AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Atley
For the first timein forever, my old crusty ass was excited about a big event at the ranch. But it was more than the end of the successful harvest and this weekend’s stomp. I was excited about changing my life and going all in on Rae. This morning’s date was only the start. This time, I would… date the hell outta her.
No sneaking around. No leaving her a note in the morning as I crept out the hotel room door. And I was spending the night if I earned my way back into her bed.
I jogged up the stairs to the guest house while I whistled “Deep in the Heart of Texas.” The first fingers of dawn had turned the sky a pale blue-gray, and a soft breeze stirred the air. I had a surprising amount of energy considering I’d been up most of thenight driving a tractor. Instead of being delirious, I was high on the success of the harvest and the possibility of fixing things with Rae.
Hopefully turning our non-relationship into a genuine relationship would go as well as the harvest. We’d only had a few minor mechanical glitches over the three days. Nothing we couldn’t handle. A flat tire on the tractor, a loose hydraulic line on the harvester.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I murmured to myself as I stared at her door and squared my shoulders.
I was doing the dating thing right this time. Our second chance would be fairy tales, moonbeams, and all the hot sweaty naked nights she could handle. But first, I was taking her on a date… or three.
I knocked on the door and waited, anticipation churning in my gut. This was what I should have done from the beginning. I owed Wilson for the kick in the ass that got me here. To stop from ripping open the door, I shoved my hands deep in my back pockets.
Tunnel vision wasn’t something people outgrew; rather, it got worse as you aged—ingrained. Little kids thought they could be anything: the president, a firefighter, a unicorn. Adults accepted the status quo, accepted a shitty set of circumstances as the only reality. We stayed in our lane.
Today I was swerving out of my lane and whipping a huge U-turn. Hopefully, Rae would join me for the ride.
The door opened, and my carefully composed speech about how I desperately wanted a second chance to make things right and was a jealous idiot who reacted poorly to her and Gabe’s professional relationship dried up and blew away in a cloud of Texas dust. Jeans and a white shirt had never looked so sexy.
“I missed you,” was all that squeezed out past my tangled-up tongue. Fuck, I hated words.
With the weight of expectation and disappointment looming, I held out my hand and willed her to take it. Actions were concrete and important. If she took my hand, I had a chance. If not… she was only here for the tacos or to slam the door in my face.
It felt like she looked at my tanned, calloused hand for ten minutes before she tangled her small, soft fingers in mine. I nearly fell to my knees at her acceptance.
“I missed you too, cowboy.” Her eyes darted to my face and then away. The nervous way she bit her lip and shifted her weight reminded me of our night in Dallas. When she’d fumbled the hotel room key and I’d almost walked away…
“I should have given you my number in Dallas.”
Her eyes widened and locked on mine. She gripped my hand and searched my face, looking for more.
“I should have kissed you that first day at Blue Star.” I shook my head at my stupid lack of action. “Walked right past your brother and everyone else and kissed you.” Afraid she might pull back, I sandwiched her hand between both of mine and squeezed. “I should have done a lot of things differently.”
“My shattered beer bottle must have put you off your game.” Her words were soft and tentative, testing the waters before jumping in.
“No games. Not anymore. What we have is more than chemistry. It’s special and deserves a chance.” Stepping closer, I crowded into her personal space. The silk of her skin called to me. I cupped her face and traced her cheekbone with my thumb. The scent of roses and something else special that was indescribably her filled my lungs.
“That day in Austin”—she took a small step back, her eyes downcast—“was some kind of bad dream. When you brought me Georgie and we fought about him instead of talking about the things we should have…”
“I was running scared and needed a way out.” It was hard to admit, but that day had been me protecting my heart. A heart I’d barely acknowledged until Rae brought it to life.
“I understand self-preservation. It’s why I let you walk away.” Her sad smile overflowed with regret.
The realization that I caused her so much pain hit hard, and I wanted to go back in time and kick my own ass.
“At our age, a do-over shouldn’t be out of the question.”
“Not a do-over, a…” She cocked her head. Her marketing brain worked overtime. “A refresh. Do over sounds like we made a mistake. We just got a little lost.”
I nodded in wholehearted agreement. Lost was the right word. I’d been lost for a long fucking time.
“Are you going to find your way to joining me for breakfast tacos?” Feeling daring, I gave her the low-voltage version of my legendary heartbreaker smile.
“What girl says no to a handwritten invitation and a single rose left on her doorstep inviting her for sunrise tacos?”
Hell yes, looked like my first try at a romantic gesture had been spot on.
