This is the opposite of keeping him at a distance, but I’m powerless to stop it. I’ll be out of here soon enough, anyway. A little flirting can’t hurt.
Hayden clears his throat before bringing the conversation back to where it was supposed to go. “So, anyway, yeah. She just got here, and I know nothing about teenage girls, so I just might take you up on that offer. I only saw her really smilefor the first time when I mentioned I’d be coming here this morning.”
Dammit. I do not need to see this side of Hayden. He’s already impossible to resist, and seeing him genuinely care about this girl he doesn’t even know is doing something to my insides. Swallowing hard, I do my best to ignore my body’s reaction.
“Well, I certainly don’t know anything about teenage girls either,” I say with a laugh.
Hayden smiles and scrubs a hand over his beard. “Yeah, well, at least you’ve been one before.”
“This is true. Anyway, she’s welcome to tag along with me anytime. I’m sure Tate and Joy won’t mind. Beats her sitting in the house with nothing but her thoughts to keep her company while you’re here.”
I turn back around and finish mucking the stall before I can continue to get wrapped up in Hayden. When he smiles at me, my brain stops functioning. I forget who I am and what I’m supposed to be doing. I forget that what happened at Silver Fox Ranch was a one-time thing.
Shoving those thoughts away, I pretend not to watch him walk away before I get back to the task at hand. Sierra and Joy are doing their own thing, so I pop my earbuds in and lose myself in music as I work. It feels almost like it used to, beforeI was too worried about avoiding Hayden to enjoy the job I’ve always liked.
Even when my thoughts drift back to Hayden, they aren’t accompanied by the pain that used to follow. A smile tugs at my lips as I imagine how out of his element he must have been when Sierra showed up. I can’t explain it, but even though I’m sure she must be devastated after losing her mother, she seems happy as she works alongside Joy. And I vow to myself to do whatever I can to keep her that way, even if it means spending more time around Hayden and having to pretend like nothing happened between us. If she wants to spend time here with the horses, feeding them and cleaning out stalls instead of sitting alone at Hayden’s place, that’s fine with me. Like Joy said, we’ll never turn down extra hands.
Chapter 19
Miranda
It’s finally warm enough to sit outside and enjoy my morning coffee. I hate winter. Hate it to my core. The only good thing about it is the clothes, because who doesn’t appreciate some cute boots? But I need the sunlight. Vitamin D. Warmth.
I sit on the outdoor loveseat and wrap a blanket around myself as I bask in the morning sun. It’s a rare day off, and I plan to enjoy it to the fullest. Turning on my e-reader, I get comfortable and dive into my book as I sip from my favorite mug.
“Hey, honey.”
I nearly dump my coffee. I was so invested in my book, I hadn’t even seen my mother walk up. Setting my tablet to the side, I move the blanket so she can sit beside me.
“Hey, Mom. What are you doing over here?”
She pats the mass of blanket covering my thigh. “Oh, I was doing some work in the barn and saw you out here.”
“It’s finally warm enough to use my patio, so I’m taking advantage. There’s more coffee inside, by the way.”
Her eyes light up, and she quickly disappears inside, only to emerge a couple of minutes later holding her own steaming mug. She claims the seat beside me, and we sit in comfortable silence as the sun provides the perfect amount of warmth in the late-morning sky.
“Hayden is coming for dinner tonight. I can’t wait to meet Sierra. You’re still coming for dinner, right?”
I struggle to school my expression. I did not know they were coming over tonight. In fact, I haven’t seen them since the other day at the ranch when I was first introduced to Sierra. Knowing my mother, I shouldn’t be surprised. She loves to help people, and she’s always loved kids. I consider telling her I’m busy, but then I remember the sadness in her eyes when she told me her dream had once been to have a house filled with kids and family. We’ve always been close, but I know she wishes I had siblings.
“Of course,” I answer as if it’s nothing. “Chicken alfredo?”
She smiles, causing crinkles to form at the corners of her eyes, and smooths her bun. “No, didn’t we just have that? I’m making pot roast, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Oh, and apple pie for dessert.”
I heave a dramatic sigh before playfully bumping her shoulder. “Fine. I guess I’ll come over for that.”
“Yeah, what a hardship. Your pots and pans are probably collecting dust in there.”
“You realize dinner isn’t the only meal of the day, right? I do make myself breakfast and lunch. And I made spaghetti for dinner just the other night.”
“Good job, honey.” She pats my leg. “Well, I’d better get back to it. Thanks for the coffee! And I’ll see you at dinner.”
After fixing my blanket, I try to get back into my book, but it no longer holds my attention. I’ve read the same paragraph six times before I finally put my e-reader on the loveseat beside me and pull out my phone, staring at it for a very long moment before finally pulling up Hayden’s contact.
You could give me a heads-up next time you plan on crashing dinner.
I watch as dots appear and then disappear. I’ve never just sent him a random text before, even though we exchanged phone numbers ages ago. And now my stomach is in knots as I wait for him to reply. I shouldn’t have texted him. No idea what I was thinking. My screen lights up with a text before I can fully spiral.
