He freezes before physically shaking off her question. “Pretty much.”
“Well…” She pauses for a long moment. “You deserve to be happy. Stop taking care of everyone else and take care of yourself for a change. That’s the only way you’ll ever make someone happy.”
We’re both left staring after her when she gets up and heads to the kitchen entrance. “I cooked. You two can have cleanup duty.”
And then she’s gone. Looking over at Tate, I shrug and begin picking up the remaining dishes from the table. She washed the pots and pans as she went, so there’s not much cleanup left. Turning the water as hot as I can stand it, I fill up one side of the sink so we can wash the handful of dishes.
“Thanks for coming with me.”
Tate looks at me, confusion etched across his features. “Why wouldn’t I come with you? I’m the whole reason she demanded to see you. And she said something I needed to hear, so thankyou.”
I wash the largest serving dish and then pass it to Tate to rinse and dry. I want to ask him to elaborate, but I feel like he would have if he wanted me to know. So, I keep quiet as we fall into a practiced rhythm of washing the dishes. We’ve cleaned up his kitchen together enough times for it to feel like second nature. I leave him to wash the last few dishes in the sink while I put the food away and bring over the last few dishes from the table.
“This is nice,” he says softly.
I turn to find him wiping down the sink before draping the cloth over the faucet. “Cleaning?”
He laughs and I allow my smirk to spread to a grin. “Family time. It’s nice. It’s been a while…”
Instantly, my heart aches for him. I’m not close to my family, but I couldn’t imagine not having them. A couple of times a year, we get together for an uncomfortable meal. My parents come to show their displeasure, and my aunt makes sure to ask every possible question she can come up with. It’s basically a family tradition. If he sticks around, he’ll see for himself that family time is sometimes better in theory.
My chest constricts with disappointment. I was dreading my parents showing up during the time I was specifically planning to spend with my aunt, but I feel like Tate would have liked to meet them, as awful as the interaction would have been. It’s peaceful without them here, but I can’t help but worry that Tate will take it personally.
“What is it, sweetheart?” His low voice breaks through the silence.
“Huh? Nothing. Everything is fine, why?”
“You aren’t a good liar. Just tell me what’s bothering you.” His silky voice wraps around me, causing me to immediately forget the trepidation I’d been feeling.
“My parents didn’t show up,” I say with an exasperated sigh. “I’m sorry they didn’t, but don’t take it personally. It’s better this way.”
His eyes lock on mine. “I’m not arguing with you, but you don’t look relieved. You look disappointed.”
“I guess I’m not making a lot of sense, huh? We aren’t close and barely get along… but they should have wanted to meet you. I’m sure they know we’re here.” I shrug, not really knowing how else to explain it.
“Well, I’m not offended or anything. It’s been a good day.”
“It has,” I agree.
He places a quick kiss on the top of my head before threading his fingers with mine and leaning close to my ear. “Let’s get to bed. I have a promise to keep.”
Chapter 38
Tate
It’scrazywhatadifference a couple of weeks can make. Things had been moving forward with Joy before our trip to see her aunt, but it still managed to change everything. I needed someone to tell me it’s okay to be happy. It’s okay to take care of myself. Hearing Sophia’s words eased the guilt I’d been fighting since I stopped denying my feelings.
Now, here I am locking up my office and it’s only 2:30 in the afternoon. Things seem to be falling into place, and I’m not sure if I should be relieved or worried. All I know is it feels amazing to work normal hours again. The rodeo is only a few days away, but everything is good to go. Again, I should probably be worried.
“Heading out, boss?”
I stop at the gate beside Hayden. “That hasn’t gotten old yet?”
“No, boss, it hasn’t,” he replies with a shit-eating grin.
“Yes, I’m heading out. Did you need something? Other than a reminder that you don’t actually work for me here. And you’ve worked with me on my ranch for years…”
Hayden laughs even as his gaze remains fixed on the roping team getting in some practice. “Nah. A bunch of us are going out Friday night if you’re interested. Should be fun since you could run this place in your sleep now.”
