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“Nah, that shit has got nothing to do with me.”
“Doesn’t it, though? You know about it… that makes you guilty by association.”
“Fine, then I guess I’ll tell her what I know.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” he growls. “I said I’m going to handle it.”
“Your dad won’t stop until he removes her from that property.”
“If she won’t sell, he doesn’t have a choice. I’ll just have to convince him that we’re better off finding somewhere else to build the wellness center.”
Holy shit. This sounds nothing like the Hayden I know. “You really fucking like her.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Okay.” I nod. “Maybe you can pull that off.” Hayden is nothing if not determined and stubborn as hell when he puts his mind to something. “But you don’t think she’s going to be pissed when she learns the only reason you met was because you were planning to convince her to sell her family’s fifty-year-old business?”
“And once she learns we’re roommates, you think she’s going to let that go?” he volleys.
“No, I’ll have to grovel like crazy,” I admit with a smirk. “But at least I’m not the man trying to singlehandedly destroy her life. There’s no way she’ll pick you over me.”
“I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” he says. “May the best man win.”
“Oh, I plan to…” Because the prize—it’s her goddamned heart, and I have every intention of it becoming mine.
“Welcome to Heart’s! How can I…?” The second Bree sees it’s me, her words fade away, and her eyes narrow into thin slits, telling me what Hayden said was the truth. For whatever reason, she thinks I didn’t call or text her.
“What do you want?” she asks, popping her sexy hip out and dropping her hand onto it.
“You.”
“Obviously not, or you would’ve called or texted.”
“I did.” I pull out my phone and open it up to the thread where my messages went unanswered. “But you didn’t respond. Which is why I’m here. Any reason you didn’t reply? I mean, if you didn’t want to see me again…”
“I did,” she says, shaking her head. “I thought you didn’t. I never got a single message or call from you. I swear.” She pulls out her phone. “What’s your number?”
I give it to her and a few seconds later, my phone rings. Only her name doesn’t come up, but a number that’s almost identical to hers, aside from one digit. “It’s a one.”
“Huh?”
“The last digit. I thought it was a two.” I open her contact and show her before I slide my phone into my pocket. “I had a good time with you, and I called the next morning to see if you’d like to go out again. When you didn’t answer, I left a voicemail. Then later, I texted…twice, but apparently I wasn’t calling or texting you. I should’ve come by sooner, but I figured it was your way of saying you didn’t want to see me again.”
“I would’ve responded,” she says. “I thought you not calling was your way of saying you didn’t want to see me again. I know things got kind of…deep. I was venting, and then I dropped the kid bomb and that I googled you. And for a second, I went all woe is me…” She laughs nervously. “Honestly, I wouldn’t have blamed you for running for your life.”
“I’m not running anywhere,” I tell her. “Unless it’s toward you.” I wink playfully, and she throws her head back with a laugh.
“Go out with me tomorrow?” I could take her out tonight, but tomorrow is Saturday, which means, if I go for tomorrow, I’ll get the whole day with her.
My question sobers her up. If I didn’t know she went out with Hayden last night, I’d think she was reluctant to go out with me, but because I know what she doesn’t, I recognize the guilt. She likes us both.
“We’re not like dating, right?” she asks, then cringes. “It’s just casual, getting to know each other?” Ahh, so she’s trying to justify dating us both. Fuck, she’s so innocent and adorable.
“Yeah, casual.”
“Okay,” she says, smiling softly. “Then I’d love to go out with you.”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up at nine? Is that too early?”
“No, I’m a morning person. Should I dress a certain way?”
“Whatever you’re comfortable in. We’ll be doing some walking.” She mentioned on our date the other night that she loves to try out different bakeries, and since we discussed her possibly putting her products into other businesses, I think the perfect date could be checking out various places.
“Sounds good.” She grins, her twin dimples popping out, and I wish I didn’t need to get to work so I could spend the day just staring at her. But since I have a business to run, I head to the office after buying a coffee and muffin.
I spend the morning going through a bunch of emails, dealing with a contractor who’s pissing me off, and having a meeting with the architect I have handling the new club that Hayden and I are partners in.
