27. HAYLEY
Chapter twenty-seven
HAYLEY
These days, I always wake before my alarm clock rings. Without fail, the first thing I do is check my phone for a message from Austin. My heart races as I reach for the device, hoping to see his name on the screen.
The room is still dark, and I have to squint as the bright light from my phone illuminates the space around me. I open my messages, and suddenly, I'm scrambling up in bed, my sleepiness disappearing in a second.
"Oh wow!" I repeatedly yell, my voice growing louder each time.
There it is: a message from Austin: " I am back ."
Those three simple words send excitement through my entire body. I jump out of bed, nearly tripping over my own feet as I race straight for the bathroom.
"Come on, where is it!" I half yell, half whisper as I grab my brush. Then, I clean up in record time, scrubbing my face and brushing my teeth with more vigor than necessary.
Since I have a little more time before we see each other, I decide to put in a little extra effort. Blotting some lipstick on my lips, I aim for that 'I just woke up, but I'm effortlessly beautiful' look. As I look at my reflection, I can't help but groan. It looks like I'm trying way too hard.
I reach for a napkin, cleaning up a bit. "Okay, this is it. This is better." Shaking my head, I race back to my wardrobe, pulling out two dresses. I hold each one against me, twirling in front of the mirror as I try to decide which one looks best.
"Come on, let's see," I mumble to myself, finally settling on the yellow dress. It's cheerful and bright, it will make me stand out in the morning, right?
After brushing my hair to a sheen, I finally head out of the cottage.
Badum. Badum. My heart...
I'm not exactly running, but I'm certainly not taking a leisurely stroll either. My heart pounds with each step, and even though I try to hide it – I'm sure anyone could tell I'm excited with one look at my face.
By the time I reach the vegetable garden, I spot a figure in the distance. Even from afar, I know it’s Austin. It feels like a scene from a movie as we both make our way towards each other, meeting in the middle of the garden.
The expression on Austin's face looks exactly like mine – just pure excitement to see each other again.
I know it has been just a few days since I last saw him, but really... I'm so glad he’s back.
For a moment, I'm not sure if I should hug him or not. Before I can make up my mind, Austin takes the step first. He wraps his arms around me, and I don't fight it. Instead, I hug him back even tighter.
His familiar scent envelops me, and I instantly feel relaxed. It's as if all the tension I've been carrying melts away in his embrace.
"Welcome back," I murmur into his chest.
Austin pulls back slightly, his eyes twinkling. "It's good to be back. I missed this place... and you."
My cheeks warm at his words. "When did you get in?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Middle of the night," he replies with a grin. "I was tempted to wake you up, but I figured you might not appreciate a midnight visitor."
I laugh, shaking my head. "Probably not. Though I might have made an exception for you since it means we would have seen each other earlier."
Austin's grin widens. "I'll keep that in mind for next time." His eyes roam over the vegetable garden, and a mischievous glint appears in them. "You know, this reminds me of a certain incident involving you, my dogs, and some stolen vegetables."
I groan, burying my face in my hands. "Are you ever going to let me live that down?"
"Not a chance," he chuckles. "It's not every day I catch a beautiful woman raiding my garden in the middle of the night."
"I was hungry!" I protest, fighting back a smile. "And your vegetables looked so good."
"Well, how about I make it up to you?" Austin says, his tone suddenly softer. "Would you like to go on a date with me? A full day, just the two of us?"
My heart skips a beat. "A date?" I repeat. I mean, it's not the first time we’ve gone out. But for some reason, this feels different.
Austin nods, looking slightly nervous now. "Yeah, a proper date. We could explore the town, have a picnic, and maybe go for a hike if you're up for it. What do you say?"
"I'd love to," I reply, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
His face lights up. "Great! Oh, and speaking of dates, how do you feel about car shows?"
I tilt my head, wondering if it's related to what he's planning. "I guess they could be interesting. Why? Are you inviting me to one?"
"As a matter of fact, I am," he grins. "There's a show in town on Saturday. I thought maybe you'd like to come with me."
"I'd love to," I nod, realizing suddenly that we're holding hands. As Austin continues speaking, all my attention is focused on our entwined fingers. I'm giggling inwardly, marveling at how natural it feels.
"Hayley?" Austin's voice breaks through my reverie. "Are you okay?"
I look up, meeting his concerned gaze. His free hand reaches out, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. The gentle touch sends a shiver down my spine.
" Uhm, excuse me you're the cause of all of this.” I yell inwardly.
"Do you need to go to work?" he asks. "I can drive you if you'd like."
I shake my head, lying through my teeth. "Actually, I'm taking a break today. I have no appointments."
I'm just going to ignore the mountain of documents I need to go through.
Relief washes over his face. "In that case, would you like to have breakfast with me?"
"I'd love to," I reply, then add, "Oh, and thank you for ordering dinner for me the other night. I was so surprised, and it was a great meal."
Austin's smile is warm. "It was my pleasure. I'm just glad you got something to eat."
"Give me an hour to get ready, and we can go into town for breakfast," I suggest.
But Austin shakes his head. "How about I cook for you instead? If you don't mind, that is."
I raise an eyebrow, impressed. "You cook too? Is there anything you can't do?"
He laughs, a rich, warm sound that makes my heart flutter. "I guess you'll have to stick around to find out."
"I should go change," I say, suddenly self-conscious about the effort I put into my appearance earlier. I mean... it's a date now. I should probably have left the makeup I cleaned.
Austin squeezes my hand gently. "You don't have to. You look beautiful always, Hayley."
My heart skips a beat at his words. Without letting go of my hand, we begin walking towards the main residence. Along the way, we pass several ranch hands who greet us with knowing smiles and tipped hats.
"Boss you're back!"
"Beautiful mornin' Miss Hayley."
"Of course it's a beautiful morning, there's love in the air."
"Ooooh, they're holdin' hands. What a fine day indeed."
I feel my face turn as red as a tomato, but Austin doesn't let go of my hand.
"Cut it out, guys," he calls out good-naturedly. "Don't you have work to do?"
"Sure do boss!"
"We will get right at it!"
As we enter the house, we're greeted by Austin's dogs. They bound up to us, tails wagging furiously.
"Aww... look at these cuties." I coo, scratching their bellies. It's been a while since I’d seen them. And although Sarah is welcoming, it is kind of awkward to visit when Austin isn't around.
"Where's your cousin?" I ask, noticing she hasn't come out.
"Sarah? She went back home yesterday," Austin replies, leading me to the kitchen.
"Oh, that's a shame. I would have liked to say goodbye."
Austin smiles. "I'm sure you'll see her again soon. I'll start cooking right away." He says, heading to wash his hands.
"I can help you with anything. What should I start on?" I ask, looking around to see what I can do.
"Now, sit down and relax. Let me handle breakfast." Austin ushers me to one of the kitchen chairs.
Despite my protests, he doesn't let me help. I watch in amusement as he moves around the kitchen with ease, and I can tell this isn't his first time in the kitchen. Within minutes it seems, he manages to pull something that smells delicious from the oven.
"Look at you, Gordon Austin," I tease. "Should I be expecting a Michelin star meal?"
He laughs, plating up a spread of vegetable quiche, crispy bacon, and fresh fruit.
I'm not going to lie – I think I drool a little.
"I don't know about Michelin stars, but I hope it's edible at least." Austin grins, patiently waiting for me to take a bite.
"Alright let's see," I say as I dig in. "This is delicious, Austin. Seriously, where did you learn to cook like this?"
He shrugs, looking pleased. "Just picked it up here and there. I'm glad you like it." I probably shouldn’t tell you yet that I own a bunch of luxury hotels with chefs who love to teach.
As we eat, a question that's been nagging at me finally bubbles to the surface. "Austin, can I ask you something? Do you remember the first day we met?"
"Sure do. On the side of the road, I thought I came across the most beautiful girl in the world." He says softly, leaning in to squeeze my hand.
"I-"
I swear my face is as red as ketchup. This man sure is lethal to my heart.
Clearing my throat, I continue. "Why did you leave me on the road the day we first met?"
Austin's fork pauses halfway to his mouth. He sets it down, his expression turning serious. "Hayley, I never left you there. I sent Old John to help pick you up."
I blink in surprise. "Old John – Oh..."
He sighs. "There was a fire at the ranch that day. I had to hurry back to help contain it. But I couldn't just leave you stranded, so I asked Old John to go find you and give you a lift."
I sit back, processing this information. Now that I think about it, I never questioned how Old John had just appeared on that desolate road, knocking on my broken-down car window. I had chalked it up to chance, but it had been Austin all along.
"I had no idea," I say softly. "Thank you for making sure I was taken care of."
Austin reaches across the table, taking my hand once again. "Of course. I'm just sorry I couldn't help you myself."
Our conversation flows easily after that. I ask him about his trip, curious about what took him out of the country.
"Was it related to the ranch?" I inquire.
Austin hesitates for a moment. "Something like that," he replies vaguely. I sense there's more to it, but I don't push. Instead, I let the conversation move on naturally.
We chat and laugh, and the warmth in my heart grows with each passing moment. Austin's smile, his laugh, the way his eyes crinkle at the corners - it all feels so right, so perfect.
But suddenly, a thought intrudes on my happiness. Will this last ? Is it possible that this is happening to me?
As if sensing my sudden unease, Austin squeezes my hand. "Hey, you okay?"
I look into his warm, concerned eyes, and I feel my doubts start to melt away. Maybe it's too soon to know if this will last forever. But right now, at this moment, I'm happier than I've been in a long time.
"I'm perfect," I reply, squeezing his hand back. And I mean it. "Gordon Austin." I tease him again, causing him to chuckle.