Page 26 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

The figure stops, confirming it's human. I train my shotgun on it while grabbing my flashlight. My dogs also begin to growl, sensing the tension.

I shine the light, and I'm greeted with the shock of my life.

"Hayley?" I say incredulously.

"Ha, ha, yes, it's me," she replies, turning towards me.

It is indeed Hayley. But what is she doing here at this time of the morning?

I give my dogs the command to sit in a hushed voice, then put the safety back on my weapon.

"What the heck are you doing?" I ask, lowering the flashlight.

I squint, finally able to see her clearly. She's wearing pajama bottoms and a green hoodie, her hair adorably mussed from sleep.

"I, uh... I was just..." she stammers, still clinging to the fence. "Exercise," she rushes out, surprising both of us.

My dogs, with their perfect timing – start sniffing the bundle on the ground, and within seconds, its contents – squash, tomatoes, and cabbage – are in plain sight.

"It must have been a... fun exercise," I say, unable to resist being sarcastic. "Were you stealing from the garden?"

"Stealing is such a strong word," she argues weakly. "I prefer 'borrowing without permission' actually."

I chuckle, shaking my head. "You could have just asked, you know. I would've given you whatever you needed."

"Where's the fun in that?" she quips, amusing me further. Yep. This is the feisty cat I remember.

I set down the shotgun and approach the fence. "Need some help getting down, princess?"

A moment passes. I can see the internal struggle on her face, but for some reason, she's not moving. "I'm good," she says adamantly.

I notice her position hasn't changed for a few minutes. "You're stuck, aren't you?" I ask wryly.

A few more minutes of silence pass, the only sound being my dogs having fun with the contents of the blanket.

Finally, Hayley admits reluctantly, "Leg cramps."

I bite the inner part of my lower lip to stop me from laughing. I reach up, knowing I have only two options: pull her legs, which won't work in this instance, or grab her waist. I can already imagine the fight coming, so I say, "This is the only way."

I wait for her to say something, but after getting a silent go-ahead, my hands encircle her waist. As soon as I touch her, she lets go of the fence.

"Easy there," I murmur, my voice low. I can almost smell the subtle scent of a sweet perfume. "I've got you."

As I help her down, her hoodie that had bunched up slips, and for a moment, we're face to face, just inches apart. Her eyes, even in the dim light, are a beautiful shade of green I'd never fully appreciated before.

"You know," I say softly, "if you wanted anything, you could have come up to the house..."

Suddenly, the moment is broken. She pushes at my chest, causing me to let go.

She takes a step back and adjusts her clothes. "Thanks, and I apologize."

Grabbing her blanket, she begins shuffling back to the path that leads to the cottage. She suddenly stops, looks behind her, and says, "and fix the lights." She grumbles, and then she's gone.

My dogs whine at that moment, upset that their newfound blanket is taken. I still can't take my gaze away from the direction she's disappearing towards. If I offer to walk her back, she'll probably decline. And she might not be comfortable walking with a man she doesn't know much about. I can only watch, hoping she won't trip or fall.

My dogs both whine again.

"I know, buddies. I know."

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