Oh my God…what in the hell is wrong with me? Stop it, Whitley. You’re done with men—forever. They are nothing but evil bastards who only want to take everything from you and then leave you empty and alone.
“Yep…it’s on the south side of my property on Old Mills Road. Yeah, sure. It’s Whitley, and it’s…” He looked over at me and raised his eyebrow.
Really? He forgot my last name already?
“Reynolds,” I said with a sarcastic tone as I rolled my eyes.
“Your cell or home number, so he can reach you?” he asked with a smirk.
“Oh…” I rattled off my cell phone number and my home number.
While Layton was talking with Jack on the phone, I took advantage and looked around his house. I walked to another room and peeked in to find a huge den and office. Again, the room was covered in dead animals. If I didn’t know any better, I would swear that the deer was turning its head and following me.
Yuck! I’d have nightmares from living here.
I saw a desk and noticed a few pictures on it. I made my way over and picked up a picture of Layton and another guy who looked to be a few years older than him.
Brother maybe? Damn, these two boys are drop-dead gorgeous.
“Jack is on his way to get your car. ”
I jumped and damn near dropped the picture. “Shit! You scared the hell out of me. ”
“You enjoy walking around, snooping in people’s homes?”
I felt my cheeks instantly turn hot. I placed the picture back down on the desk and quickly walked out of the room.
As I passed him, I whispered, “I’m so sorry. ”
I made my way back into the living room, through the kitchen, and out the door onto the back porch where I stood and took in a few deep breaths. The breeze was just enough to help me cool off from the instant hot flash that had swept through my body. I didn’t know if I was pissed at how he had just treated me or embarrassed that I had been caught snooping in his office.
I heard the door open and close, followed by his footsteps on the wooden porch. Then, he came and stood next to me.
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me. I’m just not used to people walking around in my office. ”
I slowly turned and looked him in the eyes. There was such sadness there. I wanted to ask him who was in the picture with him, but just by his reaction, I had a feeling I already knew who it was.
“No, I shouldn’t have walked into your study like that. I’m terribly sorry. So, um…you’ll let me know who’s coming to get my car?”
“Oh yeah…here. I wrote it down for you. Jack is probably the best mechanic in town. You’re in good hands. ”
As he handed me the paper, our fingers touched. He jerked his hand back and then ran it through that messy hair before putting his hat back on. I shoved the paper into my purse and then looked back out toward the hills.
“I bet the sunsets are amazing from this porch,” I said as I glanced over at him.
He smiled, but then it faded. “Yeah, they’re pretty amazing. ”
“Surely, there’s someone special you share all this with?” I asked with a smile.
He glanced at me, and the hurt in his eyes was more than I could stand.
“No, Whitley, there’s no one. I’ll take you to Mrs. Pierceson’s place now. ”
He turned and started to walk toward the garage as I followed. A silver Ford F-350 was parked right outside the garage. He went up to the passenger side and opened the door for me.
“Christ almighty, is everything in Texas big?” I said with a slight smile.
He smiled and winked. “Yes, yes, it is. ”