Page 33 of Roping Her In

She fell back in her chair, her mouth open and her eyes wide, with no sound coming out.

“Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that you’re doing a good job, and that everyone here at the ranch appreciates your hard work.” He cleared his throat and seized onto every ounce of bravery he possessed. “Especially me. So…thank you for doing a good job.”

Hailey smiled. “You mean thank you for not being Patrick.”

Jake burst out laughing, noting that Hailey only giggled and shook her head.

“You two are like night and day,” he said. “He’s probably not as bad as we think, and you’re probably not as good, but the difference between you is astounding.”

“Hey, I’m just as good as everyone thinks I am.” Hailey grinned at him and then laughed again.

The moment sobered, and Jake cleared his throat. “So, listen,” he said. “I know things between us have been a little bit….”

“Unconventional?” Hailey suggested.

“Sure, unconventional,” he said, wishing he wasn’t struggling with the English language quite so much today. “I totally lost my head when I kissed you right before Thanksgiving.”

He looked down at the enchiladas, his thoughts running a mile a minute. He forced himself to look up at Hailey again, though he didn’t want to. His momma had taught him to make eye contact with the person he spoke to, and if he couldn’t say this to Hailey now, he had no idea how they could start building a relationship beyond her being an intern at the ranch.

“But I did it, because there’s this sparking, fizzing attraction I have for you. I think you’re beautiful, and smart, and talented.” He paused for a moment, then pushed forward. “Libby’s hosting a Valentine’s Day dance here at the ranch, and I’m wondering if you’ll be my date to it.”

Hailey looked like he’d thrown a gallon of ice water in her face. He had spoken that last sentence in a complete rush, and perhaps she hadn’t understood him.

She made no move to pluck another chip out of the bag and eat it, and Jake’s face grew hotter and hotter with every second that ticked by.

Finally, Hailey blinked, and it seemed like she got released from whatever trance she’d fallen into. “Yeah.” She really dragged the word out in her sweet Texas twang. “I’ll go to the dance with you.”

A smile burst onto his face, and Jake chuckled. “Seemed like you had to think real hard about it.”

“No,” she said quickly. “I just—I’m a little surprised.”

“By which part?” Jake held her gaze then, and Hailey’s eyes turned a bit hard.

“You’re an enigma, Jake,” she said. “I can never tell what you’re thinking or feeling, and it throws me off a little.”

He nodded, because he’d gotten exceptionally good at walling himself off from others since returning to Three Rivers. “Fair enough.”

She tilted her head and peered at him, as if studying a momma cow and trying to assess it without using any medical equipment. “Why are you like that?”

“Maybe this is just my personality,” he said.

Hailey started shaking her head before he’d even finished speaking. “No, nope.” She paused for a moment. “No, something happened to you.” She leaned back, as if just realizing how intensely she’d come off. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. I mean, I changed after the arrest, because it made me realize that my life was stale and stagnant, and that I didn’t really have a purpose at all.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” he said quietly.

“I didn’t even know what I liked doing, and the reason I’d gone into restaurant management was because I had no idea what to study in school, so college felt pointless.”

Jake took another bite of his lunch, content to listen to her talk for a moment.

“And I needed a job, and I didn’t really want to work on the ranch, and I just sort of moved up the ranks as the years slipped by.”

“But you love working with animals on a ranch now, right?” he asked.

“Yeah.” She smiled and sank even further into the chair. “Yeah, this is an amazing job. I love it.”

“I’m glad.” He gave her a small smile and knew he wasn’t getting out of sharing something about himself. He told himself he wanted to. That this was what people did when they were getting to know one another.

He’d asked her to the dance early, as they still had a month until Valentine’s Day. He wanted to hold her in his arms and sway with her, kiss her at the dance, and know what to buy her for the most romantic night of the year.