Taming A Fortune: A House Full of Fortunes!. Allison Leigh

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       Chapter Nine

      As Toby’s pickup headed down the county road that led to the Double H Ranch, Angie bit down on her bottom lip and stared out the windshield. It was the first time they’d actually been alone, and for some reason they both seemed to be at a loss for words.

      Sure, they’d had a few stolen moments before, but this was different. There were no children to worry about walking in on them, no job to hustle out to, no errands to run.

      It was just the two of them.

      The silence in the cab was almost overwhelming, and if that weren’t enough, Angie’s heart was zipping through her chest, racing around as if it wanted to beat her and Toby back to his place.

      But then what? Things were sure to be more awkward there.

      Would he tell her good-night the minute they got out of the truck? Or would he invite her into the house?

      He hadn’t uttered a word since they’d left, so she had no idea what he was thinking. But whenever she stole a glance across the seat, the expression he wore suggested that he felt just as on edge and nervous as she did.

      She’d like to put him—or rather both of them—at ease, but she was so far out of her element that she didn’t know where to begin.

      What she could really use was an icebreaker, but she couldn’t seem to come up with anything clever to say or do. So she just sank into the leather passenger seat, trying to keep her eyes off the handsome rancher who’d been captivating her thoughts more and more each day.

      When they finally turned down his drive and neared the ranch house, she spotted her car parked right where she’d left it. The old Toyota looked a little sad and lonely sitting there, and Angie was going to feel the same way if she drove off in it.

      Think, girl. Say something.

      “So,” she finally said, the sound of her voice breaking into the silence. “What are you going to do with an evening all to yourself?”

      At that, Toby turned, glanced across the seat at her and smiled. “It’s been so long since I’ve had a night without the kids that I have no idea.”

      Angie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and tossed him a carefree grin. “Then if I were you, I’d turn on the TV, choose a channel that doesn’t play cartoons and eat ice cream straight from the container.”

      Toby shut off the ignition. In the dim light of the cab, she caught a glimmer in his eyes and a flirtatious tilt in his smile.

      Now there went a definite zing.

      He stretched his arm across the seat, and his smile deepened. “If you were me, would you invite someone in to watch television and help you eat the rest of the chocolate ice cream?”

      “Actually, that’s exactly what I’d do. But instead of the ice cream, I’d offer her wine because she probably avoided anything alcoholic at the barbecue for fear she’d slip and say something that your sisters might misconstrue. But I’d also promise to let her control the remote.”

      Toby laughed. “The wine, I can do. But I’m pretty territorial about my remote.”

      Not bad for an icebreaker, huh?

      Angie smiled, then reached for the door handle and let herself out of the truck. They walked together to the porch, and when Toby opened the front door for her and flipped on the light switch, she stepped inside.

      The house was quieter than it had ever been, at least since she’d started coming to visit. Only now, the solitude made things awkward again. Without the kids around to act as buffers, she and Toby had to face each other and whatever they were feeling.

      He led her to the kitchen, where he opened the fridge and pulled out the bottle of wine for her and a longneck beer for him.

      “I had a lot of fun tonight,” she said, as she removed a goblet from the cabinet. “Your family knows how to have a good time. And they’re down-to-earth.”

      “If by ‘down-to-earth,’ you mean ‘meddling,’ then, yes. They are.” Toby filled her glass. After popping the top off his drink, he leaned against the counter in a sexy cowboy slant.