Brendon by Nicole Edwards

between each and every one. They’d probably looked at fifteen or so, and what was left were her favorites, or so she had told him.
    “Okay, fine,” he said, pulling one last cap from the rack. “What about this?”
    Brendon turned the hat around so she could see the saying on the front.
    “ ‘I’m the pink in his world of camo,’ ” Cheyenne read.
    He waited to see what she’d say, but her reaction said it all. Her green eyes widened and sparkled as she met his gaze.
    Neither of them said anything for a long moment as the meaning settled in. Yes, he was telling her exactly what she thought he was, but Brendon didn’t know how to admit it. This was hard for him, but he’d come to terms with the fact that he liked this woman. More than he’d ever liked any woman. So, maybe that was a redneck way of telling her what he felt, but she understood him. And that in itself was something.
    “I like it,” she finally whispered, her eyes locked with his.
    “Good.” Taking the other hats from her hands, he set them back on the rack, although he kept two additional ones that he liked as well.
    While she continued to look at the one in her hand, Brendon took her other hand in his, linking their fingers together slowly. Yep, something had definitely changed in the last few minutes and he welcomed the feeling.
    “You ready to go?” he asked.
    Cheyenne looked back up at him from beneath the bill of her hat. She didn’t say a word, but her nod was the only answer he needed.
    “Good. Now let’s get outta here. I’m dangerous in this place. Before you know it, I’ll have a cart full of shit that I don’t need.”
    Cheyenne chuckled, her fingers tightening around his. She still wasn’t talking, but there really wasn’t anything to say. What he’d done might not have been the most romantic thing in the world, but something had transpired between them. Something small, yet significant at the same time.
    Brendon insisted on paying for the caps, since he’d been the one to suggest them. Once they were through the line and out the door, he motioned for her to change the one on her head. Cheyenne did so without argument and when she had, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was, by far, the most beautiful woman in the world. With no makeup on, wearing the Browning camouflage cap with the hot-pink symbol, a black tank top, denim shorts, and those sexy-as-fuck cowgirl boots, Cheyenne looked more appealing than any woman Brendon had never seen before.
    Based on the way she was eyeing him, she could read every single one of his thoughts, too. Reaching for the door handle, he opened the passenger-side door and waited for Cheyenne to climb in, doing his damnedest not to gawk at her cute little ass while she did. Once he had the door closed behind her, he maneuvered around the truck, taking a deep breath before he joined her inside.
    “Where to now?” he asked.
    “My place?”
    He was shocked at the immediate request. Almost as though she’d been thinking about it before he asked.
    “What’s there to do there?” he questioned, realizing after it was too late what he’d actually said.
    Cheyenne’s soft laughter had him glancing over as he pulled out of the parking lot and hit the road that would take them back to Coyote Ridge.
    “I was thinkin’ you could help me sand a few chairs,” she said.
    “I could do that.” He didn’t have anything better to do, and honestly, he was hoping to spend some more time with her. He wasn’t quite ready for the day to be over. Once he left her, he’d go back home and sit in front of the television until it was time for bed.
    Speaking of home . . .
    “You mind if we stop and pick up Scrap? He’s gonna be pissed if I leave him all day by himself.”
    “Don’t mind at all.”
    And with that, they were on their way.

chapter NINE
    C heyenne wiped her forehead with the sleeve of the old, tattered denim shirt she’d pulled on over her tank top when they started working