“Great,” he said flatly, like helping him was the worst thing I could’ve offered. “Lead the way, I guess.”
I tipped my hat and gestured toward the barn. “This way.”
As we walked, I could feel Mabel’s eyes burning a hole in my back. She had that look, the one she got whenever she was plotting something. I’d have to worry about that later.
“So, you’re stayin’ with Dolly?” I asked, trying to make conversation. “Don’t think I’ve seen you around Sagebrush before yesterday.”
He glanced at me sharply. “Yesterday?”
“Yeah, you were walkin’ down Miller Road last night. I offered you a ride, remember?”
His eyes widened with recognition. “That was you? The mysterious cowboy in the truck?”
“Mysterious cowboy?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s a new one. Name’s Diego Mendez. Ranch manager here at Turner Ranch.”
“Hayden,” he replied shortly, not offering a last name. “And I wasn’t lost. I was just... exploring.”
“In the middle of the night? On a residential street with no sidewalks?”
His jaw tightened. “Are you always this nosy with strangers?”
“Only the ones who look like they’re about to pass out from exhaustion,” I replied honestly. “You look like you’ve been through the wringer, Freckles.”
That got his back up. “I’m fine. And don’t call me that.”
We reached the cold storage, and I pulled open the heavy door, letting out a blast of frigid air. Inside, neatly packaged cuts of beef were stacked on shelves, each labeled with names and dates.
“Dolly’s order should be right over here,” I said, moving toward the back. “We supply a lot of businesses, but Dolly is our biggest customer. Best beef in the county and she makes it even better.”
Hayden stood in the doorway, arms wrapped around himself against the cold. “Just hurry up, please. I’ve got other errands to run.”
I found the wooden box labeled “Dolly’s Diner” and hefted it easily, though it had to weigh at least a hundred pounds. When I turned around, Hayden was staring at me, something flashing in those blue eyes before he quickly looked away.
“Need a hand with that?” he asked, though he didn’t sound particularly eager to help.
“I got it,” I said, giving him a wide smile. I kinda liked it when he stared. “But there’s a second box for her if you wanna grab it.”
Hayden looked at the clearly labelled box and then back at me, his brows furrowed. “Is… Is it safe?”
“Well… it ain’t gonna bite ya if that’s what you’re worried about.”
He let out a huff. “I mean, is it gross? Like I’m not gonna get blood all over my sweater, right?”
I stared at him. “It… It’s frozen.”
He stood there for a moment, looking at the box like it might suddenly come to life and attack him. Then he squared his shoulders and reached for it, lifting it with both hands. The thing was half the size of mine, but he struggled with it like it was made of lead.
“Jesus,” he muttered under his breath. “How do you make this look so easy?”
I tried not to let my amusement show as I watched him wrestle with a box that I could’ve carried with one hand. City boys. They were all the same, pretty to look at but about as useful as a chocolate teapot when it came to actual work.
“Years of practice,” I said, heading back outside. “You sure you got it?”
“I’m fine,” he snapped, though he was already breathing a little harder. “Just... lead the way.”
We made our way to his Jeep, and I couldn’t help but notice how he kept stealing glances at me when he thought I wasn’t looking. There was something hungry in those looks, something that made heat pool low in my belly despite the morning chill. But then he’d catch himself and look away, jaw tight with what looked like annoyance.
Interesting.
