Chapter 29

29

It took her a little while to calm herself down. Her sisters had helped, but she still felt more confused than she ever had in her lifetime. She just didn’t know what she was doing here. Everything felt so off-kilter, she felt so sideways, except when she was at Fletcher’s.

But was it because Fletcher’s house wasn’t the inn—or because of him?

If it was just escape , how was that fair to either one of them?

She stayed in the kitchen, doing all the prep while her sisters handled setting up the dining room. She wasn’t quite ready to face Fletcher again. Not yet.

The man had kissed her like she’d never been kissed before, and she hadn’t wanted him to ever stop. He probably wouldn’t have—except her alarm had gone off signaling she had to get ready for work and everything. Saved by the bell.

Finally, though, she couldn’t hide in the kitchen any longer. Dylan stepped out to the dining room, arms loaded with white gravy. She put it in the buffet next to the biscuits and turned.

He was still there, with both of his brothers next to him. He had his phone at his ear. But…he was watching her. Like he was waiting for something now.

She did the most cowardly thing of her life at that moment—Dylan turned and practically ran back to the kitchen. She just wasn’t ready for him right now.

She just wasn’t.

* * *

Fletcher was on the phone for most of the afternoon. He only took a break long enough to drive back to the inn to grab a late lunch, and his housekeeper. She wasn’t hiding from him when he got there, he considered that a win.

He knew the kiss that morning had confused her. It had just cemented what he wanted now.

“Something is going on with you,” she said. She’d been quiet on the five minute drive from the inn home. “I have never seen you on the phone that long. What’s going on?”

“Travis Deane called. He needs me down there. Very soon.”

“How long will you be gone?” she asked as he parked the truck in front of the far barn. He needed to check on one of his horses.

“Come in the barn with me. I need to check on Louise.” The mare, one he’d rode in that damned movie of Rowland Bowles’, was getting a bit up there in years. She’d been acting a bit finicky lately. It took her a while to bounce back sometimes. He rounded the truck as Dylan opened her door.

He lifted her out quickly, though he wanted to pull her close and kiss the hell out of her. She looked adorable in her little hat and heavy coat.

“I do not know about barns. Or horses. I don’t think I have ever even been on one. Mom was afraid we’d be killed, you know. I am pretty certain that is why Dahlia doesn’t even know how to ride a bicycle. Mom convinced her she’d get a concussion or something. So when are you leaving and what do you want me to do in the meantime?”

“I’ll probably be gone two or three days.” He opened the side door to the barn and stepped inside, the familiar smells surrounding him. He flicked on the light. It wasn’t a powerful light, but it was enough for him to see what he was doing and the woman with him.

“You good with me staying here alone?” she asked, peeking in behind him.

Well, no. Not really.

He didn’t want to leave her behind. Fletcher just didn’t. “Come with me.”

“Like to Texas?” Big green eyes blinked at him for a moment. Like he’d been speaking a foreign language. She still stood in the open doorway, like she was afraid to come inside. “On a plane?”

He laughed, and wrapped his arm around her waist. He lifted her over the small step and into the barn. She was shivering. It was a bit warmer inside the barn, but not much. He adjusted her knit hat around her ears. “We won’t be out here long. It’s too cold for you, apparently. And yes. Texas. On a plane. I can probably get Travis to give you a tour of his agronomy building. It’s state of the art. Lots of seeds in there. He hired three people six months ago to run it. He’s really taking the idea of this experimental feed seriously. It’s not the major operation of his business, but it is his passion project. I’ll need to go through a training program for the drones, I think. To make sure I know how to fully use the software. And do practice runs flying the things. I do not want to crash them.”

“That would be awesome to see, honestly. But on a plane…”

“You afraid? I dare you.” He was not leaving her behind with those idiots sniffing around her heels right now. He’d come back and Dylan would be engaged to asshole Hauffman or she’d have eloped with that Wonkus McBubbles or Derrick would have carried her off to his own ranch or something. “I’ll be with you. And it will really chaff your father’s ass.”

She shot him her trademark Dylan grin. “There is that. And after this morning, I think we all agree he deserves that.”

“Two days. You and me, Finley Creek. You can swing by and see Charlotte if you want. She left a few hours ago.”

“You mean if you want. Charlotte doesn’t like me.”

The look in her green eyes told him she meant it. Hell, he didn’t want that. He’d talk to Charlotte. See what she said. See if he could smooth the way between them. “Hell, we’ll stay three days, if I can get the brothers to swing by here and take care of things for me.”

He’d take her somewhere nice. Do something fun with her. Something she had never done before. In the sunshine—she’d always liked the sun, she’d said before. Maybe the zoo or the park, definitely something outside. Something fun, playful. Just the two of them.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

“Let’s get this finished and get you back inside. Finley Creek is a lot warmer than Texas. We’ll go down there and enjoy it.”

“All right. This will be my first time sneaking off with a man, though. Even though there isn’t that whole man-woman thing between us. We can pretend, right? At least in front of my poophead dad? I do so love giving him a hard time, after all.”

No man-woman thing between them?

How did she keep missing it? Then he realized the truth: Dylan was probing. Trying to get his thoughts. Because she was nervous. “You sure about that no man-woman thing?”

“Well, no. Actually, I am not. I’m still figuring that out, you know.”

He was going to take her to Finley Creek. Meet with Travis. And then he was going to show this woman that there most certainly was a man-woman thing between them.

And was going to be for a lifetime.

He just looked at her and knew. Like his dad had said before, when it was right, a Tyler man just knew.

“Well, here’s some more evidence.” Fletcher just scooped her right off her feet and kissed her, fast, furious, and hot. Then he put her on her feet. “I have work to do, woman. Best get inside first. You need to pack.”

“Yes, boss. Don’t spend too much time out here with your horsies. I’m making dinner, after all.”

Fletcher just watched her hurry inside. Victory. He was going to win her, for a lifetime.

He just needed a plan to make it work.