Chapter Two
S adie’s childhood crush frowned. “No, sorry, I don’t.”
Ouch.
She lifted her chin. “I’m Sadie Quinn.”
His frown deepened. “The name sounds vaguely familiar but…” His voice trailed off, increasing her disappointment.
Double ouch.
She winced inwardly and thought about feeling sorry for herself when his next words stopped her burgeoning pity party in its tracks.
“Pretty sure I’d remember someone as beautiful as you.”
Well, dang.
To say she was shocked didn’t quite capture the ripples of disbelief rushing through Sadie. Her eyes widened so much it seemed they might pop out, and her mouth? Stupid thing hung open like a fish out of water.
“I…uh…thanks,” she managed to say, then laughed. “But I don’t think you thought that when we were in high school.”
The handsome guy went brows up again. “No way we went to school together.”
“Yes way,” she countered with a snort. “But I was a lowly freshman when you were a popular senior.”
And she’d been waiting to grow into her body while he was hot, and gorgeous…
A sexy grin spread across his face.
Her heart leaped, partly from attraction but mostly from mortification. “I said that out loud, didn’t I?”
His smile widened. “Affirmative.”
“Super.” She shook her head and laughed. “Well, my crush on you wasn’t really a secret in high school.”
Her friends had known, so had most of the school. Heck, even her cousin up in Michigan had known, mostly because Sadie and Harper had always confided in each other. They were more like sisters than cousins. Definitely best friends, and currently, she was working on getting Harper to move down to Harland.
“It was to me,” Dale said, bringing her mind back to their mortifying conversation.
The way he spoke, though, didn’t sound as if he was laughing at her. In fact, it held a hint of disappointment.
Of course, that couldn’t be right. She chalked it up to the shock of seeing him again and the way he’d snuck up on her.
“And I do remember you now.” He grinned. “You’re Quinny .”
This time, her heart didn’t rock, the sucker rolled straight into her ribs. She’d always hated that nickname, but hearing him say it in his deep, sexy tone sent goosebumps down her arms.
It was a whole lot of crazy.
So was the heat rushing up into her face. Dang. She hadn’t blushed since she was a teenager. As a matter of fact, the last time had been in his presence.
“Yep,” she said. “But I haven’t been called that since I graduated over a decade ago.”
Ranger chose that moment to rub against her legs.
Happy for the distraction, Sadie knelt in front of the cutie to scratch behind his ears. “Feeling better, buddy? Your dad said no snacking between meals, but all I have next door is cat food anyway.”
Ranger licked her nose.
Sadie smiled. “Thanks for understanding.”
“You kept him at your house last night?” Dale asked, squatting to pet Ranger, brushing her bare arm with his in the process.
Her pulse promptly broke into a crazy beat. Stupid thing.
“Yeah.” She nodded, silently scolding her body to get a grip. She was no longer a shy, inexperienced teenager. Besides, she was mad at him and his brother for not wanting the family ranch and breaking their dad’s heart.
“Thanks,” he said, lightly cupping her arm to bring them both to their feet. “That was sweet of you.”
“I…” She cleared her dry throat and because Sadie was sure she liked the feel of his warm touch, she moved away to clean the dog’s food and water bowls. “Ranger would’ve been fine on his own last night, but I wasn’t fine with it.”
“I appreciate you looking out for him and my dad,” he said.
“No worries.” She lifted a shoulder as she pushed a strand of hair off her face. “I also ran to the ranch and fed and exercised his horses this morning.”
“Again, very sweet of you,” he said, his gaze full of warmth and appreciation before a knowing gleam appeared. “You’re the one who brought the balloons and Ranger’s photo to the hospital, aren’t you?”
Her mouth twitched. “Guilty. I whipped up the frame and snapped the photo yesterday before heading to see Sam. I craft when I get nervous, or when I’m happy, sad, anxious. Basically, when I’m breathing.”
Dale laughed and the surprise that swiftly flickered through his eyes told her he hadn’t laughed in a while. “Good to know.”
“You know what else is good to know?”
He narrowed his sexy brown gaze. “What?”
“Maybe next time, don’t sneak up on the person helping your dad. I almost threw a bottle of ketchup at you.”
His chuckle filled the space between them. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Warmth spread through her body, and because she refused to resume her former habit of crushing on him, she gestured to the table, where she’d neatly arranged yesterday and today’s mail. “I brought that in for your dad. Any idea when he’ll be home?”
She knew Sam had hoped it would be today, but Sadie doubted it, considering his injuries.
Dale shrugged, a cloud of concern dimming his gaze. “Not for another day or two, then he has rehab in his future.”
Dang.
“I thought as much.” She sighed. “Well, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to take him to his appointments.”
Sam Taylor had gone to school with her dad and had become like a second father to Sadie after her parents retired and moved to Florida four years ago. She suspected her dad had asked his friend to keep an eye on her, because Sam had commissioned her to do some decluttering and small redesigns around his ranch over the past few years, even allowing her to film them for her online channel.
So, when he told her he planned to retire and sell the ranch, she’d jumped at the chance to pay him back by putting him in touch with her friend Emily’s older sister’s husband. Josh was a retired rodeo legend, looking to buy good quality breeding bulls. A win/win for everyone.
Not long after that, the house next to her went on the market, and that was how Sam became her neighbor. He’d confided in her that his lucrative business, plus the selling of his livestock had made it possible for him to buy the house without first selling the ranch.
She was pretty sure he’d delayed putting it on the market, hoping that one of his sons would want it.
“Thanks for the offer, Sadie,” Dale said, bringing her mind back to the present. “But I’m here now. I’ll make sure he’s taken care of.”
She frowned. “Are you on some kind of leave?”
He shook his head. “No. I’m home to stay.”
To stay?
Sadie blinked, trying to digest his meaning. “As in no more Navy?”
“Affirmative,” he replied, and a flash of sadness flickered through his eyes but disappeared so fast she questioned her eyesight.
Hope brightened her outlook. “Does this mean you’ll take over your father’s ranch?”
“I don’t know.” He shoved a hand through his hair and exhaled. “I hate to see the Taylor property go to someone else, but ranching is not in my blood. I have no interest in it.”
Even though she wasn’t crazy about his answer, Sadie couldn’t fault the guy for being honest, or for not wanting to be forced to do something he didn’t love.
That would make her a hypocrite, since her parents had hoped she’d take over their small accounting firm, and she’d chosen to follow her passion for art and creativity instead. She had, however, taken over their house and was now the fourth generation of Quinns to own it.
“Perhaps you could live there and do something else?” she ventured to suggest, wanting to see Sam’s wish fulfilled.
Dale straightened his shoulders. “Perhaps,” he replied, his tone a little less warm. “I’ll discuss it with my dad when he’s up to it. He didn’t put it on the market yet, right?”
She nodded. “Right. I believe he’s having a hard time doing it,” she added, wanting to convey his father’s reluctance.
His gaze narrowed a second before he let out a long breath, and the weight of exhaustion settled into his features and slumped shoulders.
Okay, now she felt like a jerk.
“I’m sorry, Dale,” she said, briefly touching his arm. “I should go. I’m sure you didn’t get much sleep last night, plus you drove in.”
He smiled wryly. “Didn’t sleep at all. I packed up and drove straight to the hospital after Gabe called yesterday.”
Worse than a jerk. She felt like a jerk -ass.
Sadie might not be an accountant, but she’d definitely inherited her parents’ knack for numbers. After a quick calculation of drive time from Virginia, she determined Dale had driven for an entire day, pushing no sleep to the next level.
She glanced around his broad shoulder at the clock on the microwave. “I have a meeting in ten minutes,” she said, if one called joining her friends for lattes and donuts a meeting. She did. “Then I plan to visit your dad this afternoon. You should take a breather and crash for a bit. Sam and rehab were never meant to be in the same sentence. You’re going to have your hands full. Take advantage of the peace and quiet while you can.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine,” he said, and she blinked again because his exhaustion miraculously disappeared.
“How did you…Is that a SEAL thing?”
He chuckled. “Something like that.”
Her phone buzzed with an incoming text. She pulled her cell from her pocket and smiled at the display.
Lattes in ten.
On my way , she typed in response, before stowing her phone.
“Your meeting?” Dale asked.
“Affirmative,” she replied, using his earlier response. “I strongly urge you to reconsider that nap.”
He lifted a brow and regarded her closely. “I don’t nap, unless I’m exhausted from a…physical workout.”
Holy freaking SEALs.
She set a hand to her throat, trying to keep her thudding heart inside. “Dale Taylor, are you flirting with me?”
Had to be a mistake.
That sexy smile returned to tug at his lips. “What if I am?”
“Then I need to go outside and check the sky.”
He frowned. “What for?”
“Because surely it’s full of flying pigs,” she replied, bending to pet Ranger before she marched straight out of the house and away from temptation.
The last thing she needed was to fall under that man’s spell again.
Too bad he was exactly what she wanted. What, no— who —she’d always wanted.
For the first time in two months, Sadie wasn’t so thrilled to have Sam living next door.