to get to know each other a bit better. Before the school year ends, anyway. I’d love to do it again sometime.”

She bit her bottom lip. This was why she still struggled to date. Communication was such a big thing for her. “I…had a good time tonight too, but I’m really not in a good place to think about dating right now.”

“I can understand that. I’m open to the idea, if you ever are,” he said, after a moment. “And we can always keep it just friends.”

Just like that. No pushing. No anger. Just calm acceptance. He really was a nice guy. Maybe Greer should date him? “That works for me, Luis. And thanks. Dating at all really isn’t easy for me.”

“I can understand that, too.” His look told her he remembered. Of course he did, his sister Larena was her friend, too. Practically everyone in Value remembered. “I remember what happened.”

Hala just nodded. Words weren’t necessary. Small towns had their drawbacks. Everyone remembering every bad thing that had happened to someone else was just a part of it. “Thanks. I just want to focus on settling in at the school. Focus on my career for a while.”

It had taken her a few extra years to get her teaching degree. She’d lost her parents shortly before graduating high school and starting college. It had taken her a while to get in the groove of things with college after that. But she hadn’t been alone.

She’d had the Hillers. And she’d had Hudson.

Greer had been at FCU, too. That had helped. Now Hala had her own apartment, she was in her first full-time position as a kindergarten teacher at the Value Elementary, and she was going to build her future.

Without things to distract her.

And no more dating for a while. It was just far too stressful.

She was just glad Luis was such an understanding man. “I like the idea of just friends. I think that’s all I’m going to be ready for, for a long while.”

“And if you ever change your mind, I’m right here,” he said, as he pulled into Aubrey and Ayla’s drive.

She could see lights in the windows. Friends were waiting for her, and they’d drive her back to the ranch tonight.

Where they’d probably all dissect every minute of Hala’s first date in almost four years.

It had been a good date, too.

Too bad she felt the way she did. Unlike Grady Hiller, this man wasn’t a total bonehead at all.