Someone who would want to be a permanent part of their lives. But right now, she couldn’t think of anything more she wanted than to break the ice with the man standing here telling her she wasn’t his type.
“You promised me a date,” she said brazenly.
His brows slammed down over his eyes and he frowned. “I did?”
Carrie nodded her head, and lifted a brow. “You invited me to go riding this afternoon, and I accepted. Even said I’d saddle the horses, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. If Joel sees us, he’ll kick my ass.”
“ If you stand me up, I’ll kick your ass.” Carrie said sassily, ignoring his comment. She twisted the knob and a sense of anticipation filled her as she walked out the door.
CHAPTER FIVE
Carrie sat at the breakfast bar, staring at the clock in the living room above the mantle. It seemed like the clock was moving backwards. She had been ready since one fifteen, but didn’t go out to the barn, because she didn’t want to seem too anxious. The kitchen was clean, all her baking was done, she had even packed up some of the cupcakes she made along with the new batch of sugar cookies she’d made specifically for Dylan.
From his hints, she felt like they must be his favorites or something. Now she just had fifteen minutes more to wait. Huffing out a breath, she slid off the barstool and decided to add some bottled water to the pack. They’d need something to wash all that sugar down with. Carrie had her head buried in the huge refrigerator, when a gruff voice asked from behind. “Going somewhere?”
She jerked upward and banged her head on the top of the door. “Ouch,” she muttered as she grabbed two bottles of water then stood rubbing the top of her head. “Oh, hey, Joel,” she said nervously, as she shut the door.
“Where you going?” he repeated.
Carrie’s fingers tightened around the water bottles, a s a wave of protectiveness washed over her remembering Dylan’s words from earlier. Joel would kick my ass . “Um, it’s nice out today. I thought I’d take a hike.” She fought to keep the heat that gathered at the base of her neck from creeping upward.
His eyes shot to the plates of cupcakes and cookies sitting on the counter, then back to her. “Terri said you were in a baking frenzy this morning. Is everything okay?”
“Fine,” she replied, forcing her lips into a wide smile. “Perfect.”
He studied her intently for a second. “Those biscuits you made were amazing.”
“Thanks, they’re my grandma’s recipe. I’m the only one in my family she trusted with her secret recipe.” Carrie knew she was blabbering, but couldn’t seem to help herself.
“When you have time later, I’d like to talk to you,” he said evenly.
Fear that he knew exactly where she was going, knew that she was lying to him, coursed through her. “Uh, is everything okay?”
His face broke in a smile and relief washed through her. “Yeah, everything is fine. I just want to run an idea Terri and I had by you and see what you think.” He tossed a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll be in my office. Terri is tying me to my chair until I finish tallying up the mountain of receipts I have for the bookkeeper.”
“Okay, I’ll probably be a while,” Carrie said. Longer than a while if she was lucky, she thought and anticipation shot through her.
He groaned. “No rush. I’ll be in there a long time. Send out a search party if you don’t see me for a few days,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Well, if you’d do them monthly, you wouldn’t be in there so long,” Terri said as she walked through the back door with a chubby, dark-haired baby in her arms. The child cooed, and grabbed a fistful of her hair. She laughed and pulled it out of his fist. “Jayden, that hurts mommy.”
“Mommy only likes it when daddy does that,” Joel drawled, walking over to his wife. He dropped a
“You promised me a date,” she said brazenly.
His brows slammed down over his eyes and he frowned. “I did?”
Carrie nodded her head, and lifted a brow. “You invited me to go riding this afternoon, and I accepted. Even said I’d saddle the horses, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember. If Joel sees us, he’ll kick my ass.”
“ If you stand me up, I’ll kick your ass.” Carrie said sassily, ignoring his comment. She twisted the knob and a sense of anticipation filled her as she walked out the door.
CHAPTER FIVE
Carrie sat at the breakfast bar, staring at the clock in the living room above the mantle. It seemed like the clock was moving backwards. She had been ready since one fifteen, but didn’t go out to the barn, because she didn’t want to seem too anxious. The kitchen was clean, all her baking was done, she had even packed up some of the cupcakes she made along with the new batch of sugar cookies she’d made specifically for Dylan.
From his hints, she felt like they must be his favorites or something. Now she just had fifteen minutes more to wait. Huffing out a breath, she slid off the barstool and decided to add some bottled water to the pack. They’d need something to wash all that sugar down with. Carrie had her head buried in the huge refrigerator, when a gruff voice asked from behind. “Going somewhere?”
She jerked upward and banged her head on the top of the door. “Ouch,” she muttered as she grabbed two bottles of water then stood rubbing the top of her head. “Oh, hey, Joel,” she said nervously, as she shut the door.
“Where you going?” he repeated.
Carrie’s fingers tightened around the water bottles, a s a wave of protectiveness washed over her remembering Dylan’s words from earlier. Joel would kick my ass . “Um, it’s nice out today. I thought I’d take a hike.” She fought to keep the heat that gathered at the base of her neck from creeping upward.
His eyes shot to the plates of cupcakes and cookies sitting on the counter, then back to her. “Terri said you were in a baking frenzy this morning. Is everything okay?”
“Fine,” she replied, forcing her lips into a wide smile. “Perfect.”
He studied her intently for a second. “Those biscuits you made were amazing.”
“Thanks, they’re my grandma’s recipe. I’m the only one in my family she trusted with her secret recipe.” Carrie knew she was blabbering, but couldn’t seem to help herself.
“When you have time later, I’d like to talk to you,” he said evenly.
Fear that he knew exactly where she was going, knew that she was lying to him, coursed through her. “Uh, is everything okay?”
His face broke in a smile and relief washed through her. “Yeah, everything is fine. I just want to run an idea Terri and I had by you and see what you think.” He tossed a thumb over his shoulder. “I’ll be in my office. Terri is tying me to my chair until I finish tallying up the mountain of receipts I have for the bookkeeper.”
“Okay, I’ll probably be a while,” Carrie said. Longer than a while if she was lucky, she thought and anticipation shot through her.
He groaned. “No rush. I’ll be in there a long time. Send out a search party if you don’t see me for a few days,” he said with a shake of his head.
“Well, if you’d do them monthly, you wouldn’t be in there so long,” Terri said as she walked through the back door with a chubby, dark-haired baby in her arms. The child cooed, and grabbed a fistful of her hair. She laughed and pulled it out of his fist. “Jayden, that hurts mommy.”
“Mommy only likes it when daddy does that,” Joel drawled, walking over to his wife. He dropped a
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