only one who would do it,” Lacey broke in.
Shannon returned with their pizza.
After everyone was served, Dan continued with a laugh, “I can still remember how she looked. Little Shelby with her freckles and her hair in ponytails, scrunching up her face all determined to prove how brave she was.”
“I thought you guys said it wouldn’t be embarrassing,” Shelby muttered.
Dan glanced at her and turned back to Hakim. “Shelby climbed over the fence and tip-toed across the pen. She touched the bull with one finger, and when it turned toward her, she ran like her hair was on fire. She got to the fence and instead of climbing back over, she wriggled under. The problem was, her jeans got snagged on this hank of barbed wire.”
“Oh, yeah, I love this part.” Shelby took a bite of pizza.
“She tugged and tugged, but those blue jeans were stuck tight,” Dan said with a wide grin.
“I don’t even remember the next few minutes,” Shannon chimed in with a laugh. “We totally panicked!”
Lacey held up her hands, opening her fingers wide. “We all started screaming bloody murder. I’m pretty sure I was bawling. We all thought that bull was going to get Shelby.”
Shelby rested her elbows on the table, hiding her face with her hands.
“Without missing a beat, Shel kicked off her boots and wiggled out of her pants. Debbie came out to see what all the screaming was about, and there was Shelby, covered in mud, wearing her little purple panties.”
Hakim chuckled, trying to imagine what his tutors would say if they’d discovered him playing in the mud. He found he couldn’t do it.
Shelby grimaced, but when she saw Hakim laugh, she allowed a smile. “Yeah, that wasn’t too humiliating. Thanks, guys.”
The entire table burst into laughter.
“How do you like your pizza, Hakim?” asked Shannon.
“It is delicious. Thank you, Miss Price.”
“I’d better get back to work. Thanks for the laugh. Great to see you, Shel.” Shannon waved to the group.
Dan set down his pizza crust and leaned back, putting his arm around Lacey and brushing a finger over his mustache. “So, Hakim, what kind of work do you do?”
Hakim had anticipated this question and gave his rehearsed answer. “I work as a consultant for my father’s business.”
“I don’t know much about the business world—just enough to get along, if you know what I mean,” Dan said. “What do you do for fun?”
Hakim shifted in his seat. His leg brushed Shelby’s again. He felt a little guilty, but he loved the feel of her and tried to think of any excuse to touch her. “I enjoy hunting. And skiing, of course.” His gaze met Shelby’s, and he smiled. “But my real passion is horses.”
Dan nodded. “Now, that’s something I can definitely relate to.”
The two men continued talking about horses while they ate, and Dan told Hakim about his construction business.
Hakim was surprised by how much he enjoyed the conversation. He was interested in the details of this man’s life and the way he worked hard to provide for his family.
After a little while, Lacey looked at her watch. “We’d better get going. I’m worried about the sitter trying to get Shay and Cole to sleep.”
The four of them scooted out of the booth, and Hakim helped Shelby with her coat and crutches as she rested her hip against the table for balance.
“Should we head over to the drive-in for a shake?” Dan held up Lacey’s coat.
“You know I can’t eat that stuff—not with all this baby fat still hanging on.” Lacey patted her tummy. “Anyway, I need to be getting back to the kids.”
“You look great, honey.” Dan lifted his wife’s face with a crooked finger beneath her chin and winked. “Why don’t we just grab it and eat it on the way home? We can share.”
The group returned to Hakim’s rental car, and he helped Shelby into the passenger seat and stowed her crutches in the trunk. He heard a car start and glanced to the far end of the parking
Shannon returned with their pizza.
After everyone was served, Dan continued with a laugh, “I can still remember how she looked. Little Shelby with her freckles and her hair in ponytails, scrunching up her face all determined to prove how brave she was.”
“I thought you guys said it wouldn’t be embarrassing,” Shelby muttered.
Dan glanced at her and turned back to Hakim. “Shelby climbed over the fence and tip-toed across the pen. She touched the bull with one finger, and when it turned toward her, she ran like her hair was on fire. She got to the fence and instead of climbing back over, she wriggled under. The problem was, her jeans got snagged on this hank of barbed wire.”
“Oh, yeah, I love this part.” Shelby took a bite of pizza.
“She tugged and tugged, but those blue jeans were stuck tight,” Dan said with a wide grin.
“I don’t even remember the next few minutes,” Shannon chimed in with a laugh. “We totally panicked!”
Lacey held up her hands, opening her fingers wide. “We all started screaming bloody murder. I’m pretty sure I was bawling. We all thought that bull was going to get Shelby.”
Shelby rested her elbows on the table, hiding her face with her hands.
“Without missing a beat, Shel kicked off her boots and wiggled out of her pants. Debbie came out to see what all the screaming was about, and there was Shelby, covered in mud, wearing her little purple panties.”
Hakim chuckled, trying to imagine what his tutors would say if they’d discovered him playing in the mud. He found he couldn’t do it.
Shelby grimaced, but when she saw Hakim laugh, she allowed a smile. “Yeah, that wasn’t too humiliating. Thanks, guys.”
The entire table burst into laughter.
“How do you like your pizza, Hakim?” asked Shannon.
“It is delicious. Thank you, Miss Price.”
“I’d better get back to work. Thanks for the laugh. Great to see you, Shel.” Shannon waved to the group.
Dan set down his pizza crust and leaned back, putting his arm around Lacey and brushing a finger over his mustache. “So, Hakim, what kind of work do you do?”
Hakim had anticipated this question and gave his rehearsed answer. “I work as a consultant for my father’s business.”
“I don’t know much about the business world—just enough to get along, if you know what I mean,” Dan said. “What do you do for fun?”
Hakim shifted in his seat. His leg brushed Shelby’s again. He felt a little guilty, but he loved the feel of her and tried to think of any excuse to touch her. “I enjoy hunting. And skiing, of course.” His gaze met Shelby’s, and he smiled. “But my real passion is horses.”
Dan nodded. “Now, that’s something I can definitely relate to.”
The two men continued talking about horses while they ate, and Dan told Hakim about his construction business.
Hakim was surprised by how much he enjoyed the conversation. He was interested in the details of this man’s life and the way he worked hard to provide for his family.
After a little while, Lacey looked at her watch. “We’d better get going. I’m worried about the sitter trying to get Shay and Cole to sleep.”
The four of them scooted out of the booth, and Hakim helped Shelby with her coat and crutches as she rested her hip against the table for balance.
“Should we head over to the drive-in for a shake?” Dan held up Lacey’s coat.
“You know I can’t eat that stuff—not with all this baby fat still hanging on.” Lacey patted her tummy. “Anyway, I need to be getting back to the kids.”
“You look great, honey.” Dan lifted his wife’s face with a crooked finger beneath her chin and winked. “Why don’t we just grab it and eat it on the way home? We can share.”
The group returned to Hakim’s rental car, and he helped Shelby into the passenger seat and stowed her crutches in the trunk. He heard a car start and glanced to the far end of the parking
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