Tilting her head to the side, she studies me. “I only promised Tate I’d come back for a couple of months. Until they got someone hired and trained. And Morgan is pretty much ready.”
“Come for Sunday dinner, then.”
Miranda blinks. And then swallows hard. “I usually go to my parents’ for Sunday dinner.”
This was not my plan when I came over here. I was just going to spend a few minutes talking to her while I waited for Sierra. I considered asking her to hang out, but fuck. She’s moving. And leaving Boulder Ranch for good. The irony isn’t lost on me. I pushed her away. Told her we can’t be together. Andnow that she’s finally moving on, I no longer care about all the reasons we shouldn’t be together.
“You have dinner there every night,” I say easily. “They can survive a night without you.”
She looks around as if her response might be floating around nearby before letting out a long, slow sigh. “Fine. Text me the time and what I can bring. I have to get back to work.”
She walks away before I can point out that she wasn’t doing any work when I found her. I know she’s just trying to get some distance from me, but it doesn’t stop me from appreciating the view as she walks away. And it doesn’t stop the smile that spreads as I realize I get her nearly to myself on Sunday.
Chapter 27
Miranda
I’ve come up with no less than thirty excuses to get out of Sunday dinner with Hayden. Especially knowing I’ll have to wait until the middle of next month before I can move. I’m sure there are other apartments out there that are ready for immediate occupancy…but I fell in love with the second place I looked at yesterday. It’s a small garden apartment that has that small-town feel I’ve been terrified of losing. I already know how I’ll decorate the patio to make it really feel like home.
Sierra is the only reason I haven’t canceled. That’s what I tell myself, anyway. In reality, I want to see Hayden. It doesn’t matter that he’s right about all the reasons we can’t be together. The pull is just as strong as it’s always been. With a slow, calming breath, I turn onto the long gravel drive that leads to his ranch.
I knew where he lived, but I’ve never been to his house before. When I round the bend his ranch comes into view, and I gasp. It’s beautiful. It isn’t huge, but it has a classic farmhouselook. The rocking chairs and porch swing, combined with the hanging baskets, make it look welcoming and inviting. It reminds me of something out of a movie. I already know I’m going to fall in love with the inside, too.
Parking beside his truck, I try my best to ignore the front door swinging open. With another slow breath, I step out of the truck and finally allow myself to look up. Hayden’s large form fills the doorway, and my mouth goes dry. Or maybe I’m drooling. I can’t even tell. He’s wearing a nice pair of jeans and a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. And that sexy-as-hell smirk on his face doesn’t help.
Relieved that I went with a sundress and my good cowboy boots, I paste on a confident smile and make my way to the porch. His smirk turns to a full smile when I reach him at the doorway.
“Hey, city girl,” he teases.
“Can’t call me that yet, cowboy.”
He steps aside and gestures for me to enter his house. As I suspected, the inside is just as inviting as the outside. Hardwood floors. A simple but cozy charm. And the food smells amazing. My stomach growls loudly, and his smile lets me know he definitely heard it. Fortunately, Sierra comes bounding up the stairs and breaks up the awkward silence drifting between us.
“Hey, Miranda!” she says before pulling me into a hug. “I feel bad that I’ll be missing dinner. Next time!”
My jaw drops and I stare at her in disbelief. If I had known she wasn’t going to be part of this, I likely would have used one of the many excuses I had ready to go. I fight irritation as I consider that this was his plan the whole time, but when my eyes dart to Hayden, he looks just as surprised as I am.
“What are you talking about, Sierra?” he asks in a low voice.
“Misty is picking me up. I’m sleeping over, since there’s no school tomorrow. Remember?”
“Remember?” he echoes in dismay. “How could Irememberwhen this is the first I’m hearing about it?”
Sierra glances at me before placing a hand over her chest. “I could swear I told youages ago.”
Hayden looks at me with an expression I don’t recognize. Worry? Regret? Whatever it is quickly fades when he returns his attention to Sierra. He opens his mouth to speak, but she looks out the window and then darts to the door.
“That’s her now. See ya! You guys have fun.”
And then she’s gone, leaving the two of us staring at the closed door in silence. Alone. I get a strong feeling that Sierra did not tell Hayden. Nor were these plans made ages ago. She’s trying to play matchmaker, and I can’t decide if it’s cute or terrifying. She must have picked up on something, no matter how hard I’ve been fighting my feelings.
Hayden gives his head a shake and then turns to me. “I swear I didn’t trick you into coming here to be alone with me. Once again, I’m not a caveman. We can have dinner alone, and I won’t bash you over the head with a club and drag you into my lair.”
“Well, that’s boring,” I quip.
Hayden lets out a surprised laugh, and instantly, the air in the room feels lighter. He leads me into the kitchen and pulls a chair out from the kitchen island. He shoots down my offer to help before I even get the words out, instead gesturing for me to sit. When I remove my large purse from my shoulder, I remember the bottle of red wine I brought. Hayden was adamant that I not bring dessert or a side. So, I brought a bottle of my favorite wine.
“Oh. Here. You told me not to bring food; you didn’t say anything about wine.”
