Chapter 27
Miranda
I’ve come up with no less than thirty excuses to get out of Sunday dinner with Hayden.
Especially knowing I’ll have to wait until the middle of next month before I can move.
I’m sure there are other apartments out there that are ready for immediate occupancy…
but I fell in love with the second place I looked at yesterday.
It’s a small garden apartment that has that small-town feel I’ve been terrified of losing.
I already know how I’ll decorate the patio to make it really feel like home.
Sierra is the only reason I haven’t canceled.
That’s what I tell myself, anyway. In reality, I want to see Hayden.
It doesn’t matter that he’s right about all the reasons we can’t be together.
The pull is just as strong as it’s always been.
With a slow, calming breath, I turn onto the long gravel drive that leads to his ranch.
I knew where he lived, but I’ve never been to his house before.
When I round the bend his ranch comes into view, and I gasp.
It’s beautiful. It isn’t huge, but it has a classic farmhouse look.
The rocking chairs and porch swing, combined with the hanging baskets, make it look welcoming and inviting.
It reminds me of something out of a movie.
I already know I’m going to fall in love with the inside, too.
Parking beside his truck, I try my best to ignore the front door swinging open.
With another slow breath, I step out of the truck and finally allow myself to look up.
Hayden’s large form fills the doorway, and my mouth goes dry.
Or maybe I’m drooling. I can’t even tell.
He’s wearing a nice pair of jeans and a black button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. And that sexy-as-hell smirk on his face doesn’t help.
Relieved that I went with a sundress and my good cowboy boots, I paste on a confident smile and make my way to the porch. His smirk turns to a full smile when I reach him at the doorway.
“Hey, city girl,” he teases.
“Can’t call me that yet, cowboy.”
He steps aside and gestures for me to enter his house.
As I suspected, the inside is just as inviting as the outside.
Hardwood floors. A simple but cozy charm.
And the food smells amazing. My stomach growls loudly, and his smile lets me know he definitely heard it.
Fortunately, Sierra comes bounding up the stairs and breaks up the awkward silence drifting between us.
“Hey, Miranda!” she says before pulling me into a hug. “I feel bad that I’ll be missing dinner. Next time!”
My jaw drops and I stare at her in disbelief.
If I had known she wasn’t going to be part of this, I likely would have used one of the many excuses I had ready to go.
I fight irritation as I consider that this was his plan the whole time, but when my eyes dart to Hayden, he looks just as surprised as I am.
“What are you talking about, Sierra?” he asks in a low voice.
“Misty is picking me up. I’m sleeping over, since there’s no school tomorrow. Remember?”
“Remember?” he echoes in dismay. “How could I remember when this is the first I’m hearing about it?”
Sierra glances at me before placing a hand over her chest. “I could swear I told you ages ago.”
Hayden looks at me with an expression I don’t recognize. Worry? Regret? Whatever it is quickly fades when he returns his attention to Sierra. He opens his mouth to speak, but she looks out the window and then darts to the door.
“That’s her now. See ya! You guys have fun.”
And then she’s gone, leaving the two of us staring at the closed door in silence.
Alone. I get a strong feeling that Sierra did not tell Hayden.
Nor were these plans made ages ago. She’s trying to play matchmaker, and I can’t decide if it’s cute or terrifying.
She must have picked up on something, no matter how hard I’ve been fighting my feelings.
Hayden gives his head a shake and then turns to me. “I swear I didn’t trick you into coming here to be alone with me. Once again, I’m not a caveman. We can have dinner alone, and I won’t bash you over the head with a club and drag you into my lair.”
“Well, that’s boring,” I quip.
Hayden lets out a surprised laugh, and instantly, the air in the room feels lighter.
He leads me into the kitchen and pulls a chair out from the kitchen island.
He shoots down my offer to help before I even get the words out, instead gesturing for me to sit.
When I remove my large purse from my shoulder, I remember the bottle of red wine I brought.
Hayden was adamant that I not bring dessert or a side.
So, I brought a bottle of my favorite wine.
“Oh. Here. You told me not to bring food; you didn’t say anything about wine.”
After placing the bottle on the table, he retrieves two glasses and fills them halfway. He picks up his glass and waits for me to do the same. “To our surprise date.”
Laughing, I raise my glass and carefully tap it to his. “Cheers.”
I try not to allow any drool to escape as I watch Hayden move about in the kitchen.
He walks past me, and I realize his feet are bare.
And it’s doing something for me. I’m used to seeing him completely put together, with cowboy boots and a hat, but he’s completely relaxed and comfortable despite my being here.
Between that and the corded muscles of his forearms, I just want to throw my panties at him right here and now.
I laugh at the thought right as he approaches with a casserole dish.
He places the dish on a potholder before looking at me with a raised brow. “What’s funny?”
I laugh again, and my cheeks heat. No way will I be telling him what’s got me laughing. So, I blurt out the first thing I can come up with. “Oven mitts.”
Seriously? That’s the best I can do? They are basic oven mitts, but I’m committed to this lie, so I try to find something—anything—to find fault with. “They’re very pretty and made me wonder if you have a matching apron.”
A smile spreads across his face, and I find myself grinning back at him. Once again feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush, I cast my eyes downward to try to give myself a moment. By the time he returns with the rest of the items and sits beside me, I’m mostly able to play it cool again.
When he uncovers everything, I discover he cooked my mother’s pot roast with mashed potatoes and rolls. First, he learned to make my mother’s chicken alfredo, which he knows is my favorite. And now this, which I also love.
“Hayden…” I trail off, unable to find the words I’m looking for.
“I wanted to make something both you and Sierra would like. I really didn’t know she had plans, and I get the feeling the plans came after I invited you to come over for dinner.”
“You may have something of a matchmaker on your hands,” I say with a laugh. “Teenagers…”
“I guess I could have worse problems than a kid who’s trying to help me out.”
“I didn’t realize you needed help in that department. Although now that I think about it, I’ve never seen you with a woman,” I say casually before digging into my food.
We’re both quiet for several moments while we eat. It’s delicious, of course. Possibly even better than my mother’s, not that I would ever tell her that. The fact that he learned how to prepare it to make both Sierra and me happy, probably makes it even better.
I push my plate forward so I can rest my elbow on the island and turn to face him. “You didn’t answer my question.”
Hayden takes his last bite of food, chews slowly, and swallows before turning the rest of the way to face me. “You didn’t ask one.”
“Why haven’t I seen you date?” I ask boldly, fighting the way the low timbre of his voice goes straight through me.
“Hmmm. I’m pretty sure I asked you about your dating situation on our trip, and you dodged it. So, you first.”
“Obviously, I’m not dating anyone. I’ve dated here and there. But none of them—” I stop myself before I say none of them were him. “None of them were right.”
He hums again before tucking a few stray hairs behind my ear. My skin tingles beneath his touch, and I instantly think about our night together. One night was definitely not enough.
“And what would the right man be like?”
My breath catches, and I swallow hard. “Nope. It’s your turn.”
“You haven’t seen me date because I don’t. You’re the only woman I’ve been with since we met.”