“Yes. She told me today she might even finish her project ahead of schedule. She likes it here.”
He glanced up at Elena. “How do you know that?”
“She told me.”
He shrugged. “She’s a city girl.”
Elena laughed. “I don’t think anyone was more of a city girl than her sister Libby, and she’s adjusted just fine.”
Wade wondered why they were having this conversation. It didn’t matter to him if Dani liked his ranch or not. “I’m going upstairs to take a shower,” he said.
“Okay. Since you’re home, I will leave early since Carlos will be returning tomorrow. You can let Dani out.”
Wade smiled. Since Carlos and Elena had gotten married a few years before he was born, and he was thirty-five, he figured they would be celebrating their fortieth wedding anniversary soon. After a few days of branding or a long period out on the range, his men got the next two days off. It always amused him how Elena made it a point to spend those two days with his foreman, which meant she would be taking tomorrow and Friday off.
That was what he’d longed for when he finally ended his career on the rodeo circuit—knowing his wife would be there waiting for him with open arms, happy to see him, when he returned home. His parents had had that kind of marriage, forever acting like newlyweds. He suspected that over the years, his mother had encouraged Elena to do thesame. Even with four grown children, Carlos seemed to strut around, letting everyone know how much he loved his wife.
“That’s no problem, Elena. I’ll see you Monday,” he said, heading toward the stairs. He refused to glance down the long hallway where his office was located, knowing Dani was in there with the door closed. That part of the house had originally been intended to be a nursery. His parents had wanted a lot of kids. At least four. Medical issues dictated that his mother would only give birth to one.
Warren and Willow Harrison had been great parents who hadn’t had a problem with their only son’s dream of one day joining the rodeo circuit. After all, both his parents had done the same thing. In fact, that was how they’d met. And they always made his homecomings special. He missed his folks and knew that if he ever married, he would want a marriage like theirs, where they loved each other to the end. He honestly couldn’t see one dying without the other, and felt comforted in believing they were still together.
As he entered his bedroom, he began removing his clothes, looking forward to his shower.
As Dani packed up her briefcase, she sniffed the air. Something certainly smelled good. She wondered what Elena was cooking. If Wade were returning tomorrow, the older woman would probably be getting an early start on tomorrow’s dinner.
She would need to prepare herself to see him again, since he had been on her mind. Were his eyes really as brown as she remembered? The color of a chocolate chip? And had hereally been that tall? One thing she couldn’t forget was how good he looked in jeans and a Stetson.
She would love to see him ride a horse. Heck, she would even go to the rodeo just to see him. She could just imagine him performing some of the stunts that rodeo cowboys were known for.
After pulling the blinds in the office, she headed down the long hall to the living room. Calling out, she said, “Elena, I’m leaving. I’ll see you in the morning. Thanks for everything.”
Dani’s breath caught when, instead of seeing Elena coming out of the kitchen, her gaze fell on Wade. His shirt wasn’t fully buttoned, his jeans rode low on his hips, and he was barefoot, with a beer bottle in his hand. “Hi, Dani. Elena left already.”
After a moment, Dani found her voice. “Hello, Wade. I thought you weren’t planning on returning until tomorrow.”
He nodded. “My team finished up early. Did you get much done?”
“I got a lot done. Thanks again for everything. I’ll be going now.”
She moved toward the door, but his next words stopped her. “I just made a pot of chili with a pan of cornbread. Would you like to join me for dinner?”
She lifted a brow. “You can cook?”
He chuckled. “Yes, I can cook. Can you?”
“I can, as a matter of fact. My mother’s grandmother owned a restaurant in Birmingham. I understand it was quite popular. She taught my mom how to cook, and my mom taught her girls. Even Libby can cook, although her specialties tend to be on the exotic side,” Dani said, then added, “I figure that’s why Richard hireda cook.
“And what do you know how to cook?” he asked.
“Pretty well everything.”
He nodded. “In that case, you need to taste my chili and tell me what you think. I also baked a few cinnamon rolls for dessert.”
Dani knew she should decline his invitation. She could recognize sexual attraction a mile off, and the chemistry flowing between her and Wade was right in their faces. He had been checking her out…the same way she’d been watching him. But his close scrutiny didn’t bother her at all, nor did it make her uncomfortable.
He was a man, and she was a woman. And in her opinion, sexual attraction wasn’t as complex as some people made it out to be. When it happened, you dealt with it. Besides, there was no reason she shouldn’t get to know Wade Harrison better.
Making a decision, she said, “Thanks for the invitation. I’d love to join you for dinner, Wade.”
