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“Only because we had a short night.”
“What time is it?”
“Nearly six thirty.”
His eyes flew wide. “Are you kidding me?”
“No.”
He turned and jogged back to the bedroom without another word.
She went into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee, but he came out fully dressed—boots and all—before she could even get the beans ground.
“Gotta go,” he said. “I’m late for a meeting.”
“Where?”
“At the office.”
“With Stuart?”
“And Lynn, who’s already mad at me.”
“Why’s she mad?”
He hesitated, then seemed to think better of explaining. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”
Would they even be talking later? She’d resolved that she’d allow herself only one night with him.
She gestured to the counter where she’d been using the grinder she’d purchased from Jane Tanner’s vintage furniture and gift shop a few months ago. “So...no coffee?”
“Not today. But thanks. I’ll... I’ll call you later.”
She said okay, even though she wasn’t sure he’d actually do it. She wasn’t sure she wanted him to. It’d be smarter to move on as if last night had never happened. After all, what could they say? There was nowhere to go. Sex with her hadn’t changed his relationship with Stuart, Lynn and Leo.
And yet... Part of her hated the idea of him walking away and never thinking of her again. Abigpart.
She expected him to turn and go. He was obviously feeling some pressure. But he surprised her by taking the time to cross the floor and kiss her on the forehead. “Don’t worry about anything. It’ll be fine,” he said. Then he hurried out of the house, and she went to the window to watch him stride to the barn. Although he soon disappeared from view, memories of their time together paraded through her mind.
She’d never felt quite the same with any other man, which worried her.
All the more reason to keep your distance in future.
His truck passed in the gathering dawn, and she sighed. Sleeping with Hendrix had probably been the stupidest thing she’d ever done. She was supposed to be looking for a man who could love her and make her happy, not creating more problems than she already had.
But she’d just experienced one of the best nights of her life. So much about the way he’d behaved—generous, tender, funny and sweet—made it hard to simply forget and move on.
She could do it, though, couldn’t she? If she got back on track immediately, maybe they’d get away with what they’d done. As far as she was concerned, life owed her a freebie. Until now, anything that could go wrong typically had.
She allowed herself a smile as she remembered Hendrix pressing himself inside her.Thathad been a moment.
She was still thinking about it an hour and a half later while standing outside the bank, waiting for it to open. But her good mood quickly dissolved when Jay Haslem called to say someone had vandalized his new well.
Nineteen
Jay had found the well cap removed and “Ellen’s a bitch” spray-painted on the only building on the property—a rickety old chicken coop. There were tire tracks in the mud by the well itself, and after trying to run the pump and getting no water, Ellen knew what had most likely happened.
“What do you mean someone’s put trash or rocks or something down the hole?” he asked after she explained. “Who would do such a thing?”
