After feeding Garrett breakfast and only speaking when spoken to, I unwrapped his hand. “The scrapes still look bad. After the shower, we’ll put on fresh bandages. Did they say if anything was broken in this hand?”
“Honestly. I don’t remember. But based on the condition of the outside of my hand, I’m guessing the inside isn’t in great shape. But I hate not being able to use my hands.” He wiggled his fingers on the other hand and winced. “The doctor said I could take the brace off to shower.”
“But then it goes right back on after we ice it. I laid out clothes on the bed. And once you’re decent, I’ll come in and help with the rest.” I wiped down the counter. Again.
“How many times are you going to clean that spot?”
Until I stopped thinking about being snuggled against your chest. Thankfully, I didn’t say that out loud. “There was a crumb. Do you need me to do anything else?”
“Tell me why things are so different this morning. I swear nothing happened last night. When it got cold in the house, you cuddled next to me, and I put my arm around you. That’s it.” He laid his battered hand on mine. “Please tell me what’s bothering you.”
“After your shower. Maybe. I’m going to prep lunch, then we can play a game or . . .” I shrugged.
“Enjoy the hot tub. I can leave my bandages off just a little longer.”
The hot tub sounded so relaxing. “Okay. I’ll lay out your swimsuit.”
He followed me into the bedroom but kept his distance. I appreciated that, but a small part of me hated not having him near me. Stupid attraction.
I pulled out one of his swimsuits. “You want it on the bed?”
“Sure. Just—you know—close the door on your way out.” All the tease was gone from his blue eyes.
I laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. “Yeah. I won’t come in unless you yell my name. No matter how loud a thud.”
“Deal.”
In the kitchen, I rummaged through the cabinets, finding what I’d need to make doughnuts. Thankfully, this house was well-stocked, and I’d brought all the groceries I needed. Garrett’s mouth pain seemed to be easing, so today’s snack would be doughnuts. His favorite flavor. I’d make the dough while he showered and let it rise while we soaked in the hot tub.
I still doubted the wisdom of saying yes to his suggestion, but the warmth of the hot tub could make it easier to talk about why waking up next to him bothered me. I just needed to figure out what to say. ‘It’s not you. It’s me’ was not the right way to start the conversation. But at the end of the day, that was the truth. Someone as amazing as Garrett deserved someone equally as incredible. That person wasn’t me.
Thinking about it made my chest tight, so I put it off for now. I’d think about what to say later. Or wing it.
After opening cabinets and looking through the pantry, I was amazed. I couldn’t even imagine how much he had to be paying per night for this place. They had everything. Finding a standup mixer in the pantry was both unexpected and wonderful. My arms would be grateful.
I warmed the milk and mixed it with sugar and yeast, then let it sit for a few minutes.
While the yeast did its thing, I checked my messages.
Delaney had texted: Anything exciting?
Instead of texting her back, I called. The shower was still going, so I figured I’d have a few minutes of privacy.
Delaney answered right away. “Hey there. Talk to me.”
“I need to get back to making the dough in a few minutes, but I thought I’d call. I’m good.”
“Dough? Are you making doughnuts?”
“Garrett likes the praline pecan kind.” And now I was making his favorite things. Every time I talked to Delaney, it started to sound more like Garrett and I were dating.
“And you aren’t good. I can tell that from your voice. What’s wrong?”
“He’s sweet and kind and . . . warm.” I closed my eyes, falling right back into the dream. “He’s so many things I wish I’d waited for the first time I gave my heart away. But I can’t do it again. I was a complete mess. It wasn’t pretty.” I’d said way more to her than I’d intended.
“You graciously pointed out my flaws when I needed to hear the truth, so take this advice in that same vein. You aren’t the same person who was engaged to Skeeter. And giving Garrett a tiny chance doesn’t mean you are headed down the same path as before.”
“I’m not sure I’m capable of giving him a tiny chance. I either need to toss my heart in the deep freeze to keep it protected or lay it out to be butchered. Those are the choices.” I also hadn’t told Delaney everything, and I wasn’t about to change that now.
“That is the worst imagery for love I’ve ever heard.”
“No one said anything about love.” The door opened at the end of the hall. “Gotta go.” I smiled at the bubbles in the mixing bowl, hoping Garrett wouldn’t notice how flustered I was. “That was a quick shower.”
Water droplets clung to Garrett’s brown hair. A few fell onto his chest and cut a path downward across his bruised abs. After watching two drops race toward his waistband, I went back to mixing ingredients.
“I didn’t want you to worry about me and forget the deal. Especially after I dropped the shampoo bottle.” He rested his folded arms on the counter. “I feel almost human.”
“I didn’t even hear it fall. I’m so sorry. Next time I’ll stay closer.”
“We’ll figure it out. What are you making?”
I turned on the mixer and let it go for a minute before adding the rest of the flour. “Your favorite. They won’t be ready for a while. The dough has to rise for more than an hour.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Remind me when we get out of the hot tub to rub that cream on your bruises. It will help them heal faster.” I pulled the bag of frozen peas out, wrapped it in a kitchen towel, and slid it across the counter. “Hold that against your face while I finish the dough.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He held it against his face. “Seeing myself in the mirror was a bit of a shock. I look pretty bad.”
“Just a few cuts and bruises. You’ll heal.” I liked his face even when it turned funny colors and looked like he’d been pumped full of air. “I can see your eyes now. That’s nice. The swelling went down pretty quick.”
“The guy never hit me directly in the eye, so they thought the swelling was from an allergy of some sort. Or insect bites. I laid in the grass for hours, so who knows?” He was talking more about the incident, but he still hadn’t told me everything.
“Well, it’s nice to see your eyes again.”
“If I tell you that I think you’re beautiful, will you quit talking to me?” He still had the frozen bag covering his face.
“Probably.”
“Then I won’t say it.” He set the bag down.
I motioned for him to pick up the bag. “It hasn’t been twenty minutes. Put it back on your face. It helps with the swelling.”
“You said the swelling had gone down.”
“On your eyes. But that spot on your cheek still looks bad.”
He complied with my wishes. “Did you study to be a nurse?”
“No. I just know how to search on Google. Speaking of which, the next time we order groceries, get pineapple or pineapple juice.” I transferred the dough to an oiled bowl and covered it with a towel. “I’m going to turn the heat up a little in the house. It will help the dough, and we won’t be so cold when we come back in from the hot tub.”
Garrett blinked and pulled the frozen peas away from his face. “You want me to eat pineapple?”
“Is that so weird? You aren’t allergic, are you?”
“No. I just . . .” He scratched his head as he walked away from the counter, then turned back around. “Why pineapple?”
“Because it has some enzyme in it that fights pain and is an anti-inflammatory. Why are you acting like pineapple is weird?”
He shook his head. “Turning up the heat is a good plan.”
But the hot tub wasn’t a good plan. I could feel how bad the idea was all the way to my toes. But the other thing I felt all the way to my toes was attraction. I blamed it on his lack of shirt.
“Let me change into my swimsuit and grab us some towels.” I hurried back to the bedroom.
“I’ll meet you out by the hot tub.”
The fluffy robe I’d found hanging in the bathroom helped keep the cold at bay as I tiptoed out to the hot tub. Garrett had said he’d meet me out there, but I didn’t realize he meant in the hot tub.
I tossed my robe over the back of a chair. “Why did you get in by yourself? You could’ve slipped.”
He kept his back to me, his head leaning on the ledge and his eyes closed. “Swimsuit fell off, and it was easier to just get in rather than wrestle that thing back on with my thumbs.”
I yanked my foot out of the water. I couldn’t get into the hot tub with him when he was . . . not dressed. I shivered as my brain struggled to think of an excuse. And the bubbles made it hard to see below the surface of the water.
Scanning the ground, I tried to spot his swimsuit. How far had he walked without it on? “Oh. I, um . . . I think I’m going to go back in and . . .”
“Watch dough rise? Tessa, I was . . .” He turned around, and his unfinished sentence hung in the air as his gaze traveled from my head to my toes. The moment of silence was brief but obvious. “I was joking. I have a swimsuit on.”
“Okay.” Easing into the water, I sighed at how good the warm bubbles felt after standing in the cold. “Sometimes I have a hard time knowing if you’re serious or not.”
“I’ve gathered that. And it’s kind of fun.” He eyed me as I moved toward him.
My plan was to sit beside him. Not too close. But the strands of hair hanging into his face were going to bug me. I stood in front of him and combed my fingers through his brown hair. “Sorry I didn’t offer to help you comb it. I didn’t think about how hard it was for you to hold a comb.”
Garrett stayed quiet as I smoothed down the parts that were sticking up and pushed a few strands away from his eyes.
“I like your hair this length. It has a nice wave to it. I bet the ends start to curl when it gets longer.”
He rested his hands on my hips, and I slid my hands out of his hair and pressed them to his chest, ready to push away.
“Tessa, if any other woman played with my hair like that—especially in a hot tub—I’d assume she was flirting. And if I were attracted to her, I’d respond with a long passionate kiss that would make her toes pop off. And maybe make my toes pop off too.”
I wiggled my toes, staring at the bubbles dancing on the surface. Because he was sitting and I was standing, we were almost eye to eye. I didn’t pull away.
“But in the few days that we’ve been compadres, I don’t think you’ve intentionally flirted once. Shoot, I’m not even sure if you like me. You might not.”
I shook my head because I didn’t want him thinking I didn’t like him, but all the words I wanted to say were tangled in a lump in my throat.
“And it’s okay if you aren’t attracted to me. I can live with that. I’ve been turned down by beautiful—sorry, I won’t call you that—by women before, and I’ll deal. We can be friends though and have a great time this week.”
Nodding, I didn’t say anything because I didn’t trust my voice. But I loved the idea of being Garrett’s friend.
“And just so we’re clear on a few things. I’m not asking out a different woman every weekend. In fact, when I asked you out a few weeks ago, that was the first time I’d asked a woman out since moving to Texas.”
“More than a year ago. That’s why Ava was so surprised to find me at your cabin.” I braved a moment of eye contact.
His head bobbed slightly. “You remind me of Ava, and I mean that as a compliment. She’s giving and caring and makes it seem effortless. She can make a person feel welcome with only her smile. I imagine that all those kids at school who bragged about going home to fresh baked cookies had moms who were like Ava.”
I knew Ava well enough to appreciate what a compliment it was. “She has a heart of gold.”
“You do too.”
I didn’t want to talk about me. I wasn’t ready to drag the skeletons out of my closet and babble about my broken engagement. “How has it been? Finding your dad and starting over in a new place are big life changes.”
Garrett turned me around and pulled me into his lap. The move was protective, not of me but of himself. I didn’t mind in the least because friends snuggled in the hot tub, right? Maybe he was cold. It was colder than yesterday. The temperatures today hovered near freezing. After deciding that it was fine for friends to sit this close in the hot tub, I relaxed against him.
He responded by wrapping his arms around my waist. “Finding my dad was good for me. I didn’t expect him to be a wealthy rancher. Usually, the dads who are never discussed have earned that because of crime or other bad behavior. Beau—Dad—is the exception. But I’ve gotten more than a dad out of the deal. Lilith is a hoot, and she’s a great stepmom. She loves my dad. That’s obvious.” He shifted his arms a little and stared out at the skyline. “Ava and Clint treat me like one of their own. And they both married great people. It’s been fun to see people fall in love on the ranch. Even the ranch hands have been welcoming. I have a family there.” He met my gaze. “And there are perks to being Beau Henry’s son. I can afford this place because of the rather large account he set up for me. But this is the first time I’ve actually used that account.”
“I heard the stories. You treated them like family even before you knew Beau was your dad.” I glanced back at him. “Do you feel guilty about using the money?”
“For this? No.”
Between the warmth of the hot tub and not facing each other, this was the perfect place to talk. About him. I wasn’t ready to talk about me. “Beau owns a massive ranch, but you aren’t working on the ranch. That surprises me.”
“The guys who work there have spent years doing that kind of work. I’m not sure how it would go over if I raced in and acted like I wanted to take over the place. I know Dad would love for me to learn how to run the ranch, and I help out from time to time. Throwing hay and other stuff.”
“That explains a lot. Both about the muscles and the ranch. I think maybe you are afraid you won’t be good at it right away. You’re afraid to look like a failure.” I probably should’ve run those words through a filter before saying them out loud, but now they were out in the wild.
“That’s scarily accurate. But let’s talk about the muscles. Please expand on that.”
“I think you’d be good at ranching.”
He leaned close, and his breath tickled my ear. “Are you trying to avoid talking about my muscles?”
“No. You have the kind of muscles that look like they’ve come from hard work and not from the gym.” For someone set on not dating, I had strong opinions about muscles.
“Are you saying the guys at the gym don’t work hard?”
I shook my head, rubbing my hair against his shoulder. “All I’m saying is that I find your type of muscle more attractive.”
“So you think I’m attractive?”
I knew better than to answer that question. “Given your current condition, it seems to me that working on a ranch would be far less dangerous than whatever it is you’re doing now.” I tilted my head up to see his reaction.
He studied my face before leaning in closer. Garrett was going to kiss me. I sucked in a breath, then licked my lips. Did I want him to? I wasn’t sure. The voices in my head couldn’t agree on an answer.
He stopped before his lips touched me, and he brushed the tip of his nose on mine. “I’m not going to kiss you, Tessa. I want to. Believe me; I do, but your entire body tensed, which tells me you don’t want me to kiss you. Maybe it means you don’t want me to kiss you yet. I hope so, but I’d never take what wasn’t offered. When I kiss you, it will be because you want me to.”
That was not the sort of declaration to be left unanswered, but it took me several seconds to find my voice. “Garrett, I—”
A snowflake landed on his nose.
He grinned as he flicked it away.
“It’s snowing!” I’d never been more excited about frozen precipitation. It made this sweet intimate moment even more memorable.
Tiny white flakes fell onto the deck and into the hot tub.
“It sure is. This is a rare moment.”
“Right? It hardly ever snows in these parts. This is amazing.” Enjoying the perfect scene, I rested my arms on his and leaned my head back onto his shoulder. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”
His stubble brushed the side of my head as he whispered in my ear. “You make me feel a lot of things, but pain isn’t one of them.”
My brain yanked out the scorecard and started marking boxes. Then Skeeter’s voice shattered the pretty little snow globe in my head.