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Darren couldn’t help but chuckle. He’d read on the society page about her career. Small-town Girl Breaks into Dallas Fashion Scene.
“Let’s roll,” he said, leading the way to his vehicle.
It was a quarter after nine by the time they made it to the home of Virginia Bowles. Lights were still on.
“Do you know if Mrs. Bowles ever remarried?” Reese asked Darren as they sat in his idling vehicle in front of her house in the cul-de-sac with half-acre lots.
“I heard she did,” he said. “Couldn’t say how it worked out, though.”
“Guess we’ll find out,” Reese said. “I just wasn’t sure if I should still call her Mrs. Bowles.”
On the ride over, Reese had closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headrest. The quiet didn’t bother him. It was a rare moment in a house, or car ride, for that matter, when there was peace. Being around Reese reminded him of feelings that had been dormant too long. Delving into the past also reminded him how dangerous secrets were. He’d held on to his for a long time. Could he use Reese as a sounding board? Test the waters by telling her the one he’d been holding in?
The quiet gave him time to think rather than just blow and go 24/7. Thankfully, he worked outside fixing fences and caring for his family’s ranch, which was small in comparison to Hayes Cattle. At this point, it was a legacy to his girls should they want it, and taking over kept him close to the land he loved, unlike Reese who couldn’t get out of town fast enough.
Was she happy?
Had her life in Dallas worked out the way she’d hoped? Or maybe it was as simple as needing to get far away from Cider Creek and...him.
He’d nursed a bruised ego over that one for longer than he cared to admit.
“I’m sure she’ll recognize you,” he said. “Let her lead the way on the conversation and we should be fine.”
“Okay,” Reese agreed, rubbing her temples as though staving off a severe headache. The ibuprofen was back at the house. He regretted not grabbing the bottle. They could stop on the way home if they could find an open store. Cider Creek and the surrounding area practically rolled up the streets by eight o’clock at night. To eat out later, he would have to go to Austin.
“Are you?” he asked. “Okay?”
“My head feels like it’s splitting in two,” she said. “Other than that, I’m peachy.”
Her attempt to lighten the mood made him crack a smile. Not because the joke was good. In fact, it was corny. It was the way she made eyes at him, like they suddenly went back in time and she made that same goofy expression she used to whenever she tried to make him laugh.
They had laughed, which was something he didn’t do a whole lot of anymore, not even with his girls. At least, not like this. The ranch barely made ends meet and he was determined to keep everything running without hiring anyone. If he sold his place, it would cut down on expenses but there was something unsettling about taking over the home his parents had built their life in despite buying fold-up cribs for the place. Too painful?
“What is it?” Reese asked. He glanced over and realized she was studying him.
“Family stuff,” he said, dismissing the conversation with his tone.
“I’m here if you want to talk,” she said. “Which, I mean, you probably don’t want to after all the bad blood between us. It’s okay. I mean, I understand why you wouldn’t want to talk to me, of all people, about your family.”
She always repeated words when she was nervous and was having a hard time spitting out what she wanted to stay.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, unable to throw her a bone. Her time in town was temporary and his life was too busy for casual friendships with people who lived far away. Besides, why should he trust her again? “Ready?”
Darren cut off the engine to his SUV.
“As much as I’ll ever be,” she said after a pause.
He got out of the vehicle and then rounded the front. It might have been a long time since he’d had a female over the age of two inside his SUV, but he hadn’t forgotten the manners ingrained in him. He opened the passenger door and held out a hand to help her down. She took the offering and the electricity he’d been doing his best to avoid crackled in the air between them, vibrating up his arm, his elbow and into his chest.
Darren sighed. She was still as beautiful, if not more. From the dark-roast hair to eyes so beautiful they looked right through him, Reese Hayes made heads turn, including his. This close, it was hard to breathe. It was almost like his ribs were locked in a vise.
Since staring into her eyes was a mistake, he turned toward the ranch-style brick home. Reese took the hint and led the way. There was no gate or fence in the front yard. None visible on the side, either.
They were able to walk right up to the front door and knock. A little yippee-sounding bark, if it could be called that, fired off from the other side. It only took a few seconds for the porch light to flip on.
Reese positioned herself in front of the peephole. Mrs. Bowles, or whatever her last name was now, would hopefully recognize Reese and open the door. Folks might be friendly but they were known to have a shotgun around, too, so Darren made sure he kept his hands where someone on the other side of the door could see them.
“Mrs. Bowles?” Reese asked. “It’s me. Reese Hayes.”
