But there was something about her he couldn’t shake.
His phone rang in his hand and he half expected it to be Raelyn. The flutter in his chest told him he hoped it was her, and he couldn’t ignore the disappointment there when he saw it wasn’t.
“Hey, mama.”
“Hey, yourself. Where have you been lately? It’s been three weeks since you came by.”
“I know. I’m real sorry.”
“I’m not the one who deserves that apology.”
“I know.” His stomach sank. “How is she?”
“Good. She misses you. Asked about you this mornin’.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That you’re a busy man and you’d visit as soon as you could.”
“I will. Next weekend. I promise. Can I talk to her?”
“Honey, she’s already in bed asleep.”
“Oh.” He looked at the clock, almost nine. “I didn’t realize the time.”
“It’s gettin’ late and I need to hit the hay soon, too. Just wanted to give ya a quick call. I won’t tell her you’re comin’. I don’t want to get her hopes up just in case.”
“You can tell her. I’ll be there. I won’t let her down. I promise.”
“You better not. Good night, honey.”
“Good night, Mama. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
The line went silent and he set his phone down, looking around his room. It was small, just a queen bed against the wall, desk and chair in the corner. At thirty, he was far too old to be living in a boarding house, but it was cheap. Soon he’d have enough money saved up to buy a small house in Fort Mavis. Then he’d be able to bring the people he loved most there with him. It had been his main focus since leaving home and taking a ranch hand job two years ago. That combined with odd jobs, he’d saved up a good pile of cash.
He clicked off the bedside lamp and closed his eyes, hoping he’d fall asleep. Fat chance. He grabbed his phone and scrolled though the list of women in his address book, any of which would be there within five minutes if he asked. But tonight he was filled with indifference. The only woman he wanted to call, the only one he wanted right now, was the one who’d scream obscenities at him if he even tried.
*
Raelyn pulled into the same parking spot she’d vacated less than twenty-four hours earlier. She was back in Fort Mavis, ready to apologize to Laney, ready to eat a huge plateful of crow. She yanked her suitcase and a large tote bag from the trunk and headed for Laney’s apartment. Laney was outside waiting for her. She opened her arms and Raelyn dropped her things, running into them.
“I’m so sorry,” she whimpered as tears flowed down her cheeks.
“It’s okay. I’m sorry, too. I was a total hypocrite and you didn’t need me being all bitchy and mom-like. You needed me to be your big sister and I didn’t do that.”
“I deserved it. I did a stupid thing.”
Laney smoothed her hair and hugged her tight. “We all do stupid things. I certainly have, and I think I forgot that for a minute. Thank you for reminding me.”
Raelyn couldn’t move, just let her tears fall as he sister comforted her.
“Mom was pretty mad, huh?”
Raelyn nodded. “It was awful. Now I know how you felt when she treated you like that. I didn’t know what to do, so I just left. Thank you for answering when I called.”
“I’ll always answer when you call, no matter what.” Laney gave her another squeeze and then pulled back. “Let’s get you settled.”
Raelyn followed Laney up the stairs. Sawyer took the bags from them and Raelyn found it real hard to look him in the eye. But she had to.
“Sawyer, I’m sorry about last night. I should have listened to you.”
“We all do what we feel we need to, and you’re a big girl who can make her own decisions. I was just hopin’ to save you some sorrow.”
“I know that now. And I wish I would have listened.”
“So what’s the deal with that guy anyway?” Laney asked, a question Raelyn had been pondering herself.
“He’s just a bad seed. Hot-headed and impatient. He’s always getting in bar fights. I worked with him at Double C for about six months. He demanded more money, more than the rest of us who’d been there longer. When he didn’t get it, he quit. He’s got quite a reputation around town, with more than a few ladies frequenting his bed. As you’ve come to learn, he’s not exactly discreet about his…relationships. There’s been a lot of rumors, too.”
“Like what?” Raelyn asked.
“I’m not one to spread gossip.”
“Please tell us,” Laney begged. “She has a right to know what kind of guy he is, or might be.”
Sawyer looked uncomfortable, but continued. “I heard he nearly beat a guy to death over a poker game. And he’s married with a kid somewhere.”
“Wow.” Hayes definitely looked the part of badass tough guy, but did she believe he could beat someone like that? And married with a kid? That one she definitely didn’t believe.
Sawyer put Raelyn’s bags in the spare bedroom then returned to the living room. “I’m heading to bed. I’ll see you ladies tomorrow.” He leaned and kissed Laney on the cheek.
After pouring two nice big glasses of wine, the sisters sat on the couch.
“Have you thought about what you’re gonna do?” Laney asked. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”
“I can’t go home. At least not for a while. But other than that, I have no clue.”
“Forth Mavis worked out well for me. It’s a nice place to start over.”
Raelyn took a long sip. “I don’t know if I need a permanent escape, but I have no desire to go back to Dallas anytime soon.” A sigh and another long sip. “I can only survive so long on the contents of my checking account.”
“It’s not glamorous work, but Jane was good to me at the coffee shop. You can see if she needs someone.”
“Maybe I will.”
They talked a little more and finished their wine. Laney covered a huge yawn. “I better get to bed.”
She stood and Raelyn stood too, hugging her big sister again. “Thank you.”
“That’s what I’m here for,” Laney said, then lowered her voice. “And one of these days, when Sawyer’s not around, you’ll have to tell me all about last night. Regardless of what he says, and I’ll deny that I ever said this, but that Hayes guy is hot!”
Raelyn giggled. “Three words. Best. Sex. Ever.”
“Then I definitely need to hear about it.”
Laney headed to bed and Raelyn snuggled up on the couch, memories of the best sex ever creeping into her mind. Knowing that Hayes was nearby didn’t help. She came to the conclusion that despite the women and the rumors, despite how mad she was at him, it was going to be damn hard to stay away from someone who had made her feel so good.
Chapter 5
By Wednesday, not even three full days since Raelyn had decided to stay in Fort Mavis indefinitely, she had a home, a job, and some new friends. Java Jane’s wasn’t hiring, but the diner was. It was a new kind of job for her, but she was up for the challenge. The owners were great and she liked the other waitresses. Since Laney’s spare bedroom had lacked a bed, she’d dipped into her savings and bought a used dresser and bedframe as well as a new mattress, so her new room felt a bit more homey. She even snuck home to Dallas to collect more of her belongings when her mother wasn’t there.
Bright and early Thursday morning, she began her day at the same time as Sawyer. He had to be out at the Double C Ranch by six and she started her shift at the diner at the same time. She donned her black pants, comfiest shoes, and the tee shirt they’d given her with the diner’s logo on it, and skipped out the door.
Her first day, they had her waiting on customers at the counter. Easy enough. Take orders, clip to the round spinny thingy, hand them out when the bell rang. After an hour she had it down. She smiled, refilled coffee cups, and fetched extra
napkins. The diner’s customers were friendly and talkative, interested in the new girl in town.
“Yep. She’s the one,” she heard one say to another, an odd feeling coming over her.
“She’s a looker, that’s for sure. Who told you? Sheriff Dean?”
“No. It was Jimmy, my wife’s cousin’s kid. He’s a cop now.”
Tremors of fear spread through her body and she was afraid she’d drop the plate of eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns in her hand.
“He said they were in the park buck naked,” the one continued. “Almost had to hose ‘em down to get ‘em to stop.” The old men chuckled.
Now Raelyn was definitely sure they were talking about her. She breathed deep and blinked her tears away. Damn tiny town and its gossip mill. Did everyone know what happened? Was she the laughing stock of the town?
The ding of the bell rang in her ears, startling her. She reached to grab the plates in the window.
“I’m glad to see the diner finally found some good taste and hired a hot waitress.”
She knew that voice, and was so not in the mood to hear it. “Leave me alone.”
“Is that any way to speak to a customer?”
She delivered the plates then slapped a menu down in front of Hayes, vowing not to make eye contact with him.
“I don’t need a menu, darlin’. I know exactly what I want.”
She didn’t need his sexual innuendos today. “Either order some food or get out.”
“Look. There they are,” the old man said and the pair laughed again.
Raelyn mistakenly met Hayes’ eyes and his playful demeanor changed. “What’s wrong?”
He’d caught her in a moment of distress, but she only let it linger for a moment. She let her anger take over. “Everyone in town knows about the other night.”
“Par for the course. They’ll forget about it in a few days.”
“Easy for you to say. You don’t have to sit here while people whisper about you. And by whisper, I mean talk at normal volume for everyone to hear.”
He looked around then faced her again. “Which one of these crotchety bastards is talking shit about you?”
Raelyn let her gaze slip to the right. The two men stared at them as if a replay of the other night was about to happen right there on the diner counter. Hayes must have followed her line of sight.
“Hey, assholes… Mind your own fucking business.”
They turned back to their plates so fast it was comical. Raelyn tried to hide her grin. “Thank you,” she said.
“So you’re working here? Does that mean you’ve become an official Fort Mavis resident?”
She wiped the counter in front of him. “For the time being.”
“When do you get off work?” he asked, then lowered his voice. “So we can go get off together.”
“That’s not happening. Ever.”
“Playing hard to get. I like a challenge.”
She stared him down, hoping her exhaustion with this conversation came through loud and clear. “Why are you wasting your time with me? We had one night of fun that ended in disaster. It’s not something I care to repeat.”
“’Cause it was too good not to repeat. And I think you know that. What I can’t figure out is why you’re holding yourself back.”
Did she even know the answer to that? It had been the worst night of her life and it was all his fault. Despite how good it had felt to be with him, she had Sawyer’s warnings in her brain now. Hayes was not the kind of man she should have any kind of relationship with. She needed to ignore the pull, ignore the way his eyes mesmerized her. She needed to ignore the fact that everything inside her told her Sawyer was wrong. Her heart didn’t believe Hayes was the man she’d been told he was.
Ding! “Order up.”
It jolted her back to reality. She grabbed the plate from the window and deposited it in front of the correct customer then moved back to Hayes. “Do you want something or are you just gonna take up valuable counter space all day?”
“I want you, but if that’s not possible, I’ll have a cup of coffee with breakfast combo number four. Rye toast. Eggs sunny side up.”
She wrote it down and picked up the plastic-coated menu. “I’ll put that right in for you.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
Raelyn rolled her eyes and tended to her customers, waiting until she turned her back to crack a smile.
*
It had been a long time since Hayes had felt as happy as he did the moment he realized Raelyn was working at the diner. If she had a job in Fort Mavis, it meant she was staying. A stupid-ass grin had formed on his face and he’d had a hard time wiping it off.
“How long are you staying in town?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet.” She cleared away his empty plate. “Until my mother calms down about the arrest, or non-arrest…whatever. Which might not ever happen. She can be a real bitch. That’s why I left.”
“She was pretty pissed about it?”
“Yep. Pissed, appalled, embarrassed. You name it, the emotion was there.”
“Why come back here?”
She shrugged. “Laney’s here and I didn’t have many other options. So here I am.” She set his check in front of him. “I’ll cash you out whenever you’re ready.”
She cleaned up around him. The diner had calmed down considerably. Just him at the counter.
The cook poked his head through the window and said, “Raelyn, go ahead and take your break now.”
“Okay. Thanks Charlie.”
“Good,” Hayes said and tossed a ten and a five on the counter with his bill. “That means you can sit and talk to me.”
“Don’t you have a job? Someplace to be?”
“Not til later.”
“Great. So I get the lucky privilege of being annoyed by you for the next who-knows-how-long.”
He liked the fieriness. Especially when it came with that sexy little grin. “Looks like it.”
She toasted herself a bagel and poured some coffee, then came around and sat next to him at the counter. “My turn to ask a question.”
“Shoot.”
“Did you really almost beat a man to death over a poker game?”
“Who told you that?” The question annoyed him. He hated the way every story got twisted around. He shook his head as the realization hit him. “Fucking Williamson,” he muttered. “That guy hates me.”
“So it’s true?”
“Hell no! I got in a fight over a poker game, yes, but all I did was break the asshole’s nose. A shit-load of blood, though. It was his own fault. I don’t take kindly to cheaters, especially when they steal large amounts of money from me.”
“Good to know.”
“Which part? That I hate cheaters, or that I didn’t beat a man to death?”
“Both.”
She took a bite of her bagel, cream cheese smearing on her top lip. Goddamn he wanted to lick it off. And lick every other square inch of her body, too.
“Anything else you want to know? I don’t kick puppies or steal from old ladies, or whatever other ridiculous thing Williamson told you.”
“I like to form my own opinions, so I didn’t take much of what he said to heart.”
“Good. Cause I’m gonna have a lot of fun helping you form an opinion of me.” He glanced at the clock, irritated when he saw how late it was. “But not right now, I gotta go.” He stood, resisting the urge to lean down and kiss her. “I’ll see you later, darlin’.”
His phone rang just as he got to his truck, his boss at job number two. He answered the call. “Hey, Jack. I’m heading over to the job site right now.”
“That’s what I was calling about. We got it all under control. We don’t need you today or tomorrow.”
“Come on. You know I need this.”
“Sorry, man. I’ll call you next week if I have anything.”
He wanted to say, “Fuck you, asshole!” but instead went with, “Thanks.”
Shit. What w
as he supposed to do now? He’d been depending on the steady flow of income from the roofing company. Now he’d be set back weeks, if not a month or more.
Back to the drawing board and the want ads.
*
Raelyn decided she didn’t care what Sawyer had said about Hayes. She would form her own opinion. So far he had checkmarks in both the positive and negative columns. But two of the negatives were pretty freaking huge: he’d gotten her arrested, and because of that, two police officers had seen her completely bare-ass naked. Could the positives outweigh them? She’d soon find out.
She cleaned up after herself then clocked back in. The lunch crowd trickled in starting at eleven and by noon the place was jam-packed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two men take seats at the end of the counter. “Be with you guys in a minute.”
As she approached the men, she noticed they were police officers. Half a second later she realized she had seen them before. And they had seen a whole lot of her.
Head down, she set the menus on the counter and said, “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Before you get us anything, I have something for you.”
Raelyn sucked in a breath and mustered the courage to face the officer. His hand was outstretched, her license between his fingers.
“I heard you were back in town, so I held off on mailing it. Found out this morning you were working here.”
“News travels fast, huh?” She took it from him and shoved it in her apron pocket. “Thank you.”
“And don’t worry about the other night. We shredded all paperwork involved. As far as we’re concerned, it never happened.”
Some weight fell from her shoulders. “Thanks.”
“But I need to warn you,” Sheriff Dean said, his tone changing. “It’s a good idea to stay away from Hayes Turner.”
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