Jaxon opened the front door before she even rang. “Come on inside. Anyone with that cheesecake is more than welcome to ask favors.” He wore a button-down red shirt and a pair of jeans that had never seen the inside of a corral. His dark wavy hair was even combed into obedience.
Kate stepped inside and handed Jaxon the plate. “Is Landon here?” She could hear the faint sounds of a TV from somewhere upstairs.
“Nope. He’s out on a date.”
A date. Oh. She shouldn’t have been surprised. It was Friday, and a man as handsome as Landon could have his pick of women. But after the way he’d flirted while he bandaged her hands and agreed to go out to dinner—all just four days ago—she’d thought he was interested in her. Apparently not.
Maybe he was a player. Or just playing her. He might have seen she was attracted to him and figured he could soften her up if he acted like he reciprocated.
She tried to keep her smile from wavering. “I should have called before coming. I forget that other people have social lives.” She took in Jaxon’s clothes again. “Are you going out too?”
“Yeah. One of my high school buddies is having a bachelor party in Bisbee.” Jaxon headed across the foyer toward the kitchen and motioned for her to follow him. “Don’t tell Landon, by the way. He’s convinced any party of Carter Puglisi’s will consist of drunkenness and a high chance of police intervention.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” She’d been inside the Wyles’ house before. Back when she was a child, Mr. and Mrs. Wyle occasionally invited her family over for barbeques. The place hadn’t changed since then. In fact, she was pretty sure the same black leather couches, much more beat up now, sat in the family room. Small square brown tiles spread over the floor. If they’d ever been in style, it had been a few decades ago.
The tall wood ceilings were beautiful, though, and the family room’s picture window was stunning. Updating the place wouldn’t be hard. Perhaps Kate wasn’t coming as empty-handed as she feared.
Jaxon opened the fridge to put in the cheesecake, then reconsidered and placed it on the counter. “This looks too good to wait for. I’m having a slice now.” He reached into the cupboard for a plate. “So, what’s this cheesecake-worthy favor you’re about to ask?”
“I’m afraid I need to offer more than cheesecake. Dewayne tells me that you baled my grandfather’s alfalfa. I won’t ask you to do that, but if you’d let me borrow your baler, I’ll lend you my services as an interior decorator. Your family room could be amazing with a new floor, a lighter shade of paint, and a few other changes.”
Jaxon sliced a piece of cheesecake and put it on the plate. “You’re saying you don’t appreciate our motif of scattered cowboy boots? I always thought the look was cutting edge modern art.”
“New light fixtures, window treatments, and artwork would work wonders.”
Jaxon took a bite of cheesecake and shut his eyes. “Mmm. This is just as good as I remember. Where did you find the recipe? I asked Cal for it, and he looked through every cookbook your grandmother had. He never found it.”
Knowing her grandmother, she’d probably hidden it under her mattress. “My mother had a copy.”
Jaxon took another bite. “You don’t have to redecorate our house. You’re welcome to use the baler.” He winked. “And when I say you, I actually mean Dewayne since he knows how to drive it.”
Jaxon was being so gracious. Kate felt the worry drain from her chest. “Thanks.”
“Of course, if you want to make us more cheesecake, I wouldn’t turn that down.”
“More cheesecake it is then.”
“And throw in the recipe too. I don’t want to risk you dying in some freak cattle stampede.”
“That would be bad,” she agreed.
Jaxon’s phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket, read the text, and cursed. “Looks like I’m not going out after all. My babysitter just canceled.” He scowled and slid the phone back into his pocket. “That’s the problem with being a single parent. Your entire social life depends upon the whims of teenage girls.”
“I can watch Audrey for you,” Kate offered. Why not? She wasn’t doing anything else. And how hard could one child be?
Jaxon perked up, his dark mood immediately lifting. “Seriously? You’d do that?”
“Of course. Go and have fun.” She looked around for signs of the little girl. “Where is she?”
“Upstairs watching TV.” He took a few steps toward the stairs, called, “Audrey!” then returned to Kate. He rubbed his chin, suddenly hesitant. “Are you sure about this? Do you have any experience with children?”
“When I was in high school, I used to watch kids all of the time, and I was my parents’ built-in babysitter.” It was sweet to see Jaxon as a father—worried about whether Kate was competent enough to take care of a six-year-old. “Audrey and I will have some quality girl time while you’re with your friends. Just try and stay out of prison.”
Jaxon chuckled. “All right.” He glanced at the clock. It was seven-fifteen. “If Landon comes back before I do, don’t tell him I’m with Carter.”
“Where should I say you are?”
“Out on a date.” Jaxon finished off his cheesecake and set his plate in the sink. “You’ve forgotten the woman’s name, but you met her and she seemed respectable. Those are the sort of women he approves of.”