Page 36 of Roping Her In

“Yes, please,” Hailey said, though she’d already had a cup that morning.

He filled two mugs and brought them over, then returned to the kitchen for cream and sugar.

“How’s your wrist?” she asked, noting that he didn’t wear the sling today, and he hadn’t yesterday either.

“Real good,” he said. “I knew it would only take a couple of days to heal up.”

She nodded and lifted her burrito to her mouth. A moan instantly came out with the deliciousness of the salted, creamy eggs and that crunchy bacon. The tater tots had plenty of seasoning too, and yes, this man could cook.

She heard herself too late, and sudden mortification struck through her. She froze, her big bite of burrito still taking up too much space in her mouth.

Jake watched her, a smile on his face growing larger and larger. “It’s that good, huh?”

Hailey chewed and swallowed as fast as she could. “I’m so sorry. That was so embarrassing.” She covered her mouth with her napkin, and then met Jake’s eyes.

His danced with merriment and a playful tease Hailey didn’t think the man possessed. “I liked it,” he said. “I don’t think anyone’s ever moaned that loud over something I’ve cooked.”

Hailey’s chest pinched, but she lowered her napkin and sighed. “My momma’s a real good cook, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, and he took a bite of his burrito too. A bit of ketchup leaked out the bottom corner of it. “I liked her enchiladas a lot.”

“Well, we’re moaners over food in our family.” She threw up both hands like it was one of the worst things a person could do. “Momma always wanted us to let her know if we liked the food, so my daddy started making tons of moaning noises and going on and on about how good it was.” She grinned at the happy memory. “All of us kids do it, and it’s kind of turned into a family joke.”

Jake nodded, and he swallowed and smiled. “Like I said, Hailey, I liked it.”

She picked up her burrito and took a second bite, making a very conscious effort not to make a noise at all. Jake watched her, and then laughed as he shook his head.

“Come on,” he said. “That was a pretty pitiful performance compared to the first bite.”

“It’s really good,” Hailey told him.

Jake accepted the compliment, and everything between them seemed to settle and feel easier.

“So,” he said. “Do you have any fiancés or ex-husbands I need to know about?” He pulled in a breath. “You are single, right?”

“Of course I am.” She gave him a dry look. “Would I have said yes to the Valentine’s Day dance if I had a boyfriend?”

“You never know,” Jake said. “Women do.”

“Oh, they do not.” She shook her head. “And I wouldn’t.”

“No, I don’t suppose you would.” He kicked her another grin and took another bite of his breakfast burrito.

“No serious ex-boyfriends,” she said. “No ex-husbands either. I’ve dated here and there, but not much, especially since the arrest. I haven’t dated anyone since then.”

Their eyes met, and questions swirled in his. “Is there a reason why?”

“You’ve been around me,” she said.

He tilted his head, clearly confused.

She sighed, wondering how to explain her whole personality to him and keep him interested in her. “I’m kind of like a pit bull,” she said, trying to make her voice as amicable as possible. “When I grab onto something, I don’t let go. And after the arrest, I was working at Shiloh Ridge, which is fine, but not what I want to do with my life, and I’m already thirty-six, you know?”

Jake nodded and kept on with his breakfast.

“So I met with Elaine Walker, and we started talking about different options for me. She suggested veterinary technician school, and it sounded really good. And when I prayed about it, it felt really good. It felt right. And well, I know I can be a little bit intense sometimes, I guess what I’m saying is—that’s been my focus. I haven’t really thought about dating.”

She reached for the sugar bowl and put a couple of spoonfuls into her coffee mug. “What about you? Did you always know you wanted to be a vet?”