by Jill Kemerer
They both raised their eyebrows with amused expressions and sat back.
“I thought everything was going okay with him.” Eden watched her thoughtfully. “Did something happen?”
Her tension mellowed. What was wrong with her? These were her friends, and they were just having some fun.
“No, nothing happened. I’m sorry. It’s just all new.” It wasn’t. Not really. The past two weeks had allowed her to get to know him better, and her gut was screaming he was a good guy. But was he?
It was too early to tell.
“Well, I give you a lot of credit for accommodating him,” Brittany said. “I’m sure it hasn’t been easy rearranging your schedule to let him get to know the baby.”
Actually, it had been easy. Very easy. He’d made few demands, and had bent over backward to see Phoebe only when convenient to her.
“So you don’t know how long he’s staying in town?” Nicole asked. “Do you think he’ll make it permanent?”
Hope zinged up her spine.
“I don’t know. I don’t think he knows his plans yet.” But if he did stay... She pictured outings together like last week’s shopping expedition, and more walks by the river with Phoebe. Friday nights for pizza and catching up.
“Have you heard anything more about the inn?” Eden asked. “Has Nolan been back?”
“No to both.” Good, a change in topic was desperately needed. “Apparently Nolan’s been away on a business trip, and Babs said she’s had a few nibbles but no bites.”
“Well, that’s good news, right?” Nicole asked.
“Yes, it buys me time.”
“Oh, Eden—” Brittany whirled to face Eden “—do you think you’d have time this week to come over to the studio and look at the apartment above it with me? Mason insists it’s time to renovate, and I agree, but I want a female opinion.”
“I’d love to.” Eden’s face lit up.
They got out their phones and checked their calendars. As Brittany and Eden discussed the layout of the apartment above Brittany’s dance studio, Gabby watched the horseshoe game. Mason and Ryder were partners, and Dylan and Judd were the other team. The clink of metal on metal and a round of female cheers on the other side of the horseshoe pit told her someone had scored.
As Stella and Misty high-fived each other and cheered for Dylan, Gabby tried not to get annoyed. Dylan wasn’t hers. Not even close. And she had dating rules.
No cowboys. Especially good-looking ones.
She needed to douse these feelings—the attraction and the jealousy—pronto. Nothing good would come from them.
* * *
Dylan couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent an afternoon with such welcoming people. Mason had invited him to stop by the ranch anytime. Judd had been quiet, but he’d mentioned hunting together this fall. And Ryder had peppered him with questions about being a ranch hand after Dylan told him he didn’t have a ton of experience and that Stu was teaching him everything he needed to know.
He hauled the cooler to the back of his truck, then returned to the pavilion to help Gabby collect her dishes and the camping chairs she’d brought.
“All set?” He slung the folded chairs in their bags onto his shoulder.
“I can get them. You don’t need to help.” She carried a casserole dish in one hand and held out the other.
He ignored it. “I want to.”
They made their way to her car, and he waited for her to pop the trunk before setting the chairs inside. She stowed the dish in there as well, then straightened and slammed it shut.
“What are you doing now?” he asked.
“Picking up Phoebe from Babs’s place.” Her gray eyes gleamed with attitude. He wasn’t sure why.
“Want some company?” He hoped she understood he meant he wanted to be with her, not just to see the baby.
“Why? Are you lonely? Stella would be happy to hang out with you.” A sarcastic smile briefly lifted her lips.
“I would never be that lonely.” He couldn’t help noticing they were only a few inches apart. He instinctively wanted to close the gap. “I had a good time today, and I don’t want to go back to the sauna yet.”
“The sauna?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I’ve named my cabin the sauna. It’s about the same size as one, and it’s definitely the same temp.”
“Really? Even with the new fan?” She leaned against her car. “I thought you were a big, strong cowboy. Aren’t you supposed to be immune to the weather?”
“You’re thinking of a Navy SEAL. I’m a mere man.”
“I suppose you could come over for a while—to enjoy my air-conditioning.” She brought her index finger to her lips, not meeting his eyes. “Give me fifteen minutes to pick up Phoebe and meet me at my place.”
“Done.” He opened her car door and waited for her to slide into the driver’s seat. Then he bent slightly and tried to find the words he wanted to say.
She looked up at him with a confused expression.
“Thanks. For inviting me today. For letting me come over now.” He straightened and shut her door before she could respond.
Idiot. He didn’t know what he’d wanted to say, but it wasn’t thanks for inviting me.
He marched back to his truck, only to be waylaid by Stella and Misty.
“We’re going to Rendezvous Saloon tonight.” Stella acted coy. “Why don’t you join us?”
The last thing he wanted to do was go to some bar with these two. “Uh, no, thanks.” He gave them a smile. “I have plans.”
And he waved to them, got into his truck and slowly backed out.
He had Gabby to thank for that—he had her to thank for everything. Raising his niece. Getting him a job. Introducing him to her friends. Making him feel like he belonged here.
He’d find a way to repay her.
The trust fund and child support came to mind.
Not yet.
But he’d have to do it soon.
Chapter Nine
She’d messed up. She shouldn’t have told Dylan to stop by.
Gabby set the empty casserole dish in her sink and filled it with hot water. Phoebe had fallen asleep on the way home from Babs’s place, and Gabby had left her strapped in her car seat on the living room floor. Dylan would be here any minute. What had possessed her to tell him to come over?
Flattery. That’s what.
He’d made it clear he preferred her company to Stella’s and Misty’s, and instead of being rational and reminding herself they were mere words, she’d clung to them. And she shouldn’t have. He was her friend. Nothing more. And she’d make doubly sure to keep it that way.
She couldn’t rely on Dylan. If she started leaning on him, getting close to him... It would only leave her with hurt feelings or worse.
A knock on the door set her heartbeat off on a mad dash. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to keep her pace slow as she approached the door and opened it.
Dylan held two iced coffees in his hands. “Thought you might need one of these. Hope you like caramel macchiatos.”
“Ooh, they look great. Thanks.” She stepped aside to let him in. His arm brushed her shoulder, and she was all too aware why the ladies had flocked to him at the picnic. He had a presence. He didn’t need to flirt for attention. He automatically got it. “Make yourself at home.”
“This is much better than the lumpy sofa at my place.” His knees splayed and legs sprawled as he got comfortable on the couch. He’d taken off his running shoes, and somehow made the shorts and T-shirt look even better than his formal church outfit—and that had been appealing indeed. “Is your coffee okay? I wasn’t sure if you liked the sweet stuff.”
She’d already slurped a long drink and practically swooned at the frozen deliciousness. She took a seat on the chair near the couch and kicked her feet up
on the ottoman.
“I love the sweet stuff.” She took a moment to study him. He looked more relaxed here than he had at the picnic, and that was to be expected. Meeting new people could be overwhelming. There was an air of contentment around him as if life didn’t get much better than this.
As a matter of fact, she had a little of the same feeling, too.
“You had a good time today, didn’t you?” She watched for his reaction.
His smile was instant and genuine. “Yeah, I did. Your friends are nice. I like them.”
Pride filled her chest. Who didn’t want to hear they had good taste in friends?
“I agree. They’re great.”
“So what was the deal with Eden and Ryder?” He sipped his iced coffee and watched her through those curious brown eyes.
“What do you mean?” She didn’t think there was a deal between them—had she missed something?
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I got the impression she doesn’t like him much.”
“Really?” She curled her legs to the side. “Why do you say that? She’s never said anything to me.”
It didn’t surprise her Eden hadn’t said anything negative about Ryder. She kept her opinions to herself. Gabby, on the other hand, spoke hers loudly and often.
“Maybe I’m wrong. She acted funny when he arrived, and it almost seemed like she was trying to avoid him, but he wasn’t taking the hint. He followed her a couple of times.”
“He did?” She hadn’t considered Ryder and Eden could be on the outs. But why would they be? He wasn’t even from around here. He lived in Los Angeles. Just because he’d been visiting more often didn’t mean there was something going on between them she didn’t know about.
“Yeah. But she was talking to that guy—the one in jeans and a cowboy hat.”
He’d just described half a dozen guys there.
“Did he have short black hair? A slight gap in his teeth?”
Dylan lifted one shoulder. “I don’t know. I didn’t get a good look at him. It wasn’t the jokey guy who was all over you. It was the quiet one.”
Must have been Judd. And Cash had not been all over her. “Cash is friendly to all the ladies.”
“He looked extra friendly when he was with you.” The words were low, almost beneath his breath.
“Yeah, well, that’s his way.” She should be offended he was judging Cash, but she wasn’t—in fact, she felt positively buoyant. Was he jealous?
“I know. I could tell you were trying to get away from him. Some people are hard to shake.”
“Like Stella and Misty?” She blinked innocently.
“Yes. They aren’t just hard to shake, they need to be professionally removed—like superglue or a termite infestation.”
She laughed.
“Are you seeing any of those guys?” The question sounded light, but the gleam in his eyes told her otherwise.
“No.”
“Why not?”
She dunked the straw into the coffee a few times. “I’m not into cowboys.”
“And why’s that?” He sank back into the couch, his expression serious.
Instead of automatically changing the subject, she stared at him. They’d shared personal stories before, but none this close to her heart. Telling him about Carl—not everything, obviously—might not be a bad thing. If he knew why she didn’t date cowboys, he’d get the hint and know she wasn’t interested.
“I told you about my dad.” She set the drink on a coaster on the end table, steepled her fingers and brought them below her chin. “My ex also let me down.”
“What did he do?” He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.
“He wasn’t who I thought he was. I was eighteen, a senior in high school, planning a way for Allison and I to move out of Mom’s trailer after I graduated, and Carl came along. He was older, tall, good-looking—a cowboy. All the girls crushed on him when he rode into town. And I couldn’t believe he noticed me.”
Dylan scowled.
“We started dating almost instantly. He said all the right things, and I lapped them up like the naive schoolgirl I was. Of course, I thought I was so smart and cool. I wasn’t.” She shrugged one shoulder in self-mockery. “I’d had a job at the grocery store since I turned sixteen, and I worked as many hours as possible outside of school to save for Allison and I to live on our own. Within a few weeks, Carl had a funny habit. He always needed me to pay for whatever we were doing. He’d claim he lost his wallet or had lent money to a friend. Soon he needed help paying for his gas or an overdue bill. He’d always look so embarrassed. I would give it to him. In my eyes he was perfect.”
Dylan shifted but didn’t speak.
“He always assured me he’d pay me back as soon as he got paid. I dated him for six months before I realized he wasn’t faithful.” She almost choked on the words. He’d been more than unfaithful; he’d been married to someone else. After all these years, the shame of it still felt fresh.
“I never saw a penny of my money again,” she said. “It was a hard lesson to learn.”
“Did you break up with him?”
“Yeah, but it took me a couple more weeks before I realized he wasn’t going to change and he didn’t really love me. Allison and I moved to Rendezvous not long after I graduated. We stayed with our grandma. Starting over in a new place helped a lot.”
“Do you ever miss him?” Dylan asked gently. “Did you love him?”
The questions surprised her. Previously she would have said no, she hadn’t loved him or missed him, but now that she was older, she could admit the truth. “Yes and yes. But also no and no.”
He barked out a laugh and shook his head. “Well, what is it? Yes or no?”
“At first I missed him terribly. I was convinced I loved him. I thought he was the love of my life. I had wedding bells in my head. But after being away for a while, I realized I only missed who I thought he was, and that I’d fallen in love with a mirage, not a real person.”
“Hmm...” He sat back again, staring ahead as if contemplating her words. “I never thought of it that way, but I know exactly what you mean.”
“You do?” She hadn’t expected him to understand. “What happened to you?”
“Robin. She and I met at a party of a mutual friend. She was smart, gorgeous and she wanted to talk to me. Like you, I was surprised she chose me. She was so friendly and outgoing. Soon, we were dating. I worked for my dad at the time.”
“What did you do for him?” It was odd he would think a beautiful woman choosing him would be surprising. Didn’t he know how handsome he was? And his undemanding personality drew people to him.
“Eh.” He shrugged. “Mostly pushed papers around and made sure people were doing what they were supposed to.”
“You weren’t working on a ranch?” She’d never pictured him pushing papers and managing people.
“No, not at the time.”
“What kind of company was it?”
He didn’t meet her eyes. “It was in the energy field.”
He seemed embarrassed. Maybe his dad hadn’t been a very good businessman or something. She’d seen plenty of businesses come and go in Rendezvous.
His jaw clenched. “Anyway, Robin and I dated for several months. At first I liked her take-charge attitude. She made the plans. It was nice. Until she decided to take charge of my entire life. Everything was about getting ahead, meeting the right people. No matter what I did, it disappointed her. When I told her Dad sold the company, she left me.”
Her spirits sank. She hadn’t been the only one used and dumped.
“I tried to get her back, but she was done.” His fingertips tapped against his shorts. “After my dad died, she suddenly came back into my life. She wanted to get back together—she was back to happy, friendly Robin. But it was because of the inheritan
ce.”
“Oh no, that’s terrible!” Gabby pressed a hand over her chest. She thought back to when they’d first met, and she’d been convinced he was just another deadbeat cowboy. All because Carl had hurt her. How had Robin’s treatment of him colored his first impression of her?
“I survived.” He shrugged.
Phoebe made noises, alerting them she was waking up.
“She’ll be hungry.” Gabby got to her feet and headed to the kitchen to make a bottle.
“Do you mind if I turn on the Rockies game?” he asked. “If you had plans or something, though...”
“Go ahead. I don’t mind. I like to keep up with the scores. People staying at the inn love talking sports.” She actually enjoyed watching baseball games in the summer. Plus it seemed something friends would do—not romantic at all. And if he was going to be here, she might as well keep it as far from romance as possible. Now that he’d opened up to her about his ex and his previous job, she felt closer to him. It was fine if they were going to be semirelated through Phoebe, but it wasn’t fine at all if she started to fall for him.
The sound of the television clicking on mingled with Phoebe’s fussy sounds as Gabby prepared the bottle. Then the baby grew quiet. Gabby peeked around the cupboard, and her heart melted.
Dylan had gotten Phoebe out of the carrier and was cradling her to his chest. He bounced her gently, whispering something in her ear.
There was something about seeing a brawny man tenderly holding a baby that went straight to her heart.
Maybe watching baseball together wasn’t a good idea.
You’re just lonely. This doesn’t mean a thing.
“Can I feed her?” He met her eyes as she approached him with the bottle.
It seemed a harmless request. Why was her stomach dipping in resistance?
“Sure, why not?”
He settled on the couch with Phoebe in his arms and began feeding her the bottle. Phoebe stared at him with laser-like intensity, and Gabby returned to her chair.
As she watched them, her eyes grew heavy. The crack of the bats and drone of the announcers on television only lulled her more. She tried to stay awake, but it had been a long day. She’d close her eyes. Just for a minute.