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But she’d slept in.
And now she was sitting across from the one guy she would have preferred never to see again.
He didn’t have any right to be as handsome as he was. He’d taken off his hat the second they’d entered the diner and now that she could get a really good look at him, she realized just how much of a pretty-boy he was.
If there was one thing she’d learned around here, it was how many different versions of cowboys there were in this town. There were rugged ones, gruff ones, softies, sweethearts, quiet ones, and pretty ones.
This cowboy was the last on her list. He had warm brown eyes that reminded her of milk chocolate. His hair was a dusty blond color that could have put the fields of wheat to shame. But it was his boyish grin that really set him apart. He wore a short, neatly trimmed beard that allowed her to see a set of matching dimples on his cheeks when he smiled.
He glanced up at her and immediately she had to tear her eyes from him. Great. That was the fourth time since they’d been seated that she’d been caught staring.
She already knew what she was going to order, and the menu wasn’t nearly as interesting as the man seated across from her—a man she couldn’t quite nail down. There was no telling if he was as genuine as he appeared to be.
No, he couldn’t be. No man was. No woman, for that matter. She’d run across all kinds of people in her lifetime, and she could usually figure them out without much effort. Were there kind people? Yes, she wouldn’t deny that. But even the kind folks had their limits. Those who were willing to help the homeless would only do so to boost their own egos.
Athena dropped her gaze to the menu in front of her. After breakfast, she’d have to find a way to get back on the road again. If this guy was as nice as he was trying to convince her he was, maybe she could persuade him to drive her somewhere.
Copper Creek was nice and all, but it was too small. She needed a bigger city where the public transportation was better.
“I wasn’t lying, you know.” The cowboy’s soft voice dragged her from her thoughts, and she lifted her eyes to meet his.
He stared at her, those brown eyes drawing her in and trapping her within his warm gaze. She wouldn’t have been able to look away even if she wanted to at this point.
“About the room and the warm bed. You see, we have a lot of them—beds, I mean. My family is huge. You probably couldn’t pick us out at the wedding, but I have eleven brothers and sisters.”
Her brows shot up. That was a huge family.
He laughed. “I know, right? Anyway, some of them have gotten married and one of my brothers moved away. Granted, there’s a couple still living at home and we don’t all have our own rooms… but there are a few empty beds. Hudson moved into Mason’s room a couple days ago so he didn’t have to share with me after the wedding, but I can make him move back. You could have your own space.”
There he went again. This weirdo was trying to get her to move in with their family. And a family with a dozen kids? Sheesh, what was his endgame?
“I know it sounds… odd, and I guess you have no reason to trust me…” His voice trailed off and he chuckled again. “I guess I’m making the offer because I get this feeling you need help.”
That statement rubbed her the wrong way and she scowled at him again.
He held up both hands. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it the way it sounded. I’m not trying to say that you can’t take care of yourself. Clearly, you’re doing okay.”
Her flat expression remained plastered to her face.
“All I’m suggesting is that you take me up on the offer for a few days. I’ll make sure you get some decent food, and you can have a safe place to sleep at night. We can even put a lock on the door.”
She huffed and turned her attention to the menu. People didn’t do things that nice out of the kindness of their hearts.
“Will you just think about it?” His soft voice drew her attention, and she peeked at him from beneath her lashes.
Would it be so bad if she accepted what he was offering her? A hot shower did sound like a dream. She hadn’t managed to get one of those since the one she snagged at a trucker’s stop. Her stomach did a flip. Hot running water. A homecooked meal. Four walls and a mattress that wasn’t riddled with strange smells and vermin. She could always slip out in the night if it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. And despite what he was saying, she could handle herself.
Athena sighed, then lifted her eyes to meet his. She opened her mouth but then snapped it shut and nodded instead.
With the smile that spread across his face, she would have thought she’d accepted his marriage proposal. What was with this guy that he was so persistent? Was she making a mistake? Probably. But that hot water was already calling for her, especially after sleeping in a barn last night.
The waitress arrived at their table with a wide smile. “Good morning, Henry! Who’s your friend?”
Henry glanced toward her with the question in his eyes. Athena looked down at her menu, considering what would happen if she kept quiet. With the waitress and Henry staring at her, she felt so on the spot she did the only thing she could.
Lie.
“Sam,” she mumbled. Technically it wasn’t a full lie. She didn’t actually know her real name. Every name she ever gave to people had been a way for her to hold onto a sense of anonymity. Maybe somewhere out there was a birth certificate with the name Samantha, and right now she was actually telling the truth.
