Page 31 of Steal My Heart (Prosperity Ranch 2)

The night sky seemed to swallow the earth, and the stars were impossible to count. It was something that Carson had forgotten about over the last few years of school and football and figuring out how to see a future that didn’t include Rhett.

“You lock up when you come to bed,” Grandad hollered through the screen door. “I’m heading off to bed. I’m not as young as I used to be.”

“Okay, Pops, will do.” Although, Carson was sure locking up wasn’t entirely necessary. There was nothing at this old homestead to steal, and Prosper didn’t strike him as a place where burglars abounded. But he was used to his grandad’s odd ways, and it was always better to agree with him. For the most part.

Carson returned his attention to the vast sky from where he sat sprawled on a wooden deck chair on the back patio. He should get to bed soon, too. It had been a long day, and if his grandad still had his old habits, they’d both be up by dawn, working on one thing or another.

The glittering stars above brought a peace that was hard to explain. It was more than welcome, especially after witnessing that motorcycle crash earlier that day. Evie had helped him out more than she could know, and he didn’t know if he could explain it to her, ever, but just driving the rest of the way and not asking questions had been exactly what he needed.

Now, looking back and having some emotional distance, Carson realized that he’d been triggered. PTSD, or something? He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t the expert. But the accident had hit close to home, and all he’d been able to think about was if someone had been there to help his brother sooner, then maybe Rhett would still be alive.

The sound of car tires on gravel caught Carson’s attention. Someone was pulling up to the house. It was late, especially for a sleepy little town, and he didn’t want his grandad bothered unless it was necessary. A lifetime of living with the old man had taught Carson not to wake his grandad—the man became something fierce when startled from sleep.

So Carson rose and walked around the house. He reached the front corner of the house just as someone climbed out of a car. The silhouette against the moonlight told him it was a woman.

“Evie?” he said in a soft voice.

She jumped. “Carson. You scared me!”

He walked toward her, hands in his jeans pockets. “You’re the one who’s here in the dead of night. You scared me.”

She watched him approach, and in the moonlight, he couldn’t read her eyes, but her mouth had curved upward.

“Sorry about scaring you,” she said, her tone teasing. “I didn’t realize how late it was. Were you . . . asleep?”

Obviously not, but he’d play along. “Not yet. I’m stargazing. Wanna join me?”

He felt her surprise rather than saw it.

“Right now?”

“Well, the stars are out,” he said. “So there’s no time like the present. Plus, it seems that neither of us are sleeping, so . . .” He held out his hand—why, he didn’t know. Because it was dark, maybe, and she wasn’t familiar with the landscape?

She hesitated, as he suspected she would, then she placed her hand in his. Her fingers were cool and smooth. And he wrapped his larger hand around hers and pulled her with him.

“Come on,” he said. “The best place is on the back patio. There’re a couple of chairs there, too.”

“Okay.”

He led her around the side of the house, and she didn’t pull away from his grasp. What was she thinking? What was he thinking? He liked this. Spontaneous as it was. He liked it very much.

When they reached the patio, he motioned toward one of the chairs, and she released his hand and sat down. By the time he settled into the nearby chair, she’d tilted her chin up and was staring at the sky. So he did, too.

He could make out a few of the constellations, the major ones, but he’d never paid much attention to astronomy. Maybe that would change if he decided to live in Prosper. Neither of them were speaking, and he wondered how long he’d have to wait before Evie told him why she’d come over. It wasn’t like he should be flattered or anything—okay, so maybe he was a little. Or a lot.

She’d come to see him, right? Talk to him? Ask him for a favor? Discuss what had happened at her family’s ranch? Tell him why she’d come unglued on her brothers in front of him, over him? Carson hadn’t minded in the least. Warmth buzzed through him at the thought.

It took maybe four minutes, or five, before she started talking. “Why did you tell my family that we met in the library?”

Ah, that.

“Well, I weighed my options, and you seemed to already be bothered by your mom asking you the question, so I decided I’d take the neutral approach.” He paused. “Should I have told them about the football party?”

“No,” she said quickly. “I don’t need to feel like an idiot more than I already do.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Carson said.

Evie scoffed. “I followed after Devon like a lost dog, and when he asked me out, I thought I’d be different. You know, different from the party girls he always dates. I thought he’d see me. Be interested. Intrigued. And not treat me like all the other flighty women after him.”

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