She nodded.
Although he felt she got the idea that he wasn’t interested, he wasn’t quite sure a stubborn woman like her wouldn’t think she could change his mind. Yet, he also couldn’t take her back to town and drop her off to spend the night outdoors. “How about you take my bed and I’ll sleep on the couch. In the morning I’ll drop you off wherever you need to go to get your key.”
“There it is again. That gallant lawman. Most men I know would show me the door. Or have sex with me, then show me the door.”
He never much thought the confident, beautiful woman had a softer side, but he caught a glimpse of it now. “If most men you know would toss you out in the middle of the night, then you need to rethink the people you’re hanging out with.”
“Note taken. However, I can’t take your bed. The couch will do me fine.”
Exhausted, he didn’t bother arguing. He found an extra blanket and pillow for her and hit the sack, asleep the second his head hit the pillow.
Nix fluttered his eyes open and it took him a good five seconds to realize two things. Something had awakened him and it was light outside. Jumping up to a sitting position in bed, he grabbed his cell. The battery was dead. “Shit!” From the position of the sun’s light he knew he was at least two hours late.
Pound. Pound.
The hard knock on the door brought him out of the sheets and down the stairs in record time. He didn’t even bother looking through the window before he dragged open the door and blinked against the bright sunshine. The figure standing on his porch was only a silhouette backdropped by the sun. It wasn’t until she took a step that she came into the shadows and his breath stilled. Any other morning, he would have gladly welcomed the pretty redhead, but by her expression, he knew this wasn’t a friendly visit. And worse, he wasn’t alone inside the house.
Gathering his wits, he slipped outside and closed the door. He scratched his jaw.
“Rough night?” Melly asked in a sarcastic tone.
“Sort of. Did you come all the way out here to bust my balls?”
Her gaze narrowed. “Let’s see. What was the lecture I received the other day? Oh…yeah, I remember now. The life on a ranch starts before sunrise and if I can’t take it seriously, then I need to pack up and go. I bet you didn’t think you’d ever hear your own words used on you. Glad I could oblige.”
“I overslept.”
“After an evening out drinking? Don’t bother making excuses. I overheard the men talking about the boys’ night out. Did you forget we were supposed to meet at my father’s office this morning to get his approval on the irrigation system and new hires?”
Oh fuck! He screwed up. “What time is it? Can we still make it?”
She shook her head in irritation. “It’s nine o’clock, sunshine. He scheduled us to come in at eight because he would be out of the office for two days on business. And seeing that you had the papers in your truck, he couldn’t sign off on anything. Now we’re going to have to wait two more days before we can hire and that’s two days against me in showing my father that I’m responsible. If one of us isn’t taking this seriously, it’s you.” She stabbed her pointer finger in the center of his bare chest.