“A family day.” That reminded him of Katie wanting to take a lazy day. And if he spent the day with Evie, there’d be plenty of time for kisses with appropriate witnesses. “All right.”
“All right?” Rhett chuckled. “I thought you’d put up more of a fight.”
“Naw. I’m turning over a new leaf. Got to be a good family man, just like you’re saying.”
“A new leaf? Hayden Bennett?” Rhett laughed, louder this time. “Now this, I’ve got to see.”
*
Eve was tucked into bed with the lights out when Hayden entered the bedroom. Their bedroom. She’d taken the far side of the bed by the window, turned her back to the door, and had the covers up over her head.
Calm, she was not.
She could hear Hayden removing articles of clothing even with the quilt covering her head.
And then the bed shifted as Hayden got in on his side. “Can you breathe under there, Evie?”
“Yes…kind of.” Eve uncovered her head without rolling over. Trust Hayden to use humor to try to diffuse the situation and make her smile.
“Do you snore?” he asked without a note of teasing in his voice.
“No!” Eve flopped onto her back. Not that she could see Hayden. She’d propped a pillow between their heads, and the room was only lit by a quarter moon outside. “Why would you ask that?”
He chuckled. “It’s a valid question when we’re going to be sharing a bedroom.”
It was odd hearing him but not seeing him. “Do you snore?”
“No one’s ever complained.” He sounded like he was smiling.
“Hay-Hay.” Against her better judgment, Eve drew the pillow to her chest so she could see Hayden’s face. Or at least the shadow of it. “No wife ever wants to hear her husband speak about other women.”
Hayden rolled onto his side, propping his head on his hand. He took his time answering. “Evie, you should know. I’m not a ‘stay the night’ kind of guy. Not that I make a habit of—”
“Enough said. Too much, in fact.” Eve liked that Hayden hadn’t been serious enough about anyone to sleep over. But more than that… The details… Wife or not, she didn’t want to know.
“Right. Got it.” Hayden sighed. “While we’re talking, Rhett convinced me to take tomorrow off for a family day. That’s ‘Bennett-speak’ for a ride and a picnic.”
“That sounds nice. You have a good time. I took Friday off to study. I’m meeting Ted to study at the Coffee Corner tomorrow and—”
“We’ll have a good time as a family,” Hayden said quietly, an edge to those words. The same sharpness he’d used when he’d checked out her study partner. “Think of Katie. She’d love to go and have you with her.”
“Your grandmother and I will stay back.” Eve had to study for a quiz on Monday and said so. Best excuse ever.
Not that it worked with Hayden.
“I need to work too, Evie,” Hayden said in that quiet, firm voice of his, the tone that said he’d made up his mind. “But, like Gran said that first morning you were here, we didn’t have a honeymoon. And you coming along will go a long way in convincing Rhett that we’re in love.”
“But…” Eve scrambled for an excuse. “We don’t have cowboy boots or riding gear.”
“Evie.”
She did so like the way he said her name. “You’re not going to let me argue my way out of this, are you?”
“Nope.”
Eve sighed.
Hayden rolled over, turning his back to her. “Good night, wife.”