make you some dinner, maybe? To go with the stomach-rotting beverages you brought?”
He raised his eyebrows. “That depends. Do you like kitchens more than you like crafts?”
“Nope. I do make a mean chicken noodle soup, though.”
“From a can?”
“You betcha.”
Daniel shook his head, smiling. “Well, my boxed mac ’n’ cheese is to die for, so I won’t judge.”
“But see,
I
don’t have to cook. Where I live, there are seventeen different restaurants within four blocks. What do you do for food out here?”
“I eat a lot of mac ’n’ cheese.”
“I
can
make other things.” She watched him do another circle. “Do you like peanut butter, for instance?”
“As gourmet as that sounds, I’m good, thanks. I brought food.”
She peered into his open backpack. “You have six granola bars and a banana.”
“Food.” He walked another circle, and she could hear his low voice talking to Apollo. The soft rumble of it did jumpy things to her insides, and she realized she wouldn’t mind listening to it for a long, long time.
All night, for instance.
When he came around to face her, she felt her face flush as she tried to erase the thought from her mind. “Tell you what, Hayley. If I get a hankering for chicken noodle soup, I’ll let you know. You heading out on the trail ride with Cole?”
Oh, yikes. Was that a dismissal?
“Um, yeah. Maybe. No. I don’t know. Probably not.”
Seriously? Could she sound any more like an eighth grader with a desperate crush?
Daniel laughed, low and rumbly and gorgeous. “You always this decisive?”
“No. Yes.” She shook her head. “
Merda
. I should go.”
He laughed again. “You could stay and keep me company if you’re bored.”
Really?
She tried to suppress her grin as she pushed away from the stall door. “I could do that. I’m good at…company.”
She saw him wipe his hand across his face again, and cringed as she realized he was hiding yet another tolerant smile. “Up to you. I don’t want to take you away from the full cowgirl experience, night-ride version.”
Hayley felt her face flame as his words went all double-entendre in her head. She really needed to get a grip. “I, um, I did the night rides last year. Too many divorcees with very, very little self-control.” She shivered.
Daniel laughed. “Cole and Decker would agree with you there.” He turned to face her. “Then you should probably stick here in the barn. It’s safer.”
“You’re probably right. You sure? I won’t be in your way?”
“Not at all. You’ll help keep me awake, which will prevent me from getting trampled to death by a colicky stallion.”
“Well, when you put it that way…Okay. I’ll go get supplies.”
“What do you need?”
Hayley stopped to think. “Well, actually, I’m not sure. I haven’t pulled a colic all-nighter before.”
“All-nighter? I didn’t mean—”
“Oh. I thought you—”
“No.”
“…Oh.”
The word landed between them with a dull thud.
Chapter 7
“I didn’t mean—all night.” Daniel’s voice sounded a little strangled to Hayley.
“Oh. I was just going to—to help. You know, keep you alive and all.”
He looked at her, a mystified expression on his face. “I know.”
“Okay. I just—I don’t know—didn’t want you to think I meant something else.”
“Got it.” He ran his hand over his mouth as he passed her again. Great.
She paused, watching him do another circle. The man already looked like he hadn’t slept in days, but did he actually want her to stay and help? Or was his request a pity-invite?
She sighed. “Listen. I came out early for the wedding so I could help. Unfortunately, I have zero qualifications in the domestic department, so I’ve pretty much failed at all wedding-related assignments Kyla’s given me.
This
is an assignment I can handle.”
“I have no doubt.”
“We both know Cole’s got a full plate tomorrow, and we also both know that you’re going to send
He raised his eyebrows. “That depends. Do you like kitchens more than you like crafts?”
“Nope. I do make a mean chicken noodle soup, though.”
“From a can?”
“You betcha.”
Daniel shook his head, smiling. “Well, my boxed mac ’n’ cheese is to die for, so I won’t judge.”
“But see,
I
don’t have to cook. Where I live, there are seventeen different restaurants within four blocks. What do you do for food out here?”
“I eat a lot of mac ’n’ cheese.”
“I
can
make other things.” She watched him do another circle. “Do you like peanut butter, for instance?”
“As gourmet as that sounds, I’m good, thanks. I brought food.”
She peered into his open backpack. “You have six granola bars and a banana.”
“Food.” He walked another circle, and she could hear his low voice talking to Apollo. The soft rumble of it did jumpy things to her insides, and she realized she wouldn’t mind listening to it for a long, long time.
All night, for instance.
When he came around to face her, she felt her face flush as she tried to erase the thought from her mind. “Tell you what, Hayley. If I get a hankering for chicken noodle soup, I’ll let you know. You heading out on the trail ride with Cole?”
Oh, yikes. Was that a dismissal?
“Um, yeah. Maybe. No. I don’t know. Probably not.”
Seriously? Could she sound any more like an eighth grader with a desperate crush?
Daniel laughed, low and rumbly and gorgeous. “You always this decisive?”
“No. Yes.” She shook her head. “
Merda
. I should go.”
He laughed again. “You could stay and keep me company if you’re bored.”
Really?
She tried to suppress her grin as she pushed away from the stall door. “I could do that. I’m good at…company.”
She saw him wipe his hand across his face again, and cringed as she realized he was hiding yet another tolerant smile. “Up to you. I don’t want to take you away from the full cowgirl experience, night-ride version.”
Hayley felt her face flame as his words went all double-entendre in her head. She really needed to get a grip. “I, um, I did the night rides last year. Too many divorcees with very, very little self-control.” She shivered.
Daniel laughed. “Cole and Decker would agree with you there.” He turned to face her. “Then you should probably stick here in the barn. It’s safer.”
“You’re probably right. You sure? I won’t be in your way?”
“Not at all. You’ll help keep me awake, which will prevent me from getting trampled to death by a colicky stallion.”
“Well, when you put it that way…Okay. I’ll go get supplies.”
“What do you need?”
Hayley stopped to think. “Well, actually, I’m not sure. I haven’t pulled a colic all-nighter before.”
“All-nighter? I didn’t mean—”
“Oh. I thought you—”
“No.”
“…Oh.”
The word landed between them with a dull thud.
Chapter 7
“I didn’t mean—all night.” Daniel’s voice sounded a little strangled to Hayley.
“Oh. I was just going to—to help. You know, keep you alive and all.”
He looked at her, a mystified expression on his face. “I know.”
“Okay. I just—I don’t know—didn’t want you to think I meant something else.”
“Got it.” He ran his hand over his mouth as he passed her again. Great.
She paused, watching him do another circle. The man already looked like he hadn’t slept in days, but did he actually want her to stay and help? Or was his request a pity-invite?
She sighed. “Listen. I came out early for the wedding so I could help. Unfortunately, I have zero qualifications in the domestic department, so I’ve pretty much failed at all wedding-related assignments Kyla’s given me.
This
is an assignment I can handle.”
“I have no doubt.”
“We both know Cole’s got a full plate tomorrow, and we also both know that you’re going to send
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