Page 54 of A Family With the Cowboy

Oh, dear. Of course, Willow would ask the question. No hiding from her. “I…um…I was on my way to see…to see Hayden. I thought we still had…” Taking a breath, she blurted out. “I wanted to see Hayden, but it’s clear it was a mistake.”

Frowning, Hayden met her eyes.

She got up. “You’ve obviously changed your mind about us. Excuse me. I’ll call Maria.”

Willow got up too. “You two”—she said, pointing to Hayden and Laura—“need to talk. Laura, just so you know, Hayden drove into town to fetch you earlier today, but he turned back when he saw another truck in front of your house. I’m taking Luke and Jessie home with me.”

“I’ll take Molly,” Cooper said with a smile.

With a last wave from Willow, they trooped out of the kitchen.

*

Isabella had leftearlier. Minutes after Hayden’s family left, the house was quiet. He and Laura were still standing on opposites side of the table.

“You came into town to fetch me?” she finally asked.

“And saw Tanner entering your house.”

Her eyes narrowed. “So why didn’t you come in?”

“You had company.”

Crossing her arms, she shook her head. “Tanner made freestanding cabinets for my kitchen. He was going to bring them tomorrow, but this afternoon he had help to transport them. That was why he was at my house, something you would’ve known if you’ve knocked on the door. Actually, you should’ve known it without having to ask. Damn it, Hayden. We’ve been together, I’ve given you my body, showed you how I feel about you, but…okay, I get it. You’re finished with the fling. I just wish you would’ve told me.” Turning around, she walked out of the kitchen.

Showed you how I feel about you—the words had knocked his breath from his body and it took him a few seconds to recover. “Laura!” he roared as he followed her with long strides.

She had her phone in her hand.

“How you feel about me?” He walked right up to where she was standing. “Why don’t you tell me exactly how you feel about me?”

A tear slipped out of the corner of her one eye. Without bothering to wipe it away, she looked at him. “Why?”

Her eyes told him everything he wanted to know. Something that had been rolled up tightly inside him eased out slowly, and a warmth he’d forgotten about spread through his body, reaching even those parts that had been frozen for a long time. He didn’t deserve a second chance at happiness and he didn’t deserve love again, but here he was with Laura, and as impossible as he’d thought it to be, she was offering both.

Cupping her face, he wiped the tears away with his thumbs. “Because I’ve just realized today something my heart has known since the moment I saw you in Grey’s Saloon.”

She stilled, even stopped breathing. Those blue eyes were looking straight into his very soul.

The smile that probably split his face in two came from deep inside of him. “It’s complicated. I have things to sort out in my mind. I didn’t expect this, didn’t expect you, but I love you. And I want you to know, what I feel when I’m with you, I’ve never felt before.”

Because he was standing so close to her, he could see the precise moment his words sank in. She exhaled slowly. “You love me?”

“I do.”

“And?”

“And as soon as I know how you feel about me, we can talk about the ‘and.’”

“You must know. I’ve showed you every time we were together.”

“The words, Laura. I need to hear to the words.”

“Of course I love you, you idiot.” She sniffed. “Mind you, I didn’t want to. Another guy with baggage, I thought, but then I fell for you, anyway. Can we now please kiss and get naked? It’s been a long week.”

With a laugh, he picked her up. “Yes, ma’am. I don’t mind if we do.”

As he strode to his room with Laura in his arms, his heart finally settled. They had to talk. But first, he wanted to show her with his body how deep his feelings ran, how much she meant to him, and how extraordinary he thought she was.

---