Page 44 of Falling Hard for the Billionaire Cowboy

Tack. Tack. Thump.

The door swings open, and there he is. Austin, still wearing his cowboy hat, his arm resting against the doorway, and hisankles crossed. He looks like he's stepped right out of a Western romance novel, and I feel my cheeks flush.

"Hayley," he says, a slow smile spreading across his face. "This is a nice surprise."

I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. The two dogs push past Austin, their tails wagging furiously as they greet me. I laugh nervously, bending down to pet them.

"Hi there," I coo, grateful for the distraction. "Aren't you two sweethearts?"

"Careful," Austin chuckles. "They might just follow you home if you keep that up."

I straighten up, wiping my hands on my jeans. "They're welcome anytime," I say, then wince inwardly.Why did I say that?

Austin's eyes twinkle with amusement. "So, what brings you out here this evening?"

"Oh! Right." I take a deep breath. "I, uh, I wanted to thank you. Mrs. Beatrice told me what you've been doing - spreading the word about my law firm and all. That was... that was really kind of you."

He shrugs, looking a bit embarrassed. "It wasn't much. Just thought people should know we've got a good lawyer in town now."

We stand there for a moment, an awkward silence settling between us. The dogs whine softly, sensing the tension.

"I want to take you out to dinner!" I blurt out suddenly. Austin's eyebrows shoot up, and I rush to clarify. "As a thank you, I mean. Like the dinner you invited me to before. But, um, if you're not comfortable with that - I know there'd be a lot of eyes on us in town - I could also cook at the cottage."

I wince inwardly as I realize what I've just said. Did I really just invite him to the cottage? I can't take it back now, can I?

Austin's smile widens, his gaze mesmerizing. "Dinner sounds great, Hayley. And if you're worried about prying eyes in town, cooking at the cottage is fine by me."

I nod, relief and excitement warring inside me. "Great! That's... that's great. How about tomorrow night? Around seven?"

"It's a date," he says, then quickly adds, "Figure of speech, of course."

"Of course," I echo, my cheeks burning. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

As I drive back to the cottage, my competitive spirit kicks in. I'm going to impress Austin with the best home-cooked meal he's ever had.

***

The next morning, my eyes fly open even before my alarm goes off. I lay there for a few moments of peace, savoring the quiet. Then, the alarm starts blaring, shattering the few moments of peace I just felt. I slam it off and sit up in the same breath, my body vibrating with nervous energy. With no clients scheduled today, I have time to myself.

No matter how much I want to lie, I can't hide the excitement I feel. I grab my phone and start playing music, the loud tunes filling the cottage. Suddenly, I'm filled with the urge to clean. I mean, it wasn't in a terrible state. But due to how busy I was, a few places did get dusty. I also add flowers to almost everywhere, making sure it smells as sweet as a wildflower field in here. I want Austin to experience the same feeling I had when I went to the restaurant with him.

Finally feeling satisfied, I decide to go to town and get the ingredients for tonight's dinner.

I rarely cook extravagant dishes. When I do, it's usually to fry a fancy omelet or make tomato stew. But I'm a lawyer, I've got the brains. How hard could it be to cook once I follow instructions online?

After a quick shower, I dress and head into town. At the grocery store, I run into Mrs. Thompson, a recent client.

"Hayley, dear!" she calls out. "I thought you'd be at the office today."

I smile, juggling my basket of ingredients. "Taking a day off, Mrs. Thompson. Even lawyers need to rest sometimes."

She nods approvingly. "Good for you. You've been working so hard lately."

I chat with a few more clients before heading back to the cottage. It's only early afternoon, but my nerves are already on edge. To pass the time, I look over some case files I brought home. Before I know it, it's time to start cooking.

That evening, I'm a bundle of nerves as I prepare for our not-date.

I place my laptop on the kitchen counter and pull up a video for a steak recipe that looks good. "This 40-minute recipe is done on the stovetop in one pan," the cheerful voice announces. "and then transported into an oven."

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