Dance with Me (Cowboys of Crested Butte 2)

“Come on, time to move on to our next stop.” He took her by the hand and pulled her toward the tailgate. He lifted her off and carried her back to the passenger door.

“Billy, what are you doing?”

“This way I get to hold you a little longer.”

“You can hold me as long as you want, Billy. We could—”

“Nope. I’ve got a plan and I’m stickin’ with it. I don’t care how hard you try to tempt me into doin’ somethin’ else.”

The way she smiled at him though, he wanted to drive back to Ben’s house, and take her straight to bed, but that wasn’t what tonight was

all about.

Instead, he drove into town, and parked in front of a little cabin on a side street.

Renie immediately recognized where they were. It was one of the most romantic restaurants in Crested Butte. It didn’t look as though they were open though.

Once again Billy came around and opened her door. He took her hand and led her to the front door of the cabin. When he opened it, she gasped.

The entire dining area was awash in candlelight. One table was set, in the center of the room. The rest of the tables were bare, except for tablecloths.

“Wow,” she murmured. “It’s so beautiful.”

A man Renie didn’t recognize greeted them at the door. “Welcome, Mr. Patterson. Thank you for joining us this evening. Mademoiselle?”

He led them to the table, and before he could pull out Renie’s chair for her, Billy stepped in front of him, and did it himself. The man stepped back and smiled.

When Billy sat down, the man disappeared into the back.

“Who is that?” she asked him.

“That’s Raj. You’ve never met him?”

“I know Jason, but I’ve never seen Raj before.”

The sous chef rarely came out of the kitchen, but Renie was happy to be able to put a face with the name. Jason, the head chef, was more often the face of the team renowned in the valley for their superb cuisine.

Renie noticed the wine glasses on the table had already been poured. She took a sip. It was the same wine they’d been drinking before.

She looked around. “Are we here alone tonight?” You couldn’t get into the restaurant without a reservation, and they were usually booked weeks in advance.

“Tonight? Yes, we are.”

“Why?”

“Because I requested it.”

He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “Look at me. There’s another promise I want to make you.”

He waited until he was sure he had her attention, and she was looking in his eyes, listening.

“I promise that I will always listen to you, even when you aren’t talking.”

“Billy—”

He picked up her wine glass and handed it to her, before picking his up and touching it to hers. “Forever, Renie—I promise.”

Jason came out from the back with their first course.