Almost in Love by Kylie Gilmore Read Free Book Online

slipped off her heels. She lost four inches without the shoes, reaching the middle of his chest. He was six foot, so most women were shorter than him, but Amber was so petite he just wanted to scoop her up and spin her around for the hell of it. He forced himself to keep his hands in his pockets. He knew he could get carried away sometimes.
    He grinned. “You’re a tiny thing without your heels.”
    “I’m five foot two.”
    “That’s below average for a woman,” he said.
    “Gee, thanks. I love being below average. Would you also like to comment on my age or my weight?”
    He squinted at her. “Twenty-five and one hundred pounds?”
    She shook her head. “Twenty-eight and, yeah, let’s go with that weight.”
    “I wasn’t supposed to answer that, was I?”
    She laughed. “I forgive you because you guessed in a complimentary direction.”
    He wiped his brow dramatically. “Close one. I’ve got you beat by three years and a lot of heavy muscle.” He flexed his biceps, which were nothing to write home about.
    She giggled. He loved that she laughed at his jokes. So few did.
    They walked along the beach in comfortable silence. Amber stopped, facing the water, and took a deep breath in and out. He watched her more than the sea because she was infinitely more beautiful.
    She turned to him suddenly and smiled. “Thanks for bringing me here. It was nice.”
    “I wasn’t sure…” He trailed off as she stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.
    She smiled up at him. “What’s next?”
    A kiss on the lips was the next natural progression, but did she want a warning before he went for it or—
    “You’re thinking awfully hard,” she said with a grin. “Is there more to this date or just the beach?”
    He shook his head. “Oh, I thought…yes, there’s more.” He nodded once. “Ready to go?”
    “I’m ready.”
    He held out his arm and led her back to where he parked, thinking he could get used to the feel of Amber on his arm. Next stop—The Dancing Cow!
    ~ ~ ~
    Amber was nothing if not open-minded. So, okay, the birding thing was a little unusual for a date, but she could roll with it. Still, when Bare brought her to The Dancing Cow, she began to wonder why she’d agreed to this date. She was okay with the lime green melamine tables, pink cushioned chairs, and long counter with bright yellow stools, even though it was a little glaring on the neon end of the color wheel. Farm scenes of green hills with cows on the walls—also okay.
    Serving herself a bowl of peach yogurt covered in Oreos for a late breakfast—cool.
    Bare ditching her in the middle of his busy shop full of cheerful families with little kids—not cool.
    It was near noon, and since she still hadn’t eaten, she settled at the long counter with her fro-yo and wondered what kind of guy brings a date to his fro-yo shop and then leaves her to eat alone with a quick, “I have to take care of something in the back.”
    Was he ever coming back? She was halfway through her fro-yo. She waved to a family she knew from Clover Park Elementary, where she taught art. If Bare wanted to work, she could just go home. But then she found out why he’d disappeared. And it was much worse than sitting alone eating fro-yo surrounded by cheerful families.
    The lights started flashing, and a disco ball spun. And then, hand to God, Bare appeared doing an Irish jig in a cow costume right there in the center of the store. She nearly fell off her stool laughing.
    He handed her a pair of black-rimmed glasses with huge blue eyes on the lenses that blinked when you moved them. “Hope you’re having a moo-tastic date,” he said with a smile.
    “Uh…”
    He didn’t wait around for her response. This was by far the weirdest date she’d ever been on. He danced around the shop, giving out glasses to all the kids. She set the glasses on the table. Several parents looked over at her with a nod and a smile. What was he saying about her? Her cheeks heated. She had to