Page 7 of In Full Bloom
I take a deep breath and turn towards where I know he’s standing.
He looks even better in the bright light of day. Wearing jeans and a dark green jacket, his boots dusty and worn, Dallas stands in the middle of the open gateway, his arms folded across his chest, emanating disapproval.
Oh, fuck my life. I have screwed up so bad.
4
DALLAS
I’m notsure what’s more horrifying: seeing Sadie on top of a horse, or seeing last night’s hookup standing beside her, shock all over her features as she takes in the sight of me.
I tear my gaze off the woman—Katie, Sadie had called her—and realise I finally know her name. Last night I called her princess, or a bunch of other names that make me cringe in the stark light of day. She never got around to her telling me her name.
How did my five-year-old learn her name before me and I’ve seen her naked?
I stride across the arena, my boots kicking up dust. “Time to hop down, Sadie girl,” I say, hoping my voice doesn’t reveal my true feelings. I reach up to pluck Sadie out of the saddle. She gives the horse a pat then wraps her arms around me. I inhale the sweet scent of her and try to figure out what to say to the utterly gorgeous woman standing beside me.
Her long blonde hair is pulled back into a loose braid andshe’s wearing a black jacket with jeans that might be even better than the ones she wore last night. Everything is crisp and fresh, like it’s brand new for today. Her boots are still pristine.
“Thanks, Katie,” Sadie says, in a quiet little voice. It’s her shy voice that she uses for people she’s smitten with but doesn’t know well enough to fully be herself … and the one she uses when she thinks she’s in trouble.
“It was my pleasure, Lady Sadie,” Katie says and reaches out a hand to give her a fist bump. Sadie returns it, then squirms until I put her down.
“Daddy, this is Katie. She’s Olivia’s very best friend,” Sadie says. “Katie, this is my daddy. His name is Dean, but nobody ever calls him that.”
She raises an eyebrow at me. “Oh yeah, so what do they call him?”
“Dallas,” she says with an enormous grin.
Katie’s grin matches my daughter’s. “Like the Cowboys, huh?” She says to Sadie, then turns her gaze on me. “Hello, Dallas,” she says, holding out a hand. She tips up her chin and looks me straight in the eye. It’s a challenge.
“Nice to meet you,Katie,” I say. My voice is sharp, especially on her name. I take her hand. It’s so awkward, but I have no idea how else I’m supposed to act in this situation. One-night stands aren’t my usual way to spend time and I sure as shit didn’t think I’d be seeing this one again, especially at my job.
Katie’s eyes widen a fraction, probably also realising I know her name now.
“Sadie, could you go wait for me by the side-by-side. I’ll take you back up to Violet.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she says, then gives the horse a final pat before skipping off.
I watch her go, the bounce in her step tugging at my heart. I turn back to Katie.
“How are you here?” I ask. There’s irritation and frustration in my tone. I could barely drag myself out of her bed in the early hours of this morning, could barely tear myself away and have been fighting with myself all morning to erase the memories from my mind.
And now she’s standing in front of me looking like a goddamn dream. One that I can’t have, and one that I can’t afford to be distracting me from this job.
Ineedthis job.
Wildflower Ridge is the only place that’s accepting of Sadie. Nowhere else would make allowances for me being a single parent. Here, Violet and Olivia help with childcare when they’re around the farmhouse, they don’t mind if I have to shoot into town to pick up Sadie from kindergarten early and they’ve helped me come up with a workable plan for when she starts school in a few weeks.
I cannot lose this job. I can’t mess it up.
I also refuse to let Violet and Olivia down.
Henry Austin, the owner of Wildflower Ridge and Olivia’s dad, took a chance on me six months ago. After his sudden passing only a couple of months later, I’ve been determined to help out his family any way I can.
Having Katie here … that’s only going to end in disaster. Hopefully she’s just stopping by for a fleeting visit.
“You heard Sadie, I’m Olivia’s verybest friend.”
