Page 7 of Prairie Nights

An hour later they pulled into the driveway of Hayden’s home, and he pressed the button of the garage door opener allowing them to park inside. He turned the truck off and pivoted to Whitney. Halfway through the drive, she had fallen asleep. Her head off to the side of the leather backrest, she looked peaceful. Not having the heart to wake her yet, he took her in. She was so incredibly beautiful, with long dark lashes, perfectly arched eyebrows, a slightly turned-up nose and full lips that begged to be kissed. She was everything he was attracted to, everything he desired, and she was now here with him. He reached over and gently caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, making her stir, then open her brown eyes meeting his gaze. “You feel asleep, gorgeous.”

“Oh, sorry.” she apologized, sitting up quickly and looking around. “Are we here?”

“Yes,” he replied as he climbed out and rounded the truck to the passenger’s side, opening her door. She offered him an appreciative grin and slid out of the cab.

Reaching around the truck bed, he unfastened the bungee cords, removed the tarp, and lifted out her luggage. Grabbing two of the largest ones, he carried them in through a side garage door that led straight into the house. Whitney grabbed her lighter bag along with her carry on and followed him inside.

“Home sweet home,” he announced, leading her down a short hall into the kitchen. She looked around. The kitchen was modern with stainless steel appliances and beautiful finishes. A long quartz countertop island housed four chairs perfect for casual dining.

“This is nice,” she said, eyes darting around the kitchen. She peeked around the corner through the cased opening which led into a large cozy living room.

“Follow me,” he gestured. “I’ll show you to your room.”

“Wow, you’re like a full-service bellhop!” she laughed.

“And you don’t even need to tip me,” he volleyed as he led her through the living room, front entrance and down a long hallway, stopping at a door at the end of the hall.

Putting down one of her suitcases, he opened the door leading her into a large bedroom with a 4-poster king size bed dressed beautifully in a homemade quilt. The quilt was thick and plush in different shades of purple stitched into a star pattern. Whitney put down her suitcase and carry-on bag and went up to the bed, running her hands over the quilt, admiring the handiwork.

“This is beautiful.” She commented, tracing the pattern with her fingertips.

Hayden smiled nostalgically. “My mother made it. She always loved to quilt.”

“How long has it been since your mother passed away?” she asked, knowing a little about his family from Ever.

“Almost 4 years ago.” He replied, as she offered him a sympathetic smile and took a seat on the bed. “My mom and dad passed away in a car accident.” He continued. “It was all very sudden, but I’m happy they left this world together. They were inseparable even at the end.” Whitney met his eyes and gave him a half smile as he added. “If you’re lucky enough to find someone you love and are best friends with, it would be hard to go on without them.”

“That would be difficult.” She agreed, her eyes downcast as she took in his words.

The air around them growing heavy, Hayden surveyed the bedroom and asked. “Is this room okay for you? There’s a huge ensuite bathroom through there.” he gestured to the door on the side. “I figured I would you give my bedroom, so you have more space and privacy if you need it.”

“Oh, was this your room?” she asked, rising from the bed, slipping off her tennis shoes and climbing back on, folding her legs in a crisscross.

“Yes, but you can have it. I moved myself just down the hall, two doors down if you need anything.”

“Seriously, Hayden.” she replied, meeting his gaze with sincerity. “You didn’t need to go to that much trouble for me. I know I sprang this impromptu trip on you only last night.”

“It’s not a big deal, Whitney. I wanted you to be comfortable,” he replied, slowly approaching the bed where she sat. Leaning against the bedpost, he cocked his head to the side. Here’s your chance. “Speaking of that, when we chatted yesterday evening you made it sound like you would be here in a week. Then I got the text that you were hopping the earliest flight you could get out of Toronto. Did something happen?” he asked curiously, putting his hands up in the air. “Only if you want to tell me, Whitney. If you’re not comfortable sharing, I’ll understand.”

Whitney let out a long, shaky exhale and replied. “I guess you could say that I got a little spooked.”

“About what?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows in concern.

“My past seems to be resurfacing out of nowhere.”, she replied cryptically.

Hayden rounded the bed post and sat down on the edge of the bed turning his gaze to her. “Your ex-husband?”

Whitney’s eyes widened and her face turned white. “How did you know I was married?” she asked pointedly.

“Ben mentioned something about it to me at the wedding,” he confessed. “Was it a secret? Should I not know about it?”

Whitney shook her head. “No, it's fine. It's not like I hide it; I just prefer not to talk about it. It was a dark time in my life.”

Hayden pinned her with his gaze, the wall she had erected between them evident and understandable with her past. He reached out and took her hand in his, smoothing over her thumb with his. It was a tender and affectionate gesture, and she glanced down at his hand on hers, then back up to meet his eyes. “I’m sure you’ll tell me more about everything later, but for now, get some rest. You must be exhausted,” he said, letting go of her hand as he got up from the bed and made his way over to the bedroom door before glancing back at her. “I’m just two doors down if you need me,” he reminded her with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Whitney let out her giggle and rolled her eyes at him. “You promised me you would be good.”

“I’m just saying this is a full-service establishment,” he deadpanned cheekily. “Seriously, anything you need. A cup of sugar, an orgasm. I’m your guy!”

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