again.” Kyle’s fists clenched. “Is she in the guest room upstairs?”
“She is, but I suggest you don’t walk in there breathing fire. She was sleeping and she needs the rest. Don’t stomp around like Frankenstein’s monster.” Hannah was glad to see her cousin nod.
“Good advice.” Kyle turned to leave then looked back at them. “If you plan to continue sparking, you may want to take it outside.”
“Sparking?” Dylan whispered.
“Will do, Deputy.” Hannah watched as the normally stoic deputy disappeared from view. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
“What is it?”
She shook her head. “I think Kyle’s in love.”
“Really?” Dylan looked dubious. “I’ve seen him get his coffee. There’s no canoodling between them.”
“In all my life, I’ve never seen him react so strongly to something.” Hannah tucked her head back under his jaw. “Mark my words, there’s something between them.”
A few moments of silence followed. She felt content, happy even, although it was tempered by the specter of the unknown arsonist and his or her misdeeds. When her head was clear, Hannah needed to make a list of suspects for Kyle. Maybe talk to Sophie about the evidence. As a professional fire investigator, she could probably—
“I’ve got to go to the jobsite.”
Hannah sat up quick enough, she banged her head into the jaw she’d just been comfortably snuggled under. “What?”
“November 1st, right?” He kissed her quickly. “Then your GC needs to get his ass to work. I’ll bring your truck back later.”
She rose when he did. “What if your boss gave you the day off?”
“Not a chance I’d take it. I’ve got a date to hit and it isn’t gonna happen if I sit around sparking with a pretty girl.” He picked up the half-eaten sandwich. “Thank your mama for the meal for me, would you?”
He walked out of the kitchen and she followed, her heart screaming at her to do something. To say something. To share the hope for the future.
“Dylan?”
He turned as he opened the cab door of the truck. “What is it, Harry?”
She smiled. “Come by later and we’ll take a ride. Just you and me.”
His eyes lit with interest. “Seven okay?”
“Seven is perfect.” She stood like a mooning calf as he drove off in her truck. It was the oddest, most uncomfortable relationship she’d ever had.
And she loved it.
* * * * *
Dylan raced to finish the day’s work. The hands on the clock seemed to stop and then fly. It was maddening. And frustrating. Somehow he missed the damn cat too. It had stayed put at Amber’s side, the traitor.
He had to admit to himself he’d also been distracted by thoughts of Hannah and her invitation to stay. Not as a general contractor, but as a part of her life. Part of a family. The Blackwoods seemed to be good folks even if there were a whole lot of them.
By the time he pulled out of the jobsite at 6:45, he was exhausted from thinking too much. Dylan had been alone most of his life. He had very few friends; Liam was the one constant in his life and a year could go by when they didn’t see each other.
Now he was driving out to the Blackwood ranch. And he wasn’t doing the speed limit. The sun was hanging midway down the horizon. They still had a few hours of light to ride.
The promise of having a horse beneath him was a need he hadn’t been able to fulfill in a long time. Tonight he would spend time doing something he enjoyed with a woman he could love.
No matter how much he might want to deny it, he was knee-deep in feelings for her. Dylan didn’t know how to love someone or how to be in a relationship. He’d have to be certain Hannah knew what she was doing because he would be making a lot of mistakes and missteps. Probably do more wrong than right.
By the time he reached the Blackwood ranch, he’d worked himself into a knot. And he damn well didn’t like it. As he parked the truck beside hers and walked toward the house, she appeared on the porch. He
“She is, but I suggest you don’t walk in there breathing fire. She was sleeping and she needs the rest. Don’t stomp around like Frankenstein’s monster.” Hannah was glad to see her cousin nod.
“Good advice.” Kyle turned to leave then looked back at them. “If you plan to continue sparking, you may want to take it outside.”
“Sparking?” Dylan whispered.
“Will do, Deputy.” Hannah watched as the normally stoic deputy disappeared from view. “Well, I’ll be damned.”
“What is it?”
She shook her head. “I think Kyle’s in love.”
“Really?” Dylan looked dubious. “I’ve seen him get his coffee. There’s no canoodling between them.”
“In all my life, I’ve never seen him react so strongly to something.” Hannah tucked her head back under his jaw. “Mark my words, there’s something between them.”
A few moments of silence followed. She felt content, happy even, although it was tempered by the specter of the unknown arsonist and his or her misdeeds. When her head was clear, Hannah needed to make a list of suspects for Kyle. Maybe talk to Sophie about the evidence. As a professional fire investigator, she could probably—
“I’ve got to go to the jobsite.”
Hannah sat up quick enough, she banged her head into the jaw she’d just been comfortably snuggled under. “What?”
“November 1st, right?” He kissed her quickly. “Then your GC needs to get his ass to work. I’ll bring your truck back later.”
She rose when he did. “What if your boss gave you the day off?”
“Not a chance I’d take it. I’ve got a date to hit and it isn’t gonna happen if I sit around sparking with a pretty girl.” He picked up the half-eaten sandwich. “Thank your mama for the meal for me, would you?”
He walked out of the kitchen and she followed, her heart screaming at her to do something. To say something. To share the hope for the future.
“Dylan?”
He turned as he opened the cab door of the truck. “What is it, Harry?”
She smiled. “Come by later and we’ll take a ride. Just you and me.”
His eyes lit with interest. “Seven okay?”
“Seven is perfect.” She stood like a mooning calf as he drove off in her truck. It was the oddest, most uncomfortable relationship she’d ever had.
And she loved it.
* * * * *
Dylan raced to finish the day’s work. The hands on the clock seemed to stop and then fly. It was maddening. And frustrating. Somehow he missed the damn cat too. It had stayed put at Amber’s side, the traitor.
He had to admit to himself he’d also been distracted by thoughts of Hannah and her invitation to stay. Not as a general contractor, but as a part of her life. Part of a family. The Blackwoods seemed to be good folks even if there were a whole lot of them.
By the time he pulled out of the jobsite at 6:45, he was exhausted from thinking too much. Dylan had been alone most of his life. He had very few friends; Liam was the one constant in his life and a year could go by when they didn’t see each other.
Now he was driving out to the Blackwood ranch. And he wasn’t doing the speed limit. The sun was hanging midway down the horizon. They still had a few hours of light to ride.
The promise of having a horse beneath him was a need he hadn’t been able to fulfill in a long time. Tonight he would spend time doing something he enjoyed with a woman he could love.
No matter how much he might want to deny it, he was knee-deep in feelings for her. Dylan didn’t know how to love someone or how to be in a relationship. He’d have to be certain Hannah knew what she was doing because he would be making a lot of mistakes and missteps. Probably do more wrong than right.
By the time he reached the Blackwood ranch, he’d worked himself into a knot. And he damn well didn’t like it. As he parked the truck beside hers and walked toward the house, she appeared on the porch. He
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