“I didn’t hang up on you. I told you I was hanging up.”

Beth rolled her eyes. “Details I don’t care about. Matt Chase, naked, in your bed? That I care about.”

Tate made sure the place was empty and told them all the details, including their plans for a date that Saturday.

“It’s about time. He’s only been looking at you like a hungry puppy for the last month.”

Tate looked to Anne. “What do you mean?”

“Tate, you’re so clueless. He shows up where you’re going to be as many days a week as he can. You two have lunch together what? Three days a week? He calls here just to say hey. You make enough food for two when you bring your lunch. He likes you. And that’s no surprise to me.”

“He’s out of my league, Anne. So far out of my league I’ve made a pact not to think about it overmuch until it comes crashing down around my ears.”

Anne looked angry. “Damn you, Tate. Why do you have such a low opinion of yourself? Why do you let Dad make you feel this way?”

“Okay, we’re done now. I have a client in about five minutes.” Tate shooed them all away from her station and looked out the window at the fire station across the street, wondering if Matt was inside.

Chapter Six

“Beth, I’m throwing myself on your mercy. Please go shopping with me.” Tate showed up at the front desk at closing time on Thursday night.

“Come to my parlor said the spider to the fly.” Beth chuckled. “You’re in luck. You don’t even have to go shopping. I know how much you hate it so I went shopping last night and picked up a few things for your date. Come to my apartment and try them on.”

They drove over to Beth’s place and Tate sucked it up and tried on the outfit, undergarments and shoes her sister had bought.

“Since you’re going to the Tonk, I thought this might suit best.” Beth held up a black dress with a full skirt, covered in red roses. The bodice was tight, with three-quarter sleeves. “I think it’ll give you lots of movement when you’re dancing. And let’s face it, Tate, no one dances like you.”

Tate liked the dress immediately and even got over feeling exposed by the deep vee of the neckline. It didn’t make her look like a super model or anything, but it showcased her better features and camouflaged her not so good ones—namely her thighs. With a pair of pretty heels and her hair done just right, she’d do in a pinch. Okay, more than that, she looked pretty and what woman didn’t like to look pretty?

“Thank you, Beth. It’s perfect.”

Beth grinned. “It does look really lovely on you. By the way, we’re going to the Tonk Saturday night too.”

“We?”

“Me, Nathan, Anne and Royal. What? You think we’d just throw you to the wolves over there?”

There was a reason the Murphys did their drinking and dancing at Reba’s over in Riverton instead of The Tonk. The Tonk wasn’t their place, was generally filled with people who had made fun of them when they were younger.

“Well, I could pretend to be annoyed but you’d see through me. Thank you.” Tate hugged Beth. “I appreciate the back-up.”

“Tate, I don’t say this enough, but I’ve always got your back. It’s not that I feel like I owe you for raising me. You’re my sister and my best friend and I love you. We’re family and that’s what family does. If anyone says one wrong thing I’m planting a boot in their ass.”

Tate laughed. “Well, I’d pay to see that one.”

“You ready for your date tomorrow?” Marc took his shot as he spoke to his brother.

“It’s not like I’ve never been on a date before.”

“Not with the one you haven’t. Liv’s all worked up.” Marc grinned and his eyes gravitated to his wife who sat at the front of The Pumphouse at her usual table.

“You shouldn’t bring her. It’s smoky in there. It’s not like you have to protect me from Tate Murphy. She’s barely five feet tall.” Matt chuckled.

“You say that as if I have a choice in what my beautiful wife does. She assures me we’ll get a table near the back doors which are open during the summer.”

“They’re all planning on something,” Shane rumbled as he looked at the table.

“Count on it. Maggie’s the ringleader no doubt. She wants to be sure we get there early so we can welcome Tate properly. And she warned me about those stuck up bitches I used to date and how I’d better be sure to make Tate feel more welcome than she felt.” Kyle grinned.

“For a little thing, your woman is scary.”

Kyle laughed. “And now yours is even smaller. What’s Tate? Like five-one?”

“She claims five-two but I think she’s fudging a half an inch. There’s a lot to her.”

“Well, I’m looking forward to getting to know her better. I have to say I heartily approve from my time with her at your place a few weeks back. When are you going to tell Momma and Daddy?” Kyle asked.

“I’m trying to get her to come to dinner on Sunday. I figured I’d talk to Momma tomorrow afternoon. I need to pick up some stuff they’re donating to the firefighter’s auction. I’m sure adding another plate won’t be a big deal.”

Marc laughed. “No big deal? Yeah, you keep thinking that.”

Matt couldn’t believe his eyes when Tate opened her door. She stood there in a black dress covered in big red roses. Bright red lips, silver hoops in her ears. She’d done something to her hair so that it hung in smooth, pale waves around her face. She looked like a fifties movie star.