Chapter Thirteen
“This is ridiculous,” Sienna said. “The worst idea ever.” She reached for the zipper on the back of the dress Paige had convinced her to wear to dinner with Cole.
“Don’t you dare,” Paige said, grabbing her arms and turning her until she faced the mirror. “That dress is amazing on you. Cole is going to lose his mind.”
“That’s not a good thing,” Sienna said with a huff.
“It’s great,” Paige countered.
“How can I go out on a date with my father in the hospital? People will think I’m living up to my mom’s awful reputation and only caring about myself.”
“You have to eat dinner.” Paige grabbed a bottle of perfume from the dresser in her room and spritzed Sienna. “You’ve talked to Jase twice since you got back here. He’ll call you if anything changes with Declan’s condition.”
A loud hammering sounded from outside the bedroom window, and Paige made a face. “I hate construction,” she said.
“How’s it coming?”
“The contractor thinks he’s got things under control, and I definitely appreciate that he’s got the guys working late most nights to get the job done more quickly. But the water damage caused several floor joists to rot. Since the joists apparently hold up the actual floor, it’s not good.”
“Sounds expensive.”
“Exactly,” Paige agreed, then sighed. “And it’s money I don’t have. I’m going to have to call my mom and ask for a loan or tell her I’ll be late on the mortgage payment for another month. I can’t open for business without a floor and there’s no money coming in without paying guests.”
“I thought you were only going to share good news with your mom so she won’t worry about you.”
“That was the plan, but plans change. I’m not giving up on The Bumblebee. I just need to convince Mom not to give up on me.”
“I hope she agrees.”
“Yeah.” Paige closed her eyes for a moment, then gave her head a little shake and opened them again. “But tonight is about you and our sexy sheriff. Do you think he carries handcuffs?”
“Only when I’m on duty.”
Both women whirled around to find Cole standing at the bedroom door.
“I knocked,” he said, holding up his hands, palms out, “but no one heard me over the hammering.”
“You look quite handsome, Sheriff Bennett,” Paige said with a wink. “Although the lack of handcuffs is a bit of a disappointment.”
“We’ll make do,” Cole told her in his deep, rumbling voice.
Sienna was pretty sure she let out a whimper because Paige and Cole both turned to stare at her.
“It was my stomach growling,” she lied, pressing a hand to her belly. “I’m hungry.”
Paige grinned as she pushed Sienna toward Cole. “I just bet you are. Have a good night, you two. Be safe. Do lots of things I won’t have a chance to.”
“Thanks for letting me borrow the dress,” Sienna said over her shoulder.
“Thank youverymuch,” Cole echoed.
His whiskey-colored gaze burned into hers as he took her hand and lifted it, turning it over and placing a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered and her knees felt like they were made of jelly.
“You, too,” she blurted, then flashed a smile. “I mean, you look handsome tonight. Every night really. And during the day. But tonight especially, I guess.”
“Maybe stop talking now,” Paige called from behind her. Cole laughed and Sienna felt her cheeks go hot. What was it about this man that turned her into a babbling schoolgirl with her first crush?
He wore a pair of dark jeans and a crisp white button-down that made his tanned skin look even more golden. The sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and the hair that peppered his forearms was somehow the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.
