Page 57 of The Haunting Plot

I stare down at her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I’d be honored to.”

CHAPTER 15

RAVEN

He was a brute. A big, dumb brute. Why did he have to be there in my space? Of all the ranches on the planet, he had to be stuck on mine. I couldn’t go anywhere on the property without running into the man. And hell if I’d go near the stables after our last run-in there.

Sawyer walks by, and my eyes track the movement. There’s something comforting about his presence in my house lately. I find myself looking forward to him showing up as we’ve developed a routine.

When he interrupted my self-care earlier this week, I was struck by the look of longing on his face. No one has ever looked at me like that. If I’m being honest, things have probably been shifting between us since I flashed him. Maybe even sooner than that. But what solidified it was the way he took care of my kids when I had to go to Denver.

As much as I write about relationships and romance, I have no actual experience in that department. And while Sawyer may say he’s terrible at it, I’m starting to think those are lies he’s been fed that he’s believing as truths. This man has continually shown up for me since the day I met him. Even when I’ve pushed him away.

I was pissed when he canceled on me after our near kiss. But once I processed my hurt and disappointment, I reminded myself he was spending time with his kids, not rejecting me. He’s been consistent with me, noticing the little things, similar to what Kris used to do for me. Except Sawyer has made it clear that he’s attracted to me, and it’s getting harder for me to deny my attraction to him.

And while I’m thrilled to find a man who actually listens to me, I’m equally intrigued by the way he’s still able to prank me. Pranking people is one of my favorite pastimes. It might seem contradictory since I thrive on routine, but there’s something comfortingly predictable about how people react to a prank. But I don’t love being pranked myself, and I don’t care if that’s a double standard. Unless it’s RJ. He knows my sensory issues. Coming from anyone else, it can feel like deception, confusion, or an attempt to make me feel vulnerable.

So why am I engaging in this with Sawyer? The rush of satisfaction I feel when I pull one over on him is unmatched. And so far he hasn’t done anything to trigger a negative response from me, which only reinforces my suspicion that RJ must be helping him. He may claim to have stopped, but there’s no other explanation for what’s been happening around here, and I know it’s not ghosts.

I’m not sure why he isn’t taking credit for some of the pranks happening. Maybe he’s playing the long game? His nonsense about it being ghosts is quite charming, even if it is ridiculous. There’s always a logical explanation for everything.

I head upstairs, following the sound of the power drill to find Sawyer in Jonah’s bathroom. The smile on his face when he sees me nearly takes my breath away. His eyes light up, crinkling around the edges. The lines in his forehead seem to smooth out, and the laugh lines around his mouth deepen. He has the thickest lips I’ve seen on a man, even if his top lip is partially covered by that slutty little ’stache.

“You’re gonna have to get a lot closer if you want a kiss.”

“Who says I want a kiss?”

“Your eyes and the way they’re staring at my mouth.”

“I was just curious if you ever comb that growth on your upper lip.”

He reaches up and rubs at it, stroking the hairs like he’s a villain on a kids’ show. “You don’t like it?”

“I didn’t say that. It reminds me of Tom Selleck from Magnum P.I. My aunt watched it a lot when I was growing up.” I glance around the room, hoping he doesn’t pick apart the wistfulness in my comment. “Looks like you’re making progress here.”

His head swivels. “Yeah. Doesn’t feel like it, though. I’m out of screws, and I’m down to my last drill bit. I’ll have to pick some up tomorrow after work.”

“That’s why I’m here. I’m headed into town to grab a few things.”

“You staying in Chestnut Mountain?”

“I was going to run over toward Longmont.”

“There’s a Home Depot over there that has what I need. The Market in town is lacking in the hardware department. Mind if I join you?”

“Sure, but we need to leave now if we want to make it back before the kids get out of school.”

He takes a step closer toward me, the aroma of his masculine scent and sweat permeating my nostrils. “Never pictured our first date being a Home Depot run, but I’ll take it.”

I roll my eyes and leave the bathroom, calling over my shoulder, “It’s not a date.”

“If that’s what you need to tell yourself, kitten.”

The fuck? I turn back to him, shooting him a death glare. That’s a line from Hitched and Tied. I know it is. I’ve had to reread it multiple times while writing the next book in the series. Come to think of it, Sawyer has said or done several things over the past few weeks that sounded oddly familiar. Is he reading my books?

He raises his palms. “Not kitten. Got it. Doesn’t suit you anyway.”

“Are you fucking with me? Did RJ put you up to this?”