“The worst part is, I knew something was wrong. I just didn’t want to see it.” He kicked at a pebble on the sidewalk, sending it skittering into the street. “Makes me feel like an idiot.”
“Nah,” I said. “Love is blind. That sayin’ exists for a reason.”
We reached the back of Dolly’s Diner, stopping at the door that led to Hayden’s apartment. The light above the door cast a warm glow over his face, softening his features. Those freckles of his stood out against his skin like constellations, and I found myself wanting to trace them with my fingertips.
“Thanks,” he said suddenly. “For walking me back.”
“Anytime,” I replied, meaning it more than I probably should have. “And I really am sorry about the mistletoe thing.”
He rolled his eyes, but there was no anger there. Not anymore. Despite how much he didn’t want to talk, doing just that seemed to have taken some of the weight off of his shoulders. At least for the time-being.
“Well, goodnight I guess,” he said, turning to head up the stairs.
“Hayden I—” I stopped, my hand already resting on his shoulder.
He paused, glancing down at my hand. “What?”
“I… I wanted to ask you out to the ranch tomorrow,” I said, scrapping my original inclination that definitely didn’t have anything to do with kisses and bedsheets and bare skin. “Maybe the two of us could take some horses out to the creek and get away from all this.” I gestured to the apartment and the diner behind. “I won’t even talk if you don’t want me to.”
“Is this another trick of yours?”
I shook my head. “No tricks. Promise.”
He let out a long sigh, staring at me like I was some lovesick puppy that wouldn’t leave him alone. “I don’t know how to ride,” he said at last.”
“Well, then I’ll teach you.”
“You’ll teach me?” He didn’t look convinced.
“Yeah! It’s easy. You just put a leg on each side and hold on. It’s kinda like ridin’ a—” I clamped my mouth shut, stopping the wordcockbefore it slipped out of my mouth.
Hayden glared at me for a long moment. “I’m not gonna let you fuck me just because we go on a picnic, you know?” He was looking angrier every second. “So, if that’s what you have in mind then you can just?—”
“It’s not,” I said, holding up my hands. “I swear. I was just making a joke. I don’t…” I let out a long sigh. “I don’t get to spend a lot of time around other gay guys. But I’d enjoy spending some time with you and getting to know you better.”
“If I say yes, will you let me go to bed?”
I nodded.
“Fine. I’ll be there. It’s better than running errands for Aunt Dolly, anyway.”
“How’s nine sound?”
“In the morning?!” he scoffed. “Make it eleven and I’llthinkabout it.”
“Eleven it is then.”
“Fine.”
I couldn’t help the smile that had spread from ear to ear. Hayden just rolled his eyes and headed up the stairs again, clearly annoyed with me again. But I didn’t mind. He was so beautiful when he was irritated.
“Goodnight, Freckles,” I called.
“Fuck off.”
Chapter 7
Hayden
