Katie’s laughter drifted out to them, so light and carefree. But no matter how lighthearted the sound, it was strong enough to break the connection between them.
They both looked away.
“And now, Katie’s trouble,” Evie murmured, smile dimming the way Hayden imagined his was. “I bet I’m sleeping with a kitten tonight.”
“Naw. Gran will convince her those kittens need to sleep in the mudroom.” He hoped, anyway, for Evie’s sake.
“I don’t know. Katie can be very persuasive.” Evie turned toward the door.
“Stay. Please.” Impulsively, Hayden held up the stock inventory pages. “My eyes are going buggy. I could use your help.”
Evie hesitated, glancing at him over her shoulder.
Hayden upped the ante. “I’ll quiz you for your test when we’re done going through this list.”
“All right.” Evie sat back down, resting the textbook in her lap.
“I’ll read the cattle tags on my list, and you see if you can match them on this one.” He handed her the master sheet, then got up to turn on the porch lights since the sun was low on the horizon. He carefully avoided any thoughts about dreams or wishes.
They made quick work of the task, matching a lot of the numbers.
“I’m so relieved.” Hayden leaned back in the wooden rocker. “I definitely have enough cattle documented to send to auction.” The auction yard had agreed to sell one hundred head, but only if he had up-to-date paperwork. All he had to do was cull the documented cattle on the five separate ranches and transport them to the auction yard one twenty cattle trailer load at a time. Hayden briefly explained about his grandfather’s delinquent tax bill. “But that’s enough ranch paperwork for one day. Let me quiz you.”
*
The sun was about to set, turning the horizon a deep purple fringed with orange.
Irrationally, Eve didn’t want this day to end.
Oh, she’d had some alarming moments earlier in the day with Katie and Irene disappearing, an episode she’d told Hayden about at dinner, apologizing profusely. And there were still sleeping arrangements for kittens to be dealt with. But being with Hayden after he’d quizzed her on medical vocabulary as the sun went down, while birds sang and crickets chirped, was magical.
Like a true marriage.
Eve’s phone pinged with a message. “It’s Violet. She’s asking how we’re doing.”
They were both silent.
The horizon turned a deep purple. The rest of the sky was rapidly fading into black.
“Is your sister happy?” Hayden asked quietly.
“She says she is.” Everything inside Eve felt constricted, as if her torso were wrapped in an active blood pressure cuff. She didn’t want to talk about the woman he’d loved a decade ago. At Hayden’s sharp look, Eve added, “No one but Violet and Charlie know if they’re happy or not. When I was married, I told my family I was happy, even when things were falling apart.” She was surprised that tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t want anyone to know the mistake I’d made.”
“I’m sorry,” Hayden said quietly.
“For what?” Eve blinked back those tears.
“Your ex-husband. He’s a jerk and you deserve better.” Hayden’s words rang with conviction. And then, his expression softened. “Even if I’m not offering you forever, you’re worthy of true love.”
Your love?
Feeling vulnerable, Eve hugged her medical textbook to her chest. “Thank you,” she whispered. “That’s really sweet when you don’t know me anymore.”
He scoffed, smiling. “I know you, Evie. I know the parts that matter anyway. The parts that make you…you.” Hayden reached over and tapped her textbook, very near the spot where her heart was. “You’re the girl who stopped chasing after a soccer ball and helped a fallen competitor to their feet. You’re the girl who organized a group of kids without dates to go to prom together. And you’re the girl who visited her grandparents every weekend at Oak Hill. You’re a smart, brave, compassionate woman.” He got to his feet and drew Eve to hers. His voice lowered, tone deepening to an intimate level. “Oh, I know you, Evelyn Fisher Atkinson Bennett. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have agreed to marry you.”
Eve felt those words like a tender caress, felt the magnetic pull of Hayden’s presence. So near. So kissably near. But no matter the attraction, there were rules to this marriage, the same as there were rules to parenting and ranching. Rules that made her take a small step back to protect her heart. “You make me sound like a saint, Hayden. I’m the girl who drunk-texted you in nursing school, remember?” She hadn’t actually been drunk. She’d texted him on a dare from her roommate. But that was Eve’s story and she was sticking to it.
“You said you liked my bum.” Hayden grinned mischievously. “No harm in that.”