Seeing her again so soon? “I’d like that. For now, though, I should actually get going. I agreed to help the construction foreman move in the morning.” It was both a good deed and sucking up to the boss in the name of job security. “Can I walk you back inside?”
She nodded, leaning over to rest her head against his shoulder. “I’m so glad you were here. I wasn’t in a great mood when I left the house, but tonight turned out to be nearly perfect.”
“Nearly?”
Her gaze dropped to his mouth, and the need to kiss her was overwhelming. He wasn’t entirely sure it was a good idea—but he was damn sure it was what they both wanted. He tipped her chin up with his finger, searching her expression for permission.
Her lips parted around a sigh, and he leaned in to temptation. She tasted sweet, her mouth hot and welcoming. Back when they’d gone to school here, he’d never participated in proms or pep rallies or homecoming. But Hadley’s kiss was its own kind of homecoming. She threaded her fingers through his hair, clutching him closer, and he was exactly where he was supposed to be in the world.
It wasn’t until some reunion-goers passed by too closely that he remembered where they were. He pulled away while he still could, resisting the impulse to lie her against his discarded jacket and trace more kisses along the curve of her ear, the hollow of her throat, the tantalizing dip of her cleavage.
“Wow,” she breathed.
“Tell me about it.” He rested his forehead against hers. “If you write half as well as you kiss, you’d better start packing for Colorado.”
It was a strangely reassuring notion, that she might be headed west soon. Because, if she stayed here, it would be damn difficult to keep from falling for her.
* * *
THE DAY THEY’D had lunch together, Grayson had mentioned he’d arrived back in Cupid’s Bow at night, and now Hadley understood why he’d chosen to make the trip while the twins were asleep. They never shut up. The drive to the Twisted R had never been more interminable.
Every time one of the boys started to tell her something, the other interrupted with something to add. Sam told her all about the Big Dipper and Little Dipper while Tyler wanted to talk about the garden and how spinach didn’t taste as bad as he’d feared, but that it didn’t make your muscles bulge out like in the cartoons. From there, the conversation spun to favorite animated shows and movies, with Tyler outing Sam for having a nightmare about a movie that “wasn’t even scary.” Grayson reprimanded Tyler, pointing out that people feared different things, and a discussion of phobias followed.
Sam leaned forward as far as his seat belt would allow, trying to poke his head in the front seat with the adults. “What are you afraid of, Miss Hadley?”
“Never having another moment’s peace and quiet?” Grayson asked under his breath.
Hadley laughed.
“What? What’s funny?” Tyler demanded. “Gray, did you make a silly face?”
“My silly faces are the hit of bedtime,” he boasted.
“And he makes silly noises, too,” Sam added. “He can—”
“Oh, I don’t think Miss Hadley needs to hear about all that,” Grayson said firmly. “In fact, maybe we should play the quiet game for a few minutes.”
“Sounds boring,” Tyler said suspiciously.
“But it might be good practice for school,” Grayson said. “You guys know you need to be quiet when the teacher is talking, right? And when the class is working on something, it’s best to only talk if you have a question. And then you raise your hand.”
“We know.” Sam’s voice held a hint of exasperation, and Hadley suspected this wasn’t the first time the boys had heard the back-to-school lecture.
“You two will get to meet Alyssa and Mandy at the ranch,” she said. Her friend Kate was one of the other bridesmaids and would have her stepdaughters with her. “They’re a couple of years older than you, but they go to Cupid’s Bow Elementary, too. You can ask them about kindergarten if you have questions. And guess what? They’re identical twins, like you.”
“Cool! We knew some twins in Oklahoma, but they were practically babies,” Sam said. “Too little to play with. Maybe Alyssa and Mandy can be our friends.”
“They’re girls,” Tyler pointed out.
His brother shrugged. “Girls aren’t bad.”
“Girls are awesome.” Grayson turned to look at the boys. “Just think about Violet and Hadley.”
“And our mom?” Sam asked softly.
From Grayson’s surprised expression, Hadley got the impression the twins didn’t mention their late parents often. Did he ever broach the subject, keeping the boys’ parents alive in their memory, or was it hard for him to talk about his friends?
“Yeah, buddy, your mom was the best,” Grayson said, his voice thick, “and she loved you and your brother very much.”
Silence fell then, and Hadley wondered what it must be like for the boys to relocate to a place where no one had known their parents. “Do you have pictures of your mom at Violet’s house?” she asked tentatively. “Maybe you could show them to me sometime. If you want.”
“And Daddy, too?” Tyler asked eagerly.
“Absolutely. They must have been pretty special people to have kids like you and a friend like Grayson.”
The boys nodded happily, and Grayson reached across the seat to squeeze her hand, a gesture she took as silent gratitude. Simple appreciation—no reason for her stomach to somersault and her skin to feel flushed. Except that ever since that kiss last night, Hadley felt different around him. Responded to him differently.
She shouldn’t read too much in to it. They’d been in a romantic surrounding, enjoying a nostalgic evening that brought them closer. A kiss good-night was a natural conclusion. It didn’t cancel out Grayson’s earlier statements that he had his hands full with the boys and wasn’t ready for romance.
Yet.
Was she projecting the word onto him? Maybe she shouldn’t, but just because he felt overwhelmed right now didn’t mean he would forever. Writers often had to be patient. It had taken her weeks to write the first short story she submitted and she’d waited months to hear back from the magazine.
Grayson was a man who would be worth the wait.
Chapter Nine
“Why are all of you so tall?” Sierra Bailey grumbled. She was definitely the shortest of the five women in the living room. But, then, she was often the shortest adult in any room. “Everyone is going to tower over me in the wedding pictures.”
“That may be the first time I’ve ever been described as tall,” Mrs. Ross said around the pin in her mouth. She’d just finished Becca Johnston’s fitting and had moved on to Kate Trent’s dress.
Hadley sat on the couch in her regular clothes, waiting her turn and occasionally checking the kitchen, where both sets of twins were playing a board game. The only bridesmaid not here today was the groom’s sister, Vicki, who was away at college, but Mrs. Ross had her daughter’s measurements.
“I can’t believe how fast you’re losing the baby weight,” Mrs. Ross said, adjusting the waist of Kate’s unfinished dress.
“I can’t believe she didn’t bring the baby with her so we could coo over how cute she is,” Becca complained.
Kate shot the mayor an apologetic look. “Cole feels like he doesn’t get much one-on-one bonding time with her. Since Luke’s running a 5K with friends and I have the twins with me, today was a perfect opportunity.”
“Speaking of running,” Becca said, “I’d better get changed and get out of here. Sorry I can’t stay longer.”
“Town emergency?” Hadley asked.
“No, Marc has a soccer game. I promised I’d be there before it’s over.”
“Well, at least you got to stay long enough to meet Hadley’s cowboy,” Sierra declared. “Dreamy!”
“He is supercute,
” Kate said, obligingly raising her arms so Mrs. Ross could keep pinning.
Hadley could object that Gray wasn’t “her” cowboy, but she couldn’t protest that he wasn’t good-looking. He was wildly attractive, and not just because of his build, or his thick hair or those mesmerizing dark eyes. There was—
“Hadley?” Sierra’s voice was a loud whisper, meant to carry. “Your cheeks are going all rosy. Something you’d like to share with the rest of the class?”
Hadley glared at her friend. “I’m going to get a glass of water. Which I may or may not dump on you.”
The other women chuckled, but they didn’t drop the subject. After Hadley returned with ice water and Becca had hugged everyone goodbye, Kate asked, “So how long have you known Grayson?”
“We both grew up here,” Hadley said, “so, forever. I mean, I don’t remember specifically meeting him. He was just there, in my classes, on the playground, at the high school. And now he’s back.”
“Romantic,” Kate sighed. “It’s like life is giving you a second chance.”
“More like a first one. We weren’t close before. And I’m not saying we are now!” she added before Sierra could make any knowing comments. “We’re still getting to know each other.” For instance, just last night, she’d discovered what a skilled kisser he was.
“Well, watch out,” Sierra said, “it can happen fast. After all, I only worked for the Ross family for a couple of weeks and now—”
“And now she is family,” her future mother-in-law said, eyes misty. She sniffled, turning back to Kate. “All done, dear. You go change while I get a tissue. Hadley, you’re up.”
“The dress is hanging in Vicki’s room,” Sierra said. “I’ll show you.”
This wasn’t Hadley’s first time on the ranch, but normally she visited the refurbished cottage Jarrett and Sierra shared, about twenty acres from the main house.
Sierra led her down the hall, and Hadley smiled at the royal blue dress. Mrs. Ross had used the same fabric for all four bridesmaids, but each had her own design. “It’s even prettier than the picture we saw.”
“You’re all going to look gorgeous. I can’t wait for the big day!”
“Really? I hadn’t noticed how the wedding comes up in every conversation. Or, how when Jarrett walks into the room, you forget anyone else exists,” she teased.
Sierra brandished one of the throw pillows from the bed at her. “Hey, don’t make me sound pathetic.”
“Not pathetic. Just happy. You two are perfect for each other.”
“Maybe that’s why I’ve been encouraging you to spend more time with Grayson,” Sierra said. “I want you to be as happy as me and Kate and Becca. Not that a woman needs a man to be happy, but you’re different around him. When the two of you got out of the car, you looked almost giddy.”
“Because the ride was over and I was no longer trapped in a closed space with Sam and Tyler. They talked my ears off.”
Sierra tilted her head, expression thoughtful. “I guess it could be complicated to fall for someone who has kids. Kate and Cole made it work, but she was already an experienced mom. Would it be weird for you, becoming a stepmother?”
“Stepmother! The man’s only kissed me once, and you—”
“Whoa. Hold the phone. The two of you kissed?”
“Last night. At the reunion.” She sank down onto the bed. “It was heavenly.”
Her friend pumped a fist in the air. “Yes!”
“But it was a one-time thing.” Possibly.
Sierra winked. “Everything is a one-time thing...until it happens a second time.”
* * *
SOMEHOW, SIERRA TALKED Hadley and Grayson in to bringing the boys up to the cottage and staying for dinner. It was difficult for Hadley to be annoyed at her friend’s pushiness when dinner was so wonderful—and not just because of the food. She was entranced watching Grayson joke with the twins and reminisce with Jarrett about rodeo life. I’ve never seen him this relaxed. His dimples were in full force tonight—and when he smiled in her direction, a tingle went all the way through her straight down to her toes.
She was enjoying one of those tingles when she caught Sierra smirking at her. Oops. Cutting into the expertly grilled steak, Hadley tried to think of something besides Grayson’s dimples. “So, uh, how are the wedding plans going? Did you settle on the invitations yet?” The couple had sent out their save the date cards weeks ago, but were still trying to agree on the final invitations.
“There are plenty we like,” Sierra said unenthusiastically, “but none that strike me as perfect yet.”
Jarrett put his arm around her. “All I need for perfect is you and me hitched at the end of the day, darlin’.”
“They just seem too generic. ‘Fill in the blank’ and ‘fill in the blank’ request your presence at their wedding at blank o’clock.”
Tyler glanced up from his plate in confusion; both boys were chowing down following an active afternoon of play. “What’s blank o’clock?”
“She didn’t mean it literally,” Grayson said.
“Oh.” Tyler paused. “What’s literally?”
While Grayson tried to sort that out with the boys, Hadley said, “What you need is something to personalize it. A lyric from a song you’ve danced to, or a quote from a favorite movie.”
“Yeah, that works for you,” Sierra said, “you have a romantic streak. But Jarrett’s favorite movie is Die Hard. We are not putting ‘yippee-ki-yay’ on the invites.”
Hadley giggled. “It would be memorable.”
“And just think how much your parents would hate it,” Jarrett told his fiancée.
“Hmm. I do enjoy irritating them. Still.” Sierra shook her head. “It’s not exactly what I want to look back on during our golden years.”
“Maybe a line of poetry would be more elegant?” Hadley suggested.
Grayson looked toward her, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Hadley was showing me a book of poems at the library the other day. Maybe she could recommend a selection from it.”
Her cheeks warmed as she thought about the erotic verses, and his grin widened.
“Or maybe you could write us something,” Sierra said.
“What?” Hadley’s attention snapped back to her friend. “Oh, I don’t think so! Poems aren’t my specialty.”
“You’re too modest about your talent.” Sierra turned to Grayson. “Can you believe I had to buy a magazine to finally read her stuff? Heaven knows how she applied for that residency when she’s so neurotic about showing her work to anyone.”
“That’s different,” Hadley protested. “Sending pages to total strangers in a different state isn’t as nerve-racking as showing my stories to my very opinionated friends. It’s not like we can avoid each other if you hate my work, and I don’t want people to feel like they have to pretend. Besides, I needed the practice mailing off my stories. Someday, I hope to be able to submit something without getting nauseous.”
“What’s nauseous?” Tyler asked.
“I know!” his brother said excitedly. “It’s like when you’re about to yarf.”
“Oh.” Tyler leaned forward to see past Grayson’s broad shoulders. “I hope you don’t yarf, Miss Hadley.”
She bit back a laugh. “Thanks.” Aware that there’d been a lot of dinner conversation that excluded the boys, she asked them if the girls had told them lots of good things about living in Cupid’s Bow.
“To tell you the truth,” Sierra said conspiratorially, “I didn’t like Cupid’s Bow when I first moved here. It’s hard to get delivery food, and it’s easy to get lost and the theater never seems to show the movies I want to see. But have you tried the ice-cream parlor on Main Street? It’s incredible. And the stars here are amazing at night.”
That got Sam’s attention. “Vi’s teaching me about constellations! One day
I wanna see them through a microscope and—”
“It’s telescope,” Tyler said with an exaggerated eye roll. “Like telephone.”
Sam scowled. “I don’t wanna talk to the stars, I just wanna see ’em.”
“We have a telescope,” Sierra said. “Jarrett bought it for my birthday. The stars are the best part of living on the ranch.”
“A-hem.” Jarrett raised his eyebrows, and she laughed, leaning over to kiss him.
“Second best part,” she amended. “You boys want to take a look after dessert?”
“I wish we could stay that long,” Grayson said, “but the boys start school in the morning. I really need to get these buckaroos home to bed.”
This was met with groans and complaints, but obviously the boys were more tired than they wanted to admit because they were uncharacteristically quiet on the drive back to Violet’s.
As Grayson removed their booster seats from the back of Hadley’s car, Sam walked up to the driver-side window, his eyes wide and imploring. “Will you come in and read a story with us?”
The invitation tugged at her heart, but Grayson had already told them they needed to make a beeline for the bathtub. “Maybe another time. But what I can do,” she said, compromising, “is come give you a good-night hug.” She climbed out of the car, sweeping both boys into her arms. “You two be good at school tomorrow, okay?”
After the boys dutifully nodded and turned toward the house, Grayson instructed, “Tell Aunt Vi I’ll be there in just a minute.” Once they were inside, he took Hadley’s hand, tugging her around the corner and out of view.
She batted her eyelashes at him. “Did you want a good-night hug, too?”
His wicked smile sent a tremor of anticipation through her. “I have a better idea.” And then he was kissing her.
He traced her lips with his tongue and her pulse kicked up a notch as he deepened the kiss. The tremor she’d experienced was replaced with a more pleasurable quiver deep and low. She gripped his shoulders, lost in the longing that had surged to life.
The Cowboy's Texas Twins Page 11