Page 107 of When We Were Us
I drop my head back with a chuckle as he heads out the door.
Fifteen minutes later, I am done patching holes in the hallway. I fold up the step stool, replace the lid on the small bucket of wall putty, and wipe my putty knife on a rag. It’s quiet out front, and I am starving. So, I slip my feet into my flip-flops and push open the screen door.
Glancing up at the porch light, I can see the fixture has been removed. Descending the steps, I go in search of the man I can’t seem to stay away from.
I find him in the garage. He’s sitting on a round-top counter stool, with a booted foot on the bottom of the workbench, inspecting the wires in the porch light fixture. He glances up when he sees me.
“This light’s toast. Wires are fried. We can stop by the hardware store and pick out a new one this week. Or we can get something online if you don’t see anything you like.”
I come to stand beside him and peer over his shoulder. “Damn,” I say, looking down at the blackened wires coming out of the fixture. “And here you were worried about me not locking the doors when I leave.” I toss him a flippant grin.
He turns his head and cocks a brow at me, his lips tipped up at the corner. “You're a real smartass, you know that?”
“I try my best,” I say. Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean back against the bench and face him.
He just shakes his head at me with a chuckle and starts cleaning up the workbench.
“You hungry?”
“Sure. You wanna grab something in town? I need to check on Apollo. We could go after?”
“Yeah, ok. Just let me go change?”
“I’ll clean up, too, and we’ll head out.”
“Speaking of Apollo, that reminds me, when do we set up the pens for the festival?” I’d seen the calves every year at the Huckleberry Festival when I was a kid, but I’d never been a part of setting up until high school. And, surprisingly, I’d never helped with the animals.
“We'll head over Thursday afternoon. Then, animals go out on Friday morning. Between Jack and I, it goes up pretty quick, but you're welcome to help if you want.”
I never thought the idea of moving fencing and cattle would be exciting to me, but it is. And it’s not just because I’ll be with Hank. It’ll be different work than I’m used to, but right now, different feels good. And I miss working.
“Yeah. I think I’d like that,” I say, with a nod. “It’s a date.”
He laughs now, turning toward me. “Sweating your ass off, hauling metal fencing, and shoveling cow shit is a date?”
I cock a brow at him. “No one said anything about shoveling shit, cowboy.”
He tips his head back and laughs, then points at me. “If you’re gonna spend time with me, then you better get used to a lot of cow shit.”
“Fair enough.” I shoot him a smile and turn on my heels to go change.
I spin back around when I’m halfway across the gravel drive and call out, “Tomorrow, you wannashow me how to fix that shutter with those fancy hinges that cost a fortune?”
His laugh is quiet from this distance, but I can see his grin from here. “Sure. It’s adate.”
“You’re a real charmer, Hank Hayes!” I grin all the way to the house.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
hank
Wrenley looksincredible when she steps out of the house wearing a white tank top and short, distressed cutoffs. Her long, tanned legs make my mouth water. She’s wearing her signature Chucks, just like she should, and her hair is up in that messy bun I love. The one I want to wrap my fist around while I kiss her until we’re breathless. Hair up, or hair down, the woman completely consumes me. I can think of little else.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone to know that I barely slept last night. The ache that bloomed in my chest when I left her place last night never left. It’s still here this morning, but it’s now dropped into my groin as I take in her long legs and remember the way she whimpered against my lips when I kissed her good night.
Since we talked that day in her grandparents’ kitchen, we’ve worked to finish everything except the painting and the stairs on the back deck. When I’m not at the ranch, I’m with her, and it’s been amazing just being near her. We’ve fallen into an easy routine, even having dinner together most nights. Sometimes, we sit out on the porch swing after dinner, her with beer, and me with whiskey. Other times, we snuggle up on the couch and watch TV. It’s easy with Wren.
Thursday, she met me at the ranch, and we drove into town to set up pens. It was just unloading cattle panels and setting it back up, but it felt nice to work alongside her. She and Jack get along great, and while he teases her, he keeps it respectful. Which, to be honest, is probably an extension of his respect for me.
