Tea and a Cowboy by Alys Murray

Author:Alys Murray [Murray, Alys]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cowboy, romance, ranch, tea, retro, The Wild Rose Press, Ridgewood Ranch, sweet,
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2019-03-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The date was going well. Really, it was. Shockingly well, in fact. Bridgette couldn’t believe the lengths Cliff had gone to.

When he’d arrived at the shop, where she lived in a tiny alcove above the tea room, nothing fancy, but perfect for her, not only did he knock on the door instead of sending an I’m outside text, he also brought her flowers. Flowers, for goodness’ sake. The same token of affection he once called “overpriced weeds.” From there, things only grew more intense, more gentlemanly. Car doors opened for her. The radio played smooth jazz. Her dress received endless compliments.

Now, they were sitting at Le Place, the satellite restaurant of a supposedly famous San Francisco chef. No one in Calista had heard of him until he arrived and set up shop, but most of them begrudgingly conceded it was good for the town if people thought their real estate was desired by the big city elites.

Le Place was the picture of rustic glamour. Wire statues cast fuzzy shadows along the dim walls. Candles flickered in their wine-bottle candleholders. As the menu changed every day, depending on what could be locally sourced, there were no individual food lists, just one written on a massive chalkboard mounted above the bar. There was no music, just the quiet hum of conversation and tinkling of wine glasses. Beautiful people spoke in hushed tones with even more beautiful people, trying to casually outdo one another with their effortful effortlessness. Everything was perfect. Polite. Beautiful. Delicate.

And mind-numbingly dull.

“I’m afraid to touch anything,” she whispered, glancing up at Cliff from under the lines of her thick, black mascara.

In the wardrobe they had assembled at the mall two days ago, he could not have been more handsome. At least, in her estimation. She tried not to think about their little shopping spree, but the tickling feeling of his approval still hadn’t quite left her since she strutted out in front of him in those ridiculous shorts. After a lifetime of knowing this cowboy, she understood he wasn’t the kind of man who just doled out compliments to make people feel better. For one brief and real moment, someone besides her thought she was beautiful. And not just any someone, but the one someone she wanted to love above all of the rest.

“Do you speak French?” he asked.

“No, why?”

“Because the entire menu’s in French.”

Like a conjured ghost, a tall man with shock-white hair materialized beside their table, holding a computer tablet in his hands instead of a notebook.

“Good evening. My name’s Blayze. I’ll be your server for this evening.”

The waiter’s name was also embroidered on his starched white shirt in purple thread. Someone with a name so ridiculous used to be prime Cliff taunting territory. Would he take the bait?

“Tonight, we’re featuring a deconstructed lobster bisque. Off the menu, we’re also offering octopops topped with grape skin cracker and cheese froth.”

Blayze spoke exclusively in dulcet, understated tones, almost like the too-calm serial killer in the last horror movie Bridgette stayed up too late watching.

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