Chapter 4 #3
Flirting? Dating? He wasn’t even sure he remembered how.
‘She’s not …’ Hayden started, then trailed off. Not a fling. Not a punchline. And definitely not a bet.
Gavin raised his palms in mock surrender. ‘Hey, no pressure. Just a bit of fun. Maybe you could use some, you know … living again.’
Hayden stared down at the worn timber table beneath his fingers.
Part of him wanted to walk away. Part of him knew he should.
But then he looked up and saw her laugh at something Molly had said.
Saw the way she swept her beautiful, loose hair behind her ear, as her eyes scanned the room, soft and searching.
And when their eyes had met moments earlier, her expression had shifted, just slightly, to be more open, a little uncertain, and warm in a way that made his chest tighten.
Maybe it wasn’t about the dare. Maybe it was about whether or not he still had the courage to try.
Because if he were being honest with himself, that’s what Casey would want for him.
To be loved, to love. She certainly wouldn’t be happy with him living out his days as a heartbroken man who could never love another again.
So he drained the last of his second beer and stood, slow and steady, grabbing the replacement schooner Gavin had zealously ordered him five minutes earlier.
‘Fine,’ he muttered, voice low. ‘You’re on, Gav.’
Gavin grinned like a man who’d just won the lottery. ‘Good lad.’
Hayden shook his head, already regretting it.
This wasn’t who he was. And this sure as hell wasn’t a game.
But as he started towards the table where Brianna sat, all the noise of the pub seemed to fade behind him.
For the first time in a long while, he was walking towards something that might matter.
And just by acknowledging this, his determination remained steadfast, and he was determined to prove not just to his mate, but perhaps to himself, that what he felt for Brianna was worth pursuing.
That perhaps it was a bond strong enough to transcend a simple wager among friends.
* * *
A sharp gurgle from Brianna’s stomach startled her into sitting straighter. ‘Oh god,’ she muttered, pressing a hand to her midsection. ‘I really need to pick what I want to order because I’m absolutely starving. I honestly don’t even know when I last ate.’
Molly raised a brow. ‘You got carried away saving animals’ lives, and skipped lunch again, didn’t you?’
‘Uh-huh.’ Brianna gave a sheepish nod.
‘Well then, Doc Steele, let’s get food sorted before you faint dramatically into Hayden Pierce’s lap.’ Molly’s cheeky grin was addictive. ‘Though he might not mind.’
‘Molly!’
But before Brianna could properly protest, the feel of the pub shifted slightly. Footsteps approached her, unhurried but deliberate. She felt the change in the air before she saw him.
‘Evening, ladies,’ came Hayden’s voice, smooth and unassuming.
‘Howdy, Hayden,’ Molly chimed with a bright smile.
Brianna looked up, and there he was, framed by the warm light of the overhead pendant. ‘Hey,’ was all she could muster.
He had a full beer in hand and an easy smile on his lips, with his hazel eyes flicking from Molly to her. ‘Mind if I join you two for a bit?’ he asked, his voice carrying just enough of a question to seem polite but not unsure.
Molly, with the grace of someone who’d seen more than her share of these moments, gestured to the empty stool beside her.
‘Of course not. Though I was just about to pop over and say hi to Gwen before she heads off, so you two behave yourselves.’ She stood with a knowing grin.
‘If you order, can you grab me the lamb ragu with garlic bread please.’ Then, patting Brianna’s shoulder, she slipped away into the crowd.
Hayden slid into the vacant stool, placing his drink on the table as his gaze settled comfortably on Brianna.
‘You look like someone contemplating the meaning of life, or maybe just the menu.’ An aura of earth and leather surrounded him like an invisible cloak, bringing with it the essence of the land itself.
She laughed, grateful for the moment to regroup. ‘Definitely the menu. I just realised I haven’t eaten since this morning, and now I’m thinking I could inhale an entire cow.’
‘Lucky for you, they’ve got the best steak burger this side of Australia,’ Hayden said. ‘Or you could go the country classic, chicken parmi, extra gravy for the beer-battered chips, and no judgement.’
Her mouth watered at the thought. ‘Honestly, both sound incredible.’
‘Well, let’s order both and share,’ he offered, his tone casual but laced with something warmer. ‘No pressure. Just food diplomacy.’
Her glossy lips curved into a smile. ‘All right, steak and parmi. I like your style.’
He caught her expression and returned it with a smile of his own – subtle, but undeniably pleased.
As they signalled for the waitress, their knees brushed beneath the table, a brief touch that lingered longer in her memory than it had in reality.
And just like that, after placing their order along with Molly’s, they settled into an easy, effortless rhythm.
The noise and bustle of the pub faded into the background, their shared laughter becoming the intimate soundtrack to a moment that whispered of potential under the twinkling southern stars shining down on the Gum Boot Hotel’s corrugated-iron roof.
And try as she might to remain platonic and businesslike, Brianna found herself drawn into the current of Hayden’s easygoing nature, and the way his husky laughter mingled with hers in a duet that felt as natural as the chorus of kookaburras at dusk.
And while they bantered and laughed, keeping the topics light and friendly, a connection blossomed between them, delicate yet undeniable, like the first tender shoots of wattle bursting forth in springtime.
With two quite strong vodka sodas under her belt now, she was finding her resolve slipping.
She knew it was dangerous ground, that she was allowing herself to fall for his charms, but hey, she was single, so she was legitimately allowed to flirt.
And that, in itself, certainly didn’t mean she would be tumbling into a committed relationship anytime soon.
It just meant she was a normal twenty-nine-year-old woman, who hadn’t had sex for almost … she quickly did the maths.
Two. Whole. Years.
When a lingering break arrived in the conversation, Hayden leant forwards, resting his elbows on the table. ‘So, enough about our work and the weather, how are you finding Sweetwater so far, Bri?’
Ahh, Bri, she liked it when he called her that.
His casual question hung between them, simple yet meaningful.
She instinctively knew it wasn’t the idle curiosity of small-town gossip, but the genuine interest of a man whose life was deeply rooted in the wellbeing of this community.
Wanting to give a thought-out reply, she took a tentative sip of her drink before answering, with her gaze locked onto his over the rim of her glass.
There was something disarmingly earnest in his manner, a directness that spoke of long days facing the elements where pretence was worn away like soil in the rain.
Far out, he’s so … mmm!
Lord help her.
Find your voice, Brianna. ‘It’s … a little different to Huntingvale,’she finally admitted with a smile. ‘But there’s a certain charm to Sweetwater, a sense of connection to everything around you that’s hard to ignore.’
‘Ah, you’ve noticed that too?’ Hayden’s grin broadened, and he leant back comfortably in his chair, arms crossing over his chest as if her observation had bridged a gap. ‘It’s the heartbeat of this place, I reckon, and once you feel it, you’re pretty much a part of it.’
‘Is that so?’ Brianna asked with interest.
‘Absolutely,’ he continued, earnestness shining in his eyes even in the dimly lit room. ‘It’s in the whisper of wind through gum leaves, the rolling hills on the horizon, and the stars shining brighter than anywhere else.’
‘Stars shine pretty bright in other places too,’ she said with a soft smile.