She rolled over, turning her back to him. “Good night, husband.”
But somehow, Eve knew it wasn’t going to be a good night. Not at all.
She was afraid she might do something embarrassing, like snore or spoon her husband.
Chapter Fifteen
“It’s been a long time since any Bennett has had a family day. Just wish you folks would let me go.” Although Gran was staying home with Roddy to prevent any accidental falls, she had several leather saddlebags packed before Hayden came down the next morning. She was smiling.
He was smiling too.
And why wouldn’t he? He’d slept like a baby. Evie hadn’t snored. Katie hadn’t woken him at dawn. Sure, he’d woken up hugging one of the pillows Evie had placed between them. And yes, Evie wasn’t in the bedroom when that happened. But he felt good.
As for Evie…
She looked good. At home. Bustling about the kitchen in blue jeans and a teal T-shirt with her golden hair in a thick braid down her back.
“Good morning, wife.” Hayden stopped Evie with a gentle touch to her arm. He kissed her cheek, testing the weight of her silky blond braid and relishing her answering soft smile.
“Grab your coffee, Hay-Hay, and move along.” Evie hefted one of the larger saddlebags and headed toward the front door. “Rhett’s already outside, saddling horses. The girls are feeding Mike. We’re leaving soon.” Evie’s footsteps receded.
“She’s nervous, that one.” Gran closed a saddlebag and stared at Hayden with a look that commanded he listen. “Make sure you take her to one of our old haunts. I prefer Homestead Hollow, but you know Eagle Overlook and Clover Creek are people pleasers.”
“Rhett and I will do you proud.”
“With Rhett’s help, I found…that woman an old cowboy hat and a pair of boots.” Gran frowned. “Rhett’s girls had an extra hat and boots that fit…that precious little girl.” Another frown, as if she knew Evie’s and Katie’s names were stored somewhere in her head, somewhere she couldn’t access. “But the right equipment doesn’t make a confident rider.”
“Experience does.” Hayden completed one of his grandfather’s sayings, pouring coffee into a travel mug.
“Clyde always cherished me,” Gran continued. Her short white hair floated about her wrinkled face with a mind of its own, but her mind seemed on track this morning. “You need to give…your gals a good time. And that takes care on your part.”
“I get it.” He took a swig of strong, hot coffee. “Will do.”
“I mean it.” Gran pinned him with her gaze. “There’s something off between you two. If you love her, you’ll make it right.”
If I love Evie…
“I know how to keep people and things safe.” Hayden’s pride stiffened his spine, even if, historically, what he’d kept safe were him and his own heart.
“There’s a difference between keeping someone safe and showing them loving care,” Gran scoffed. She pointed to the nearest saddlebag. “Now, take this saddlebag out to the barn and think about what I said.”
Hayden tucked his travel coffee mug into the side of a saddlebag, then hefted it to his shoulder and headed outside.
The bright sun and clear sky were ideal for a family outing. Like Gran, Hayden couldn’t remember the last time the Bennett clan had taken a day to enjoy the land and each other. But those family days made up some of Hayden’s fondest memories of his childhood. Horse races across dew-sprinkled pastures. Summer afternoons spent at the swimming hole. Melting marshmallows around a campfire before bedding down beneath the stars.
Back then, he’d dreamed of having his own ranch, raising a family with the same traditions and experiences he’d had, being his own man with a loyal, loving woman at his side. A man his father and grandparents could be proud of. It felt right to share that vision with Evie and Katie, even if only temporarily.
“Hay-Hay!” Outside, Katie skipped up to him, looking like a legitimate cowgirl—blue jeans and boots, stubby pigtails, and a cowboy hat. “I want to bring Mike with us.”
“Mike, the baby calf?” Hayden tsked. “And what happens when Mike gets tired? Are you going to ride with him in your lap?”
“Hay-Hay,” Katie said in a disapproving tone. “Uncle Rhett already told me I can’t take Poppy on our ride. I have to have my babies with me. Why can’t I take Mike?”
“Roddy is going to watch out for your babies.” And Gran. Since Katie frowned at Hayden, he set down the saddlebags, squatted low, and tipped his hat back so he could look the little girl in the eye. “Can I let you in on a secret?”
Katie nodded, expression lightening.
“When I was a kid…” More like a teenager. “Roddy helped me raise a bull like Mike. I showed him in competitions, like at the county fair. And I won a lot of awards.”