Page 9 of A Cowboy's Bride
Declan raised a brow. “The pretty brunette from last night?”
“Shut up. That conversation is over, move on.”
His brothers exchanged knowing looks.
Jake leaned forward on his elbows. “No, this is interesting. And alarming— Remember. No making waves in Heart Falls. We need to get High Water firmly established so everyone local knows they can trust us.”
“Or better yet, forgets we’re here,” Declan added.
Christ. “I’m not about to haul the woman off against her will so she’s crying bloody murder or anything. I just said let’s not forget we’d all like privacy sooner than later.” Aiden sipped his coffee, pleased that he’d managed to say it without any indication that his interest might be more than casual.
After the dreams he’d had last night? He knew when to follow his hunches, and something was telling him Petra was potentially more than a one-night-stand repeat.
“Privacy would be good,” Declan agreed. He snagged one of the papers from under Jake’s hand and tapped on the blueprint drawings for the barn. “Another thing. Now that I’ve thought about it more, I want to suggest a couple of changes to this. We need a bigger place for the guys to hang out together that isn’t the barn.”
Aiden gestured around at the fire and the giant table where they currently sat. “We’ll have this space for meals and family gatherings.”
“Which is great, but I agree with Declan,” Jake said. “It’s important to use this space as much as possible, but they’ll need somewhere else where they don’t have to mind their manners as much, since the ladies will be in here.”
Jake tugged more design blueprints from the pile, and for the next half-hour they made suggestions and altered plans. The sharing felt right and was a big reason why Aiden knew this was going to work.
They might be very different, but all three of them had the same vision and the work ethic to make it happen.
The rest of the morning was taken up with a million different tasks. Everything from dealing with furniture deliveries to setting up a small office space so Aiden could go online and put in more orders.
Dixie greeted him eagerly every time he headed outside to touch base with his brothers. “Good girl. You like it here?” he asked her, ruffling the top of her head.
She sat on her rump, tail wagging furiously, a wide doggie grin on her face that clearly stated her approval.
He took off just before twelve to run into town and grab lunch.
Walking in the door of the Buns and Roses café was like walking into heaven. The sweet scent of cinnamon buns and rich chocolate hung on the air, and the size of the meals on the tables he passed walking up to the counter gave him a pleasant buzz of anticipation.
When he hit the counter and looked into the big brown eyes of Petra’s friend Tansy, Aiden grinned widely. “We meet again.”
Tansy blinked then flashed him a smile. “Hey, cowboy. So you’re not just a good dancer and a good kisser, you’re also very smart because you know exactly where to go for the best food in town.”
The dark-skinned woman with long black hair pulled into a neat braid working the coffee machine glanced over her shoulder and examined him closely. “Tansy. How would you know he’s a good kisser, and why haven’t I heard more about this?”
Aiden kept his position instead of checking to see if everyone else in the shop was staring at them, although he imagined they were. Small town and all.
Tansy waved a hand. “Aiden, this is my twin sister Rose. Rose, this is the gentleman Petra told us all about. In detail.”
Well, damn. Aiden kept his grin in place, but he was fairly certain he was also blushing. “Hello, Rose.”
“Hello, Aiden. Welcome to Heart Falls.” Rose stepped forward, wiping her hands on her apron before offering him a handshake. “Sorry. Lunchtime rush. We’ll find a way to grill you later.”
So be it. “I look forward to it. In the meantime, I need food to go.”
Tansy took his order then gestured him to the side. “Wait there. I need to keep the line moving, but I’m not done with you yet.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He laughed at the expressive eye roll she offered. Then he stepped to the side as commanded, standing against the wall and out of the way while he took the time to examine the people and the café.
The shop had done a good job of making the place cozy and a touch on the eclectic side. It did not look like a typical small-town diner. The walls between the coffee shop and the next-door flower and knickknack store had been mostly taken down, and there were tables available throughout the floor space. Bright bouquets and interesting local handicrafts were displayed everywhere.
The constant low buzz of voices said it all. People were comfortable here. Aiden approved.
