“I know,” Truett cuts him off.
The nosy part of me desperately wants to know what they’re talking about, and why it’s in riddles instead of plain English. Iclear my throat as I walk over the threshold from the hallway into the kitchen. “Morning, y’all.”
Both of them shut their mouths and glance at me. “Morning, Aubree.” Truett strolls over to the coffeepot on the counter and pours me a cup.
My eyes travel over to where Jesse is standing. He’s leaning against the butcher block countertop, long legs crossed in front of him, arms over his chest. Our gazes meet, and he gives me a slow smile. Heat creeps up my neck before I clear my throat and look over at Truett. “I couldn’t help but hear that y’all might need someone to go and get something done today?”
“Yeah.” Truett hands me my coffee mug. “There’s a feed order that needs to get picked up, but everybody’s busy. We can’t put it off for much longer because we’re almost out of feed.”
“I can do it,” I offer without thought. “It’s been a long time, but I remember how to drive a truck.”
The two of them share a glance, and it’s as if they’re weighing between each other if I’m capable of this. Eventually, Truett answers. “All right, I’ll let them know you’re on the way after we have breakfast.”
The look that passes between them doesn’t escape my notice. There’s something they’re not telling me, some weight they’re carrying that goes beyond simple ranch business. I file it away for later, along with all the other little inconsistencies I’ve noticed since coming home.
Breakfast is simple: eggs, bacon, and toast that Cookie has left warming in the oven. The three of us eat in relative silence, though I catch Jesse watching me more than once. Every time our eyes meet, I feel that same electric jolt from last night, the memory of his lips on mine making my skin flush with heat.
“You sure you’re okay to handle the truck?” Truett asks as we finish up. “It’s been a while since you’ve driven anything that size.”
“I’ll be fine,” I assure him, though privately I’m a little nervous. It has been years since I’ve driven anything bigger than the sedan I had when I still lived at home. “How hard can it be?”
Jesse snorts, earning him a glare from me. “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” he says, but his green eyes are dancing with amusement. “Just remembering the time you tried to back Dad’s truck up to the barn and took out half the fence.”
“I was sixteen!” I protest, heat flooding my cheeks. “And that fence was in a stupid spot anyway.”
“Uh-huh.” He pushes back from the table, standing to his full height. Those long legs of his seem to go on forever, and I have to force myself to look away. “Just be careful, all right? Call if you need anything.”
There’s something in his tone. Concern? Protectiveness? It makes my heart skip. “I will.”
An hour later, I’m behind the wheel of Truett’s pickup, trying to remember everything I learned about driving a stick shift all those years ago. The truck lurches and jumps as I navigate out of the ranch, but eventually I get the hang of it.
The drive into town gives me time to think, to process everything that’s happened since I came home. Jesse’s kiss last night, the way it felt to be in his arms again, the promise in his voice when he said he’d steal my heart. Part of me wants to let him try, to give in to this pull between us that’s always existed.
But the other part, the part that’s still healing from Daniel’s betrayal, warns me to be careful. I can’t afford to get my heart broken again, especially not by Jesse. He has the power to destroy me completely, and I’m not sure I’m strong enough to survive that kind of devastation twice.
Grabbing my phone, I scroll through until I find Nora’s name and quickly make the call, putting her on speaker.
“Well, well,” her voice fills the cab. “Look who’s calling to check up on me.”
“Just making sure you got home okay last night,” I lie, though we both know that’s not the only reason I’m calling.
“Uh-huh. And this has nothing to do with wanting to know what happened between me and Truett when he drove me home?”
I can’t help but smile. Nora knows me too well. “Maybe a little. So? Anything to report?”
There’s a pause, and I can practically hear her grinning. “He kissed me.”
My heart does a little skip of excitement for my friend. “And?”
“And what? That’s it. Nothing else to report. He walked me to the door, kissed me good night like a perfect gentleman, and left.”
“How was it?” I press, needing details.
“Amazing,” she admits, and I can hear the smile in her voice. “God, Aubree, it’s been so long since I felt anything like that. I’d forgotten what it was like to want someone.”
I know exactly what she means. Last night with Jesse awakened something in me that I’d thought Daniel had killed. The desire, the need, the flutter of possibility—it’s all rushing back with a vengeance.
