CHAPTER SIXTEEN FINLEY
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
FINLEY
When I wake the first thing I notice is the weight pressed against my chest. Alex is tucked into me, her body pressed close, my arm draped around her.
Freckles are dusted across her cheeks like stars in the night sky, and her dark lashes fan over her skin. She looks like an angel, so delicate and peaceful.
I shift a little, careful not to wake her and glance at my watch. 8 a.m. Damn. What time does the store open? Nine?
She stirs then, her body shifts against mine, and her eyes flutter open. She looks at me for a moment, a little dazed and sleepy.
“Good morning, pretty baby,” I whisper, my voice rough from sleep.
She grins, slow and soft, those perfect dimples forming on her cheeks. God, that smile. I swear the sun wouldn’t rise without it.
She sits up, rubbing her eyes, her voice soft and raspy with sleep. “Coffee.” She mumbles.
I chuckle. “You read my mind.”
She smiles faintly, still half asleep, and gets up to gather her clothes. I sit up, watching her for a moment before getting up. I’m still in disbelief. Alex Rhodes. Naked. In my arms.
Once I’m dressed, I start picking up the sleeping bags and clearing the snack mess from last night.
Alex slips out toward the little café corner to make us coffee, and I finish tidying up. “Where should I put these sleeping bags?” I ask holding the bundle up.
She looks up, “I’ll store them in the office.”
I nod, then head toward the doors to check outside. The snow’s stopped, sunlight spilling across the road, reflecting off the thin layer of ice that clings to the ground.
“It looks much better out there,” I say as she returns, two steaming cups in her hands. “The sun’s out. Might even melt by tomorrow.”
“Good, we have a contest to win this weekend.” She winks, handing me the cup.
The phone at customer service rings. She walks over and picks it up. “Thank you for calling Oak her tone softens into something more casual. She glances toward the doors. “We’ll open at ten today. See you soon. Okay, bye.” She hangs up.
She glances at the computer screen on the desk. “Looks like the power came back on sometime overnight.”
“I guess you need to go home and get ready for the day,” I say. I pause, then add, “Or… do you want to take the day off? Maybe grab some lunch, find something fun to do?”
She looks at me like I’ve just said something crazy. “Like… with you?”
I laugh. “Yes, with me.”
Her eyes scan the store, weighing the idea, before they flick back to me. Then a smile tugs at her lips. “Sure.”
She pulls out her phone, taps at it a few times, then slips it back into her pocket.
After she gathers her things, we head toward the door. She locks up behind us, and I fall into step beside her.
I open her car door, and she looks up at me, still smiling. Always smiling. “Follow me home?”
I nod, my mind racing—should I kiss her? I want to. But I don’t. Instead, I just awkwardly stare at her until she slides into the driver’s seat.
I stand in her kitchen, watching her retreat to the bathroom, her voice calling back, “Make yourself at home.”
The apartment is… her. Cozy, warm, small, and incredibly clean. The white couch gleams under the soft light, and I don’t even think about touching it. Farmers and white furniture don’t exactly mix.
I wander over to bookshelves, running my fingers over the spines. Romance novels. Lots of them. She really loves this stuff. Competing with real-life men? No problem. Competing with fictional men? No chance. I chuckle under my breath.
I find one that looks interesting, “Romance in the Barn.” Huh. I tuck it under my arm and make my way back to the kitchen, sliding onto a stool.
And my mind starts racing. About her smile. Her eyes. About how impossible it seems to let someone in after everything I’ve been through. How could I ever have a close relationship without her spending time on the farm?
The event went fine, but I can’t exactly lock up the bulls every time she shows up. Send everyone home and cut off the equipment every time she visits?
I drop my gaze to the floor, chest tight with doubt and conflict.
Then she steps out.
The scent of her—sweet, floral, clean—hits me, and all doubt, all fear, vanishes in an instant.
I’ll figure it out. If she even wants me to, that is.
I lift the book I swiped from her bookshelf, holding it up. “Mind if I borrow this?” I ask, trying to keep my tone casual.
Her face lights up, and she grins. “Ooo, I love that one! Of course—borrow any you’d like.”
She walks over to me, hips swaying with every step. She stops just in front of me, close enough that I can feel the warmth of the shower still clinging to her.
She wraps her arms around my neck and murmurs, “I would never expect you to be a romance guy.”
I chuckle, running a hand along her back. “I want to try something new. Anything with a barn on the cover must be good, right?”
She laughs and tilts her head. “So… are you ready to go?”
I nod, excited to spend the day with her.