A light knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts, and I mutter a curse when I look at the time. I quickly climb out of bed and pull my jeans on before opening the door.
“You’re early,” I say to a nervous-looking Miranda.
She glances from my wrinkled jeans and up to my mussed hair before giving me a small smile. “And you’re late.”
Stepping to the side, I gesture for her to come in. There’s no use pretending to be ready when the room looks exactly the same as when she left it, including my discarded bag lying open on the floor.
“Yeah. Sorry,” I mumble. “It’ll only take me a few minutes to get ready, but you can head down for breakfast if you want.”
She starts shaking her head before I’ve even finished my suggestion. “No, I’ll just wait here. Or I can wait in my room if you want.”
I tilt my head in disbelief as I look at her, but I know this is awkward. Of course it is. I’m pretty sure we both knew it would be and decided we didn’t care. After grabbing some clean clothes from my bag, I head to the bathroom and take a quick shower, hoping some of the awkwardness is gone by the time we head downstairs.
True to my word, I emerge from the bathroom a few minutes later to find Miranda perched on the bench seat at the foot of the bed. The smile she flashes holds more confidence than the one she gave me earlier. I toss my items into my bag and swing it over my shoulder before reaching for Miranda’s, but she stops me.
“I’ve got it.” Rising from the bench, she picks up her bag and leads the way to the door.
My stomach growls when we are greeted by the mouthwatering aroma of bacon and pancakes. And coffee. I feel like I need at least a pot of coffee if I’m going to survive the drive home. We leave our bags in the entryway by the door before I lead the way to the kitchen.
“Morning,” Martha greets as soon as we enter the large kitchen. “I hope you’re hungry. The guys ate earlier, but I’m making fresh bacon and am ready to toss some more pancakes onto the griddle if you’re ready.”
I pull out a chair for Miranda before heading straight for the coffee pot on the counter. It’s been a few years since I’ve stayed here, but after being basically an extra member of the family while I was still on the circuit, I know Martha would have a fit if I started behaving like a guest.
“Morning, Martha. That sounds great, thanks,” I say before kissing her cheek. “But first, coffee. Miranda, would you like a cup?”
Finally, Miranda’s smile meets her eyes. “Please. I wouldn’t justlikea cup, I need it.”
After filling two mugs, I set one in front of Miranda before taking the seat beside her at the table. I’m hoping sitting beside her will keep me from staring at her the entire time, even if I can practically feel the heat of her body beside me, reminding me of the way she felt in my arms.
“Your horses should be ready to go when you are. The ranch hands get everyone in the stables fed early,” Martha says as she sets serving dishes on the table.
Miranda raises her eyebrows in surprise. “Oh? I didn’t want you to go out of your way. We would have gotten them taken care of before we headed out.”
“Oh, honey, don’t be silly. It’s not out of anyone’s way. Now, do you need more coffee? Is there anything else I can get you two?”
“I think we’re okay, thank you. Will you sit down and join us?” I ask.
Martha simply waves me off before she begins cleaning up the stove and counter. These pancakes might be the best ones I’ve ever had, and the bacon is also cooked to perfection. It only takes a few bites before I set aside the awkwardness between Miranda and me. I nearly forgot how good a cook Martha is. Everything is delicious, and after a second helping of pancakes, I finally shove my plate forward and turn my attention to her.
“Martha, if you ever get sick of John, please marry me,” I say, as I always do.
Martha lets out a hearty laugh, but Miranda just glares at me. I have to laugh because I’ve been saying the same thing since I met the woman. Martha and John have been together forever and are the best example of a strong marriage. When I redirect my attention to Miranda, she’s clearly not happy.
“How was your breakfast?” I ask partially to gauge her response.
She glares at me before pasting on a fake smile. “Delicious, thank you.”
Grinning, I gather our plates and bring them to the sink, despite Martha’s protests. I will not leave a mess for her to clean up. Never have and never will.
“Thank you so much for letting us stay here. We should have known better than to try and beat the weather. You’re a lifesaver.” I return to the table and place my hands on the back of Miranda’s chair.
“I’m glad you called me. You both are always welcome here. I mean it. Any time.”
I lean down a bit, so I’m closer to Miranda when I speak. “Ready to head back?”
Once again, I breathe in the light fragrance of lavender and honey. It’s subtle and sexy just like she is, and I watch as goosebumps spread across her flesh. There’s no stopping my smug smile. I shouldn’t enjoy knowing how affected she is by me. Especially when we agreed that nothing can happen between us again. We got it out of our systems, and we’re moving on.
Miranda nods her head. “Yeah.”
