I give Martha a hug and thank her once again. Miranda does the same before we head out to the stables in silence. The sun is already up and shining brightly in the nearly cloudless sky. I would have liked to leave a bit earlier, but we needed the extra rest after yesterday’s stress.
We’re still quiet as we get the horses loaded into the trailer. We somehow manage to work in silence like two people whohave worked comfortably together every day for years, instead of two people trying their best to act natural around each other.
“So, last night,” I begin as soon as I climb into the passenger seat of Miranda’s truck.
“No,” she says, cutting me off. “We agreed that whatever happened in that room stays there. I don’t need you to tell me you’re sorry or that you regret it. It doesn’t matter because it’s already forgotten.”
I flinch at her words, even though she’s right. That is what we agreed to. One night. Away from home. Then we just go on about our lives without all the pent-up sexual energy. Simple as that.
“Perfect,” I say with more bite than I intended. “Already forgotten.
Chapter 14
Miranda
“Miranda, honey,” my mom says as she makes her way from the barn over to the trailer. “I’m glad you made it back. I half expected you all to come back a day late after you got stuck in those storms.”
Hayden pauses what he’s doing and tips his hat at my mom, causing butterflies to flutter in my belly. I’ve worked on a ranch my entire life. I should be immune to cowboy charm. Even in the dim lighting, my eyes keep drifting over to Hayden as he takes it upon himself to lead both horses to their stalls.
“We were both ready to get home.” I steal another glance at Hayden’s retreating back as I answer.
“Well, I’m glad you all made it back in one piece. And I’m glad you weren’t caught in that mess alone. Have you forgiven your father yet?”
I roll my eyes. I wasn’t pissed just because Hayden came with me. It was because my dad didn’t give me a choice. Once again,I was treated like a child and not like a grown woman. That’s why I was pissed.
“I forgave Dad before we even got there to pick the horses up.”
Mom stays put as I close up the trailer. It’s getting late, so I’ll get it where it goes tomorrow. I’m just ready to get away from the truck and finally have some space away from Hayden. I spent the entire drive back trying not to be so aware of him, which was impossible considering I could literally feel him beside me. Every glance he thought he got away with, I noticed.
“Hayden, I know you must be tired and hungry too,” my traitorous mother begins. I know where she’s going with this.
“Yeah, it was a long drive, for sure,” he agrees. “I’m just glad we made it back.”
“Please stay for dinner. I made chicken alfredo, so of course, there’s plenty. It’ll take me ten minutes to cook some fresh pasta.”
I watch in horror as my mother turns and heads toward the house without waiting for Hayden’s answer. It’s not unusual, considering he’s close to the family, but I was hoping with every fiber of my being that he would turn down her invitation. It’s hard enough trying to convincemyselfthere’s nothing between us.
My gaze locks with Hayden’s, and I see the same turmoil reflecting in his eyes before he finally steps forward and speaks. “Can you give your mom my regrets?”
I immediately step back with my hands raised. “Nope. No, sir. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really hoping you can find a good reason to say no, but you’ll have to be the one to do it. If I show up with an excuse, they’ll know something is up.”
“What do you want me to do, Miranda? If I walk down to the house, there’s no way I’ll be able to get out of it.”
I know he’s right, but it doesn’t piss me off any less. This is something I should have thought about before we took that step. We won’t be able to totally avoid each other. There’s just no way when he’s friends with my father. I take some comfort in knowing his distress seems to match my own.
“Fine. You’re right,” I say with an annoyed sigh. “Come on. I’ll just make an excuse to head to my place early. Iamtired…”
For some reason, he takes my hand, and I don’t pull away. We walk in comfortable silence, and he doesn’t let go until we get close to the house. I can do this. We managed breakfast with his family friend this morning, and we can get through an informal dinner with my parents.
“Tell us everything.”
We’ve barely made it inside the house before my mom demands story time. Dad is sitting in his recliner, sipping onbourbon, and I watch in relief when Hayden makes his way to the upholstered chair nearest him.
“What do you want to know?” I ask with a wide smile. “We made it down there just fine. Coming home was a different story. Thank goodness for Silver Fox Ranch. Thank goodness for Hayden having that connection. I’m still not happy with the way it all went down, but I’m glad he was there.”
Hayden nods in agreement before I’ve finished. “Yeah, it’s a good thing Martha picked up her phone. There’s no way we would have been able to make it to our original stop.”
My mother clutches at her chest. “I don’t like the sound of that. You shouldn’t be putting yourself at risk.”
