The Reluctant Bride (Montana Born Brides) by Katherine Garbera

dinner with me tonight?” she asked.
    “ I’m not dressed up,” he said.
    “ We can eat here at the Diner,” she said. She sort of held her breath as he didn’t say anything, but she felt the weight of his stare from under that Stetson. Damn, how had Monty done this when he’d come to get her for breakfast? She hadn’t realized how vulnerable she’d feel asking him out and waiting to see if he’d say yes.
    She knew she still cared for him and it was only tonight, as she stood a few feet away from him, that she realized exactly how much she wanted him to say yes. She wanted him to keep chasing her. This time, though, she knew she was going to let him catch her. She needed him to catch her because the last three weeks had proven to her how much she wanted to be in his arms.

    Monty knew in a town the size of Marietta he ’d run into Risa again, and frankly he’d been hoping it would happen sooner than it had. But everything happened in the good Lord’s time, or at least that was the tale his old man had been peddling since Monty was old enough to be impatient.
    She looked good. Damned good. And he felt like he’d been sucker-punched by her once again.
    She ’d given his ring back. He’d guessed he’d made her mad when he hadn’t called, but he couldn’t keep putting himself out there and not getting anything back. He wanted to see what she’d do and being Risa, instead of calling like any other woman would have, she’d dressed to the nines and planned to surprise him tonight at the Diner.
    The playing field was even though. He wasn’t about to admit it, but he’d been late to dinner with the Scotts because he’d gone by Sweetpea Flowers with the excuse that he wanted to send a gift basket to his dad at the care home. But the shop had been closed. Who knew all his careful planning was for nothing. He could have stayed in the Diner.
    Risa had come for him.
    And he wasn’t going to give her a chance to pretend she hadn’t. That fancy dress and her hair all done. She had on make-up and looked so pretty she damn near took his breath away. He wanted to be cool and walk on by, but he never had been able to with Risa.
    She was the one woman who made all the others disappear.
    “I’m waiting,” she said. “Or is it your intention to keep us standing out here all night?”
    “ Nah, I was just thinking you look mighty dressed up for the Diner,” he said again.
    She gave him a hard stare. “What do you want me to say?”
    “ I want you to admit you dressed like this for me. To get my attention.”
    “ What if I did?” she asked, but the bravado was gone and in its place was that damned vulnerability that made him want to pull her into his arms and never let her go.
    “ Then I’d say you did a good job. Because I’m definitely noticing you.”
    She smiled at him. “I guess that’s a yes to dinner.”
    “ It certainly is,” he said, reaching around her to hold open the door to the Diner. And as they stepped inside and Lane looked up, he remembered that he’d told the boys he was going to the flower shop. They all knew he’d gone out looking for her. Something Risa didn’t know. And he wasn’t sure he wanted her to.
    He liked the feeling of being sought after.
    He shook his head at Lane. And his friend nodded. There weren’t many people in the world that Monty truly felt safe with. Men or women he knew who would always have his back. But Lane was one of them.
    He put his hand in the center of Risa ’s back and directed her toward a booth in the corner, away from the other diners. Annie noticed them and waved that she’d be right over. As he sat, he placed his hat on the bench next to himself. Risa shrugged out of her jacket and put it on the seat next to her. She let out at long sigh.
    “ Man. I didn’t think this through,” she said.
    “ You do sort of jump into things without thinking them through,” he replied. He’d seen her do it often enough. It wasn’t just saying yes to