Page 89 of Blue Jean Summer

Chapter 22

Hayes

Getting back to normal felt good. After the upheaval of Granddad dying, moving back to the estate, and getting married, going back to work was a breath of fresh air.

I sat back as I scrolled through the latest market predictions for beef and milk, as well as a rumor mill report on expected hikes for export taxes and tariffs. Nothing like guys in suits fucking with the global food supply chain.

A knock on the glass panes of the study doors startled me. I glanced up from the endless charts and graphs and spotted Catherine peering in from the other side.

“Hey, do you have a sec?” she asked as I waved her in. She came in, not closing the door behind her. It must not be one of those “we need to talk” doomsday conversations.

“Of course. Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” she said with a bright smile as she rocked from her heels to her toes, then back again. “I just need a little favor.” She flashed a cheesy, hopeful grin and crossed fingers. “Can I borrow your SUV?”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Dream car not dreamy enough?”

“Oh, she’s dreamy, alright. She’s just a little lacking in cargo space.” Catherine pulled a handwritten list from her pocket. “I need to head into town and do some serious damage at the ag supply store.”

“Social initiative?”

Catherine nodded. “I’ve spent the last few days walking the ten acres you gave me and snooping around the old cabin up there. I’ve got a game plan, a shopping list, and a big money donor.”

“A donor, huh?” I crossed my arms. “Who do I have to fight?”

Catherine laughed. “Not a big big one. But apparently being a Wilder has its perks.” She smiled at my scowl, braced her hands on the edge of the desk, and leaned over my laptop. “Are you jealous?”

I was a lot of things, and jealous was definitely one of them. I was jealous of anything that her eyes gazed upon. Jealous of anything that was touched by her fingers. I was jealous of the damn coffee cup she had been sipping from when I came down to the kitchen this morning. And I was definitely jealous of the bed that held her over the last few nights.

After our little “performance” on our wedding night, Lewis had been nowhere to be seen, which meant the two of us went back to sleeping in our separate rooms.

I hated it.

I tossed and turned each night, all while wondering if she was doing the same. But each morning she looked prettier and brighter than the previous day.

“Yes,” I said matter-of-factly.

“Good,” she teased in a whisper. Her lips were a breath’s distance from mine. But instead of kissing me, her mouth parted in a victorious smile. “So, can I borrow your SUV?”

I reached into the pocket of my slacks and handed her the keys. “On one condition.”

“Shoot.”

“If the Moo Brew is parked near the ag supply, will you bring me one of those banana drinks?”

Catherine snatched my keys away. “I accept your terms. Nice doing business with you, Mr. Wilder.”

“Mrs. Wilder,” I called after her, making Catherine stop dead in her tracks. She turned, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. I crooked a finger, beckoning her back, then handed her my credit card. “Save your donor money for something else and see how close you can get to my daily limit. You remember the PIN?”

Catherine trapped her lip between her teeth and nodded as she gingerly took the card from me.

“Good girl,” I said as she turned to leave.

I watched her ass swing as she sashayed out of the study, winking through the glass as she pulled the doors closed behind her.

That ass…Damn.

I stared at the glass doors after the rumble of my SUV had faded with the image of Catherine in those little denim shorts burned into my memory.