Page 214 of Tessa and Nash

But the decision doesn’t come right away. There’s no applause, no declarations of support. The council huddles in quiet whispers, but no one moves to vote.

And then the meeting adjourns without a word.

Tessa and I exchange a glance. It’s not over, not yet, but it’s the first step, the only one that matters.

We walk out of the building side by side, and I don’t know if I’m relieved or just stunned. But there’s a lightness in the air between us now. We’ve finally crossed some kind of line.

When we’re out in the parking lot, I open the truck door for her. She gives me that look, half curiosity, half skepticism, and I can’t help but grin.

“Well, we don’t have an answer yet,” she says with a one-shouldered shrug. “But that’s a start, right? A step in the right direction.”

“Such a step, that I think we need to go out…” I smirk as I start the engine. “On our first real date.”

She gasps. “You sure that is a good idea, McCoy?”

“Just trust me.”

She raises an eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but there’s a smile on her lips that makes my chest tighten. “You know, I’ve learned to be suspicious of anything you say that starts with ‘trust me.’”

“Trust me, I’m full of good ideas.”

I laugh, taking a turn down a narrow path, the truck rumbling beneath us. “I’m taking you somewhere nice. A secret spot, just the two of us.”

She eyes me sideways, skepticism written all over her face. “Uh huh. And how long have you been planning this ‘secret spot’?”

I glance at her, grinning wide. “A couple of days. You’re worth the wait, Tessa.”

She rolls her eyes, but there’s a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “You’re something else, you know that?”

“Yep, all charm, no shame.” I wink at her, feeling lighter with every passing second.

I pull up to the McCoy Ranch, but to what I hope will become my part of it. Where my guest ranch will be. I park outside the guest house, the one I’ve been doing up before this plan even came to fruition in my mind.

The one that started all of these plans.

She sits, still eyeing the setup. Candlelight flickering in the wind, the firepit casting soft shadows against the house walls. “I’m impressed. I didn’t think you had it in you. What’s the catch?”

I laugh, closing the door behind her. “There’s no catch. Just good food, wine, and⁠—”

“Your charm?” she cuts in, teasing me.

“Exactly.” I pull her chair out for her, grinning. “But mainly, it’s about us. Finally, no performance. No pretending.”

She raises an eyebrow, glancing around, clearly impressed despite herself. “You really went all out with this, didn’t you?”

“You’ve got to admit, I’m full of surprises,” I say, feeling a warmth spread in my chest from the way she’s looking at me. “Good ones, right?”

Tessa crosses her arms and looks at me, a smirk playing at her lips. “You know, you’re getting dangerously good at this romantic thing. I might actually start to believe you know what you’re doing.”

I lean against the table, my grin widening. “I’ve been practicing.”

She takes her seat, and I sit across from her, the flickering candlelight casting shadows over her face. There’s a peacefulness about this, about being here with her.

I pour wine into our glasses, taking a sip before I speak again.

“I know it’s been one hell of a day,” I start, studying her closely, “but I thought you deserved a night to breathe.”

She swirls the wine in her glass, eyes on me. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that we’re actually here, doing this. Not pretending to be engaged in some awkward town council meeting.”