“She’s wonderful.” I chuckle. “Just the right amount of extra.”
Kayley plucks a dish from the rack and rubs it dry with the tea towel. “She kind of put you on the spot before. Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine.” I start scrubbing the large cast iron pot Julie cooked the roast beef in. The damn stuff is stuck to the bottom. Tasted great, but this is going to take some elbow grease to clean the pot.
“I wa—” She starts. “Never mind, you guys will work it out.”
My guess is she’s talking about what lies between Hadley and me. The cowboy I didn’t see coming.
The one who’s the complete opposite of everything I’ve grown up thinking a rodeo man was. A cowboy was.
He’s not selfish like my father was.
He’s not single-minded and obsessed with winning.
The money he is earning for his family, not himself.
To save his ranch that, by the sounds of it, is in desperate need of a cash injection.
“. . . aggie?”
I shake my head, my hands covered in hot bubbles coming into focus.
“Sorry, what?”
“Home time,” Hadley’s voice comes from behind me to the right.
I turn to find him leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed, a lazy smile tipping his mouth up.
Kayley gives my shoulder a squeeze as she says goodnight and disappears into the living room.
“Bright and early, Kales. You staying over?” Hadley leans back, talking to his sister who is in the process of getting her grumbling little sister to make room on the sofa.
“Yep. Sparrow fart, brother.”
I huff a laugh and dry my hands before walking to where Hadley stands. “Night, all.”
“Night, Maggie,” I get in return from the four women, now sitting in their spots, busy watching. Julie is crafting something in her hands.
An arm slides around my waist as I’m waving, tugging me back down the hallway. The second we make it to the truck, a warm hand finds my face. A thumb ghosts over my bottom lip. “Longest dinner in the history of mankind,” he growls, brushing his lips over my own.
“Home, Hads.”
He releases me and fires up the truck, eyes not leaving mine.
“Home, Sunshine.”
Something tightens in my chest. Ignoring it, I focus on the incredible night sky outside as we roll along the dirt driveway.
“Thanks for helping Nia. She’s right, she doesn’t have that kind of thing in her life.”
“Happy to help. I know how hard it can be.”
His hand slides over the bench seat, lacing our fingers. I slide across the seat and lean into him. Happiness is a well-fed woman in the company of a man who looks at her the way Hadley Jones looks at me.
That thought brings a ton of bricks tumbling down.
I breathe through a panicky breath before closing my eyes. Hadley cups the back of my neck with his hand, still woven through mine. “Hey, what’s going on?”
