“I wouldn’t have guessed after you told me how Tom Hicks donated the land out here to build an elementary school,” she quipped.
He blushed, which was cute and made her want him that much more. He was fun and easy to tease, and she could tell that family meant a lot to him, which made it harder for her to probe for information about Keith even though they’d agreed not to discuss him. She didn’t want him to betray his uncle—unless of course Keith had done something suspect.
Which right now no one could seem to prove.
Every one of her nieces and nephews just didn’t like Keith and thought there was something off about him. Ava had moved out of his place, and that should have pacified them, but it hadn’t. Which was making her think that there might be more to their suspicions than just irritation at Keith for swooping in so soon after Trent had died.
“So I guess I was gushing.”
“Yeah, just a bit,” she said, “but I like it. I would love to go to that football game with you.”
“Good. And we have the gala for Habitat. It seems to me we might be dating,” he said.
“Do we have to put a label on it?” she asked, but secretly she liked the sound of that. Dating. She’d be part of a couple and not the odd person at the table. Which she had been for the last few months, as it seemed everyone except her had a significant other.
“No, I don’t need a label. I just wanted to make sure you knew I was thinking about us in a serious way.”
“How serious?” she asked. A part of her was afraid to let him in. She’d seen her own strong sister disappear inside of Ava’s complicated relationship with Keith. Was there something about Cooper men that was overwhelming? Manipulative? Could she be getting in over her head with this hot, sexy man?
“Not too serious. This is only our first date,” he said.
His answer was perfect. Again, was he just saying the right things to win her over? What would he want from her? Actually, she couldn’t imagine a man who was better for what she needed than Brian. He was young and fun. The kind of guy who wasn’t looking for more than a few nights in her bed. And that made her cautious. Brian was good at reading people; she’d read about that in an article that had profiled him the previous year. It was one of the skills that made him so good in the courtroom. Was he reading her now?
She shook her head, took another sip of her sauvignon blanc and refused to let her niggling doubts ruin her evening with him. Even if they were dating, it was casual. They weren’t going to ever get serious, or at least not right away. She was a wise goddess, she reminded herself.
“Do you date a lot?” she asked curiously.
“I do my fair share,” he said. “But I haven’t been serious about anyone since I graduated law school. I have been too busy trying to get my career going.”
She could see that. Brian seemed to her the type of man who wanted to give his all to everything he did, be it career or relationship. She took another sip of her wine and realized she was almost done with her second glass. The older she’d gotten, the easier it had become to drink more wine than she intended. She set her glass aside and reached for her water.
“And what about you? Do you date a lot?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Not really. My relationships tend to be more like this one. It happens when the right person comes along. Not because I feel it’s time to date again.”
He nodded. “I like that idea. I try to do the same thing, but my work requires a fair amount of socializing, and at times it’s better to have someone on my arm.”
“You need a corporate wife,” she said. “Someone who can be your partner.”
Even as she had the thought, she realized she’d said it out loud as a warning to herself. She needed to remember that, whatever else this was, she was an independent woman. Piper never wanted be Brian’s social plus-one. I just want to have fun, she reminded herself. And as he’d said, this was just their first date. There was no reason to overthink this.
“I don’t need anything,” he said. “And I’m very happy where I am tonight.”
“Me too,” she admitted. “I think I should be finished with gathering the art for your building soon.”
“Tony took me to see the other pieces you’ve put up and I have to admit I do like what you’ve done. He said that all of the pieces are on a three-month temporary display.” Brian glanced at her with interest. “What is your thought behind that?”
“I want to make sure that the work suits your building. Once you see it daily, you’ll be able to determine if you want to keep it or not,” she told him.
“Good idea. Is that something you do with all of your customers?” he asked.
“It depends on the client. If they buy it at auction, then it’s theirs, but if we work together to find a piece for their home then I do give them some leeway. And it’s an exchange policy for the same artist’s work. It’s not a refund.”
“That makes sense. Art is subjective, isn’t it? Just like couples,” he murmured.
“How do you figure?”
“Not everyone who looks like the perfect couple will be one,” he said.
Five
When the meal ended, he didn’t want the night to end but he’d asked her to dinner...that was all. He needed to keep his desires in check to avoid scaring her off.
The Texas sky was big and clear that night; the light pollution from Frisco usually made seeing the stars almost impossible. And he wished they were on his ranch in Royal. They could go for a ride and he’d show her the stars.
“Do you ride?” he asked as he helped her into her coat.
“I do. I’m not really good but I enjoy it,” she replied. “Why?”
“Just thinking tonight would be perfect for a ride.”
“Yes, but we’re in Frisco,” she said with a slight smile.
“We are,” he admitted gruffly. “Want to take a walk before we head home?”
She shook her head. The Shops at Legacy were an outdoor mall area that mixed restaurants with retail outlets and a large city park. But she didn’t want to walk in public with him. She’d wanted to be alone with him.
Brian had promised himself he’d be chill, so he forced a smile and comforted himself with the knowledge that they’d had a really nice time at CRU. He could handle that. He’d call in a few days and invite her out again.
“Fair enough. It’s been a long week,” he said. “Did you valet park?”
“No,” she answered.