"I hope that means you're happy to see me," she says with a broad smile.
"I am." I reach her and give her a quick embrace, practically getting a face full of her red curls. "It's been too long." Mariah is my sister-in-law's best friend from the city. When Regina and Josh got married, we really hit it off while helping to plan the wedding. But with her PR job calling her back home, we haven't seen her since. "Does Regina know you're here?"
"I just came from the house. Overheard the shearers saying a bunch of them are heading into town tonight to blow off a little steam, so we're going to get all hotted up for a girls' night. I thought you might like to come."
"Normally I'd say yes, but this farm girl has herself a date."
"A date?" Her eyes brighten. "With who? One of the shearers?" I nod. "Good for you, girl. There's just something about those strong, sweaty men working hard all day that really gets you going." She leans in close and drops her voice conspiratorially. "You know, I specifically arranged my vacation time so it lined up with shearing season. Figured I might bag myself a foul-mouthed sheep wrangler to have a holiday fling with."
I giggle a little, loving her candor. "You don't want something more than just a fling?"
She raises her brows. "With a shearer? They'll be packed up and heading to the next farm before things can get too serious.” I nod along. She sounds like Josh, and even though I know this is the truth, I can’t fight the tight feeling I get in my stomach at her words. “I was doing a little research online—as you do, I needed to see images—and the general consensus is that they're great for some lighthearted, no strings attached fun. Terrible if you're looking for some kind of commitment."
"Oh. Yeah. Of course. That makes sense," I say, suddenly feeling a little icky about how fast things have been going with Hayes.Does he just see me as some lighthearted fun he plans to leave behind in a couple of weeks?Logically, I know that’s probably the truth, but all of a sudden, I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don’t want a fling with him. I want something real.
"Hey, why don't you come and get ready for your date with me and Reggie? We'll help you do something sexy with your hair."
"Really?" I grin. "Yeah. I think that'd be fun." Miffy lets out a bark like she agrees.
"Well, there we have it. Even your dog thinks it's a good idea."
Giving her a scratch on the head, I start heading toward the farmhouse with Mariah, chatting up a storm and catching up on everything that's happened between the last time I saw her and now. She has far more news than me since she has a high-powered job in the city, but I tell her all about my embarrassing encounters with Hayes, and before long, our stomachs are hurting from all the laughter.
"It sounds like this Hayes guy is a bit of a catch," she says, the laughter dying on her lips as we hear some men talking further down the road.
"Did you hear that?" I whisper, my eyes wide with curiosity.
"Over here," she says, tugging on my arm as we duck behind a shrub and peer out of it, trying to see who they are without being spotted ourselves.
"They're talking about Hayes."
She nods. "And you," she whispers back, her gaze fixed on the group of men walking along the road. They're not-so-quietly discussing how Hayes has been 'sneaking around with some doe-eyed girl'. One guy says that 'he'll get forced to the altar with a shotgun if he keeps carrying on the way he does', while another laughs and says that Hayes knows exactly what he's doing.
"He'll sweet talk her then dump her in a way that hasherthankinghim. The man is a god with the women. And then he'll just do it all over again the next time some wide-eyed and innocent looking girl crosses his path."
"Legend," one of the others says as they all laugh then change the subject. I step back a little, my hand sinking into Miffy's fur as I struggle to hide the hurt on my face.
"I'm so sorry, Kym," Mariah says softly. "That was harsh."
My heart sinks into my toes, their words echoing around my head like thunder rolling through an empty valley. Is this why Hayes has been so dogged in pursuing me? Has he just been using me for his own fun and planning on dumping me like all the other girls? The feeling of betrayal is heavy in my stomach, making it hard to breathe. I don’t know why I feel that way. I mean, it’s not like he’s promised me forever or anything. But I did at least think our connection was real. Not just some game he likes to play.What if I'm just one more notch on his belt that'll be forgotten by morning?
"No. I..." I shake my head, trying to get myself calm again by drawing in a deep breath and straightening my spine. "It's fine. You said it yourself. These shearers are only good for a bit of fun. I'm foolish to think there was more to it."
Mariah reaches out and takes my hand, giving it a squeeze. "That doesn't mean it feels good to hear them talking about you like that."
I quickly blink away the burning in my eyes and force a bright a smile. "You're right. And since I don't really want to be the butt of any more of their jokes, I think I might just skip my date and join you and Reggie on your girls' night out after all."
HAYES
With a handpicked bouquet of wildflowers in hand, I take a deep breath then head up the steps to knock on Kym's door. I've been looking forward to our date all day, picturing her in my mind with soft curls cascading around her face as she smiles shyly at me. I want to gather her hair in my hands and guide her as she gets on her knees and returns the favor from the pier this afternoon. Then I want to devour her from head to toe, bury myself inside her and whisper into her ear that she's mine now. No other man will ever touch what belongs to me.
She has no idea just how badly I want her, how I've been dreaming about our future together since the moment I saw her. I want her with a ring on her finger, pregnant in our kitchen while she peels apples for pies and I insist she rests so I can massage her swollen feet and take my meals between her thighs. I want to spend my life making her gasp and mew. I want to be the only man she'll ever need.
After no one answers my knock, my chest tightens and I try again. "Kym?" Leaning to the side, I cup a hand against the front window and try to peer inside. "You home?"
I take a few steps back, wondering if maybe I got the time wrong or if she was planning to meet me somewhere else.
Calling out for her again, I decide to head back to the main house of the farm to see if anyone there has seen her leave or knows where she might have gone.
