Chapter 6

Sawyer found himself looking out of the window for what felt like the hundredth time, then looked back down at the computer before letting out a long sigh and shutting it down. Getting to his feet, he turned his back on the window, telling himself that it was none of his business if Piper was out all night. She was a grown woman capable of making her own choices. It shouldn't bother him if she wanted some male companionship, but he couldn't stop thinking about her spending the night with Sam, couldn't stop the rush of jealousy that surged though him.

He had no claim on her, had never thought about Piper that way, but something had changed after she kissed him. She'd awoken something inside him, and nothing seemed to be putting out the fire that she'd started inside him. Wishing that Reese wasn't with his parents for the day, he paced around the kitchen for a while, then rushed over to the window when he heard Piper's truck coming up the drive.

She drove past without even looking over at the house, but he couldn't blame her, he'd been a jerk all week, unable to cope with the anger and jealousy every time he thought about her going out with Sam. Wondering if he should walk over to her cabin and apologize, he turned away from the window again, hating how complicated their relationship had suddenly become.

Determined not to give in to the urge to go see her, he started a pot of coffee, then stood staring at the pot as it slowly filled with the dark brew, trying to clear his mind. A knock on the door startled him, and he jumped, then turned, heart pounding, hoping that he'd see Piper on the other side of the glass, but it was Jayce looking back at him. Motioning for him to come in, he turned back to the coffee, hoping to hide his disappointment and cursing himself for letting things get that out of control.

"You don't look happy to see me," Jayce said. "I just thought I'd come by and check on you, but if you want to brood all alone, I can leave."

"I'm not brooding, I'm thinking," he shot back, then let out a long sigh. "Piper didn't come home until just a few minutes ago."

Jayce looked a little surprised, "Are you sure?" he asked. "That doesn't sound like Piper."

"I just saw her drive by," he said. "It's after noon, and her truck was gone when I went out to the barn at nine this morning. You tell me what that means."

"Maybe she went somewhere this morning," Jayce pointed out. "She could have left before you got up."

"Right, she got up early on a Sunday morning and went out," he said. "If you knew Piper, you'd know that she loves to sleep in on the weekend. Besides, where would she go that time of day?"

Jayce shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea, and neither do you, but maybe you should stop thinking the worst," he said, crossing the room and taking a cup down from the cupboard. "You're just driving yourself crazy, and if she did spend the night with Sam, you only have yourself to blame."

"What does that mean?" he asked. "How is any of this my fault?"

"You should have stopped her from going on that date," Jayce said, filling his cup. "If you want her, Sawyer, you're going to have to let her know that."

"That's a big leap," he said. "One I have no idea how to make. I can't just walk up to her and tell her how I feel. I'm not even sure what I feel, I just don't like the idea of her with another man."

"I suppose that could be a good place to start," Jayce said, wandering over to the table. "But maybe you should try a more subtle approach, like asking her on a date."

"A date?" he asked, his heart beginning to pound. "She might laugh at me, she might say no, I haven't been on a date in three years, and it didn't work out so well, I don't know if I can……"

"You are completely hopeless," Jayce said, shaking his head. "Do you want Piper or not?"

He took a second to think about the question, but he really didn't need to, "Yes, I want her," he said, running his hands through his hair. "I don't know why I didn't see it before now. I guess it was the kiss that opened my eyes."

Jayce looked over at him, "What kiss? This is the first I've heard about this," he said. "When did you kiss her?"

"I didn't kiss her, she kissed me, and nothing has been the same since then," he said, letting out a long sigh. "Seeing her dressed like that at the wedding only made things worse. I've never thought about Piper that way, we've always just been friends, but now I want……. more."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Jayce said. "I've never known you to back down from a challenge. Look at this ranch, you started from nothing and built it up into a thriving business. If you really want to take things to the next level with Piper, you're going to have to take a risk, Sawyer, you're going to have to tell her how you feel."

"That's not going to be easy since I'm not completely sure what I'm feeling, I just know that I can't stand the thought of her being with another man," he said, his frustration building again. "No woman has ever made me feel this off balance, and I wasn't prepared for all these feelings. I don't know what to do with them."

Jayce studied him for a second, "I'm no expert on love," he finally said. "But trust yourself, listen to what the wolf inside you is telling you. Your magic won't steer you wrong, Sawyer."

***Piper***

Piper opened the refrigerator door and studied its contents, trying to decide what to make for dinner, but couldn't think of anything that sounded good. Slamming it shut again, she collapsed into one of the chairs at the little table in the middle of the kitchen and put her head down, wondering how much more time she was going to spend waiting for Sawyer to come to his senses. He'd been a total jerk all week, had clearly been bothered by her going on a date, but instead of talking about it, he'd been short with her and pushed her away every chance he got.

Letting out a long sigh, she got to her feet, deciding that she wasn't hungry, and looked around her little cabin for something to distract her from thinking about Sawyer. A knock on the door a few seconds later startled her, and she jumped, letting out a little cry, then put her hand over heart and walked over to the door. It wasn't unusual for one of the hands or another wrangler to stop by her cabin on a Sunday afternoon. The ranch was a busy place every day of the week, but it was Sawyer standing on her front porch shifting from foot to foot, looking very nervous.

"Oh, Sawyer," she said, feeling a blush rising on her cheeks when his eyes roamed over her body. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, yes, well, I don't know," he said, searching her face. "I was wondering where you were this morning."

"I had brunch with Bridget at her house. We've been getting to know each other better," she said, confused by the question. "If you needed me this morning, you could have just called me."

A look of relief appeared on his face, "So, you weren't with Sam?" he asked. "I mean……."

"Sawyer, my date with Sam was last night," she said, then sighed. "I don't want to fight with you about this again."

"I don't want to fight either," Sawyer said, looking over his shoulder at her front yard. "Actually, I was hoping that you'd go for a ride with me. I thought we could have a picnic and watch the sun set."

She looked over his shoulder, surprised to see Buttercup and Prince saddled and happily munching the grass in her front yard. "You want to go on a picnic?" she asked, her heart beginning to pound. "Where's Reese?"

"She's spending the night with my parents," he said, looking uncomfortable. "I thought we could spend some time together away from the ranch. If you don't want to go on a picnic we could go out to dinner or something."

"Dinner," she said, staring up at him, then thought she understood, and her heart really began to pound. "Sawyer, are you asking me out on a date?"

He studied her for a second, "You don't have to say yes. I mean I would understand if you didn't want to," he said. "I just thought, well……I meant it when I said I couldn't go back to the way things were, I know it's complicated, but that kiss opened my eyes to what might be possible between us. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but now that I do, I was hoping……you might feel it too, and that's why you kissed me."

Stunned, she could only look up at him, wondering if she was dreaming, afraid to believe Sawyer was really standing on her doorstep telling her that he cared about her as more than just a friend. She didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do, could only stand frozen by the rush of emotions that swept through her.

"What if this is a mistake?" she finally asked. "What if it all goes wrong?"

"I've been asking myself that same question, Piper," he said. "I wish I had an answer for you, but I don't. I just know that the thought of you with another man drives me crazy."

"I don't know, Sawyer," she said, wondering why she was fighting what she'd always wanted. "I want to say yes, but……"

Before she could finish her sentence, Sawyer stepped up to her, pulled her into his arms, and lowered his mouth to hers in a kiss that left her breathless. "Does that help?" he asked, grinning down at her. "I could do it again if you're not sure."

"I think once was enough," she said, her legs wobbly. "Just give me a second to recover, and I'll go change into my riding clothes."

Sawyer laughed, "I don't mind holding onto you like this for a while longer," he said, smiling down at her. "But I was thinking that we might be able to make it to the waterfall before the sun starts to set."

"Then I'd better hurry," she said, untangling herself from him. "That's a long ride."

"I'll meet you outside," he said, then leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I could get used to this."

He was gone with another grin, and she stood staring at the door, her lips tingling, her body throbbing with desire, then turned and ran back to her bedroom. After running a brush through her hair, she threw on a pair of jeans, and a tank top and covered it all up with a sweatshirt. Slipping on her boots, she forced herself to take a deep breath when she realized that her hands were shaking and she was practically panting.

Walking over to the mirror, she looked at herself for a few seconds before letting out a long sigh. "It's just Sawyer, stop being such an idiot, this is what you've always wanted," she told her reflection. "Don't mess this up, he's going to need time to get used to the idea. Play it cool, or you'll scare him away."

When she walked out of the cabin, she was much calmer, "Okay, I'm ready," she said, walking over to Buttercup. "Hey there, girl, are you ready for an adventure?"

"Are you? Sawyer asked, grinning at her making her heart do funny things.

"I guess that depends on what you have in mind," she said, grinning back at him. "But if it involves you kissing me again, I'm all for it."