Page 24 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

“Ugh,” I groan, blindly crawling towards the edge of the bed. I push one of my hands forward as a guide, grabbed my blanket,and finally find my way out of the room and into the living area where the single bulb is still on.

Wrapping the blanket around my shoulders, I pad to where my charger lies. A glance out the window tells me it's just before dawn, the sky-deep indigo gradually lightening at the edges. It’s quite beautiful and sparks more memories of my childhood.

Wincing, I look around again before plugging in my phone and waiting for it to come to life. My stomach growls loudly, reminding me that I haven't eaten since yesterday morning. The hunger pangs are impossible to ignore now.

"Great," I mutter. "Looks like I have no choice but to go to town."

Suddenly, an idea pops into my head. My parents used to keep a small vegetable garden with squash, tomatoes, and potatoes, along with a couple of fruit trees scattered throughout the ranch. What if it's still there?

The probability seems low – it's been years since I left for college. There's no telling if Austin continued the tradition. But as I sit in silence, a plan begins to stew in my head.

If I could look back on this moment, I'd probably have slapped myself and warned me against going. But right now, my growling stomach is doing all the thinking.

"It's still early," I reason aloud. "I doubt Austin would be in the garden at this hour. I'll just grab a few things and be back before anyone spots me."

I return to my bedroom, grabbing a hoodie and my sneakers. The blanket comes too – it's chilly outside. I leave my phone in the kitchen to charge, figuring I won't need it for a quick garden raid.

As I head out, I try to quell my guilt. "It's not really stealing if my parents planted it initially, right?" I mumble, unconvinced but unwilling to turn back.

The moment I step outside, I'm greeted by an early morning cold that makes my lungs ache. It's been so long since I've breathed air this crisp, reminding me of how polluted the city air is. As I trek down the path, dew from the grass clings to my pajama pants, making me wince at the cold, uncomfortable sensation against my skin.

Even with the moon and a few stars still visible, it's hard to see clearly. And because I had decided not to take my phone for light, I stumble over outcropping roots and stubborn rocks, biting back words I don’t say aloud. The silence is actually too silent –if that makes sense. I mean, the only thing I can literally hear is a distant bird calling out for its mate.

So, each time I trip – I have to be really quiet; I don’t dare make a sound, knowing my voice would echo across the ranch.

Minutes later, with a bruised shin and scraped elbow, I finally reach the vegetable garden. Never once in my life have I salivated from seeing simple raw ingredients alone, but here I am.

But once again, as always it seems, fate decides that I can’t have it. My excitement quickly fades as I realize there’s a metal fence surrounding the garden. "You've got to be kidding me," I grumble, wondering if my parents or Austin put it up to keep out the livestock. Either way, it's now keeping me out too.

I contemplate going back, but my rumbling stomach leaves me at a standstill. "Come on, Hayley," I mutter. "You used to climb trees and fences. This is nothing."

Of course, that was more than ten years ago and if I admit defeat now, I wouldn’t be Hayley.

Eyeing the fence, I tie the blanket around my shoulders like a cape, then I grip the fence through the net-like structure, and I begin to climb. Halfway up, my legs start to shake – a brutal reminder of how long it's been since I've done anything this physical, especially on an empty stomach.

Gritting my teeth, I finally make it to the top and jump down on the other side. "That was easy," I lie to myself, ignoring my trembling legs. "I’m an independent woman, and I can get my own food."

Hurriedly, I pluck tomatoes, squash, carrots, and cabbage, gathering my harvest in the blanket. I tie the ends of the cloth and toss it over the fence before starting my climb back up.

Getting to the top is easier this time, and soon I'm climbing down the other side. Just as I reach the middle, a voice cuts through the silence:

"If you take another step, I'm going to shoot."

I freeze, two realizations hitting me simultaneously: I recognize that voice, and I've been caught. At the same time, two dogs start barking, making me flinch.

Slowly, I turn my head towards the voice, immediately blinded by a bright light shining on my face.

"Hayley?" Austin calls out, surprise evident in his tone.

"Ha ha, yes. It's me," I reply awkwardly.

I am mortified.

I wish the ground would open up and swallow me.

Chapter ten

AUSTIN

---