Page 16 of The Cowboy and His Beauty
"Maybe. Be safe getting back to the ranch and enjoy your day off." He tips his hat and heads into the town square.
I look at Phantom. "I'm beginning to think you show up when all the drama is about to happen so you can watch," I tell him.
He nods his head like he’s agreeing with me and heads into the town square after Dash.
Chapter 10
Dash
I decide to check the fence lines as a precaution after the land developers visit, but also because it helps to clear my head of thoughts of Sky. She’s on my mind from the moment I wake until I go to bed. I can't seem to escape her, even in my dreams.
I appreciated how she defended me in the diner yesterday and warned me about what I might be walking into. I took her advice and avoided the diner, but I still felt eyes on me as I walked past. Sure enough, all the town gossips were staring out the window at me. Lord knows what they’re saying now they know Sky is working for me.
Yesterday was her day off, but she still came home and cooked dinner, which allowed us to keep our usual dinner talk going. I still can't process why I was relieved not to miss a day with her.
I'm so lost in thought, I almost jump out of my skin when a cold nose brushes against my arm. I turn to see Phantom looking at me, almost as if asking if I'm okay.
"Sorry, buddy. Just lost in thought," I tell him, reaching out to pet him.
He leans down to sniff at my jeans pocket, where I tend to keep a few treats in case we run into each other.
"You hungry?" I ask, pulling out a little snack for him. He eats it while I check the time. "Shoot, I'm going to be late for dinner. Time got away from me today. You know where the barn is," I tell him, packing up my tools and heading back to the barn.
"Better hurry. Sky made tacos, and I doubt there will be leftovers," Drake, one of my ranch hands, says.
I already feel bad for being late, but I’ll feel horrible if I miss dinner altogether. I put my stuff away and hand my horse off to Drake before high-tailing it up to the house.
"Just in time!" Sky says when she sees me coming through the door, already eating at the table.
I make a plate and sit down with her. "I'm sorry I'm late. Time got away from me today."
"It's okay. I know not everything on a ranch runs by a clock." She smiles as she repeats what my dad said so many times growing up.
"You’re right, but I try to be here unless it's completely unavoidable."
We talk over dinner. Well, Sky talks, and I listen. Mostly she tells me about a new TV show she’s started watching. It’s so cute how excited she gets over a two-year-old TV show she finally has time to watch. She tells me about her seventy hour work weeks in Dallas and how she never had time to do anything other than work, sleep, and drink coffee to keep her going.
After dinner, I stay and help with the dishes, partly because I feel bad but mostly because I missed time with her by being late and I want some of that time back.
Other than meal prep for tomorrow, Sky is off the clock once the dishes are done. She usually heads to her apartment to watch TV or read as the rest of us finish up our nighttime chores before turning in for the night.
"You don't have to help with dishes. I know you have things to do before bed." She smiles and takes a plate from me that I cleared from the table.
Our fingers brush and we both freeze. That sensation is there again and this time I'm almost certain she feels it too. Our eyes lock and time stands still. I don't know how long we stand there, but we’re pulled back to reality when the screen door slams shut behind a ranch hand coming in to grab food late.
The spell is broken, but the feelings are still there. I turn back to the table and clean off the last few dishes before grabbing a towel to dry what she washes. We have a dishwasher, but with feeding the ranch hands, it doesn't hold everything, so hand washing dishes is a nightly chore.
Neither of us talks as she washes dishes and hands them to me to dry and put away. It's almost like she's being careful not to accidentally touch me again. That’s what I should want, for her to keep her distance, but it’s the last thing I want from her.
"Dinner was good tonight," I say to get her talking.
Sky finally gives me a little smile, even if she doesn't meet my eyes.
This time, when I take the pan from her, our fingers touch. That innocent connection has my body reacting in a not-so-innocent way as my heart races and my cock twitches.
I set the pan down on the counter and gently place a hand on her waist. She takes a small step toward me, a good sign, I hope. I don't know what I'm doing, but my plan is to see where this goes. I'm not stopping it this time.
Neither of us says anything, but her eyes never leave mine as she places her hand on my chest. She used to do that all the time right before she kissed me. Suddenly all I can see are images of this beautiful, sexy girl kissing me and before I know it, I'm doing just that.
