Taming the Texan
After securing the saddle, Hayes rubbed the back of his neck. “I have a thing I need to go to in a couple weeks and I need a date.”
Why did he feel like a fool in high school asking out the homecoming queen? Probably because he’d never asked out the homecoming queen. He’d simply hopped in the bed of his truck after the game and flipped up her dress and lost his virginity. So…yeah, this was quite different, but he still hated the uncertainty.
No, he actually hated the whole ordeal he’d been faced with and the ceremony coming up. It was absurd, useless, and he was the least deserving person to be honored.
“I received a phone call from the governor a couple weeks ago.”
“What?” Alexa stepped forward, her eyes wide. “The governor called you? You just throw that out like it’s not a big deal.”
He shrugged and eased Jumper from her stall. “It’s not. I mean, they want to have a dinner and present some award for my service and sacrifice. It’s completely unnecessary, but it’s in two weeks and I want you to go with me.”
Mason continued to stir until he popped his head up with a yawn. He glanced around, his attention landing on Jumper and the little guy immediately started clapping.
“I’d say he’s ready for his first ride,” Hayes stated. He lifted the rein and hung it on the hook outside the stall before moving to the next one with Doc. “Give me one second and I’ll get my horse ready, then I can help you onto yours.”
“I don’t need help,” she stated. “Can you get back to the governor and why I need to be your date?”
He quickly blanketed and saddled Doc. “I’d rather move on and we just agree I’ll pick you up two weeks from yesterday at six. I guess I’ll wear my uniform, so you’ll probably want to wear a fancier dress.”
“I don’t—”
“Have one?” he asked, tossing her a glance. “I’ve already called in some favors and they’re being delivered. Keep whatever you want. Keep one, keep them all. I don’t care.”
Hayes led Doc out and hooked his reins, as well. He patted the side of the stallion’s neck, smoothing out the coarse mane.
“Would you slow down for a second?” she demanded.
Blowing out a sigh, he turned to face her. “Listen, I don’t want to go. The award is absurd and the last thing I need is recognition. I didn’t do anything overseas that any of my fellow soldiers wouldn’t have done. I just happened to survive. I don’t want to go, but I sure as hell don’t want to go alone, because…”
Softening her facial expression, Alexa stepped forward and reached for his hand. “Because you don’t like going anywhere?”
Shame and guilt slithered through him. “So you’ll go?”
The silence settled between them. Mason lifted his hands toward Jumper and Hayes slid the boy from Alexa’s arms.
“Right here,” he told Mason, taking his little hand and laying it on the velvety part of Jumper’s nose. “Soft.”
He’d much rather focus on the horses, on introducing Mason to his first ride. There was something so magical about getting on the back of a horse and setting out for nowhere. Not a care in the world, no troubles followed him… Well, they did, but at least he was more at ease out in the pasture.
He’d also been at ease with Alexa lying next to him in bed. She might be adamant that she wasn’t going to get between the sheets with him again, but he was just as adamant that she was. How could he give up on something that felt so perfect? On something that settled him in ways nothing else had in months?
Whether she liked it or not, Alexa was exactly what he needed, and wanted, right now. And he’d be damned before he let her just walk away because he knew full well she felt something, too.
“I’ll go,” she finally conceded. “But I’ll buy my own dress.”
“Already taken care of.” He took her hand and led her to Jumper. “They’ll be there on Wednesday evening.”
Her lips thinned as she settled her free hand on the saddle horn. “You’re arrogant.”
“True,” he agreed. “But I’ll have a smokin’-hot date.”
With a laugh and an eye roll, she mounted the horse. Damn if she didn’t look good here.
But that was an image he’d have to get out of his head. Pebblebrook was his. At least this portion was. He wasn’t looking for another woman to fill the void his fiancée had left. He sure as hell wasn’t looking for a baby in his life.
He wasn’t looking for anything more than what Alexa had to offer—sweaty nights and a sense of peace. He needed that, so he needed her.
* * *
Her vow to stay away and keep her feelings compartmentalized was shot all to hell. Somewhere between him showing her how perfect he was with her son and him swallowing his fear and asking her about the dinner, Alexa had slipped further into…
No. Even she couldn’t say it to herself. There was no room for anything other than friendship. Okay, they’d slept together and now they were friends, but whatever. Anything more would be tragic…and simply asking for heartache. Hers and his.