His father was a part-owner in a real estate development firm, and Luke had been working for him since Thanksgiving.
Someone knocked on the door, and Luke said, “Just a sec.” He jumped up from the bed, left the blanket behind, and pulled a T-shirt over his head before opening the door.
Slate stood there, looking over his shoulder as he said something to Nick and Connor down the hall. When he turned back to Luke, he said, “I’m an idiot.” He stepped past Luke into the bedroom and started pacing.
“Why?” Luke asked. “What happened?” Slate felt like the little brother Luke had never had, though he was technically older than Luke. He closed the door and watched his friend go back and forth.
He’d done this in prison too, when he needed a couple of seconds to work out his thoughts. It was amazing to Luke how much of a person was ingrained in who they were, and also how much a person could change.
“I forgot Jill and I were going to her parents for brunch in the morning.”
Luke frowned, the dots not lining up. “Okay.”
“I can’t drive you to the airport.”
“Oh.” Luke smiled and ran his hands through his hair. “It’s fine. I’m sure one of the other boys can.”
“They can’t.” Slate stopped pacing and faced him. “When Jill reminded me last night, I asked everyone. Ted and Emma are going to San Antonio to see Missy’s other mom. Dallas and Jess are leaving for Montana tonight. Ginger has a horse she’s taking through a birth, and she wants Nate there, because she’s getting bigger, and she’s worried she’ll need to take a break, and someone has to be there with the horse…”
Slate hung his head as Luke’s mind spun. Everyone had such busy lives…except for him.
“There are tons of cowboys here,” Luke said. “I’ll find someone to take me.”
“You don’t need to do that,” Slate said. “I found someone.”
When he wouldn’t say who, the unrest in Luke’s soul stirred. “It’s not Bill, is it?”
“No.” Slate scoffed. “Give me some credit.”
“Why aren’t you saying who it is?” Luke asked, squinting at Slate. “There’s no credit, unless you somehow got me a ride on a spaceship or something so the drive will only take five seconds.” Luke hated driving in the car. He felt like it was such a waste of time.
“You like this person,” he said.
“Is this a guessing game?” Luke’s patience was already thin, and he hadn’t even showered yet. “Just spit his name out, Slate.”
“It’s not a him,” Slate said. “It’s a her. It’s Hannah.”
Luke opened his mouth to respond and only a guttural squeak came out.
“She seemed really happy and excited to do it,” Slate said in a rush.
“That’s not happening,” Luke growled, the words coming out coated with gruffness and maybe a little distaste. “I can get my own ride to the airport.” Heck, he’d call a cab before he rode for an hour with Hannah Otto. The woman had just fled his room without a word; riding in the car together for even five minutes would be akin to torture—for both of them.
No way. Wasn’t happening.
Chapter Two
Hannah Otto pressed her palms into her hips as she slid her hands over them. These jeans were amazing, delivering everything they’d promised they would from the ad she’d tapped on. They had some sort of magic material in the waist and hips, and they’d slimmed her by at least five pounds. Probably ten.
The flowery shirt she’d paired with them actually lay mostly flat against her stomach, and she stepped into a fashionable pair of cowgirl boots she’d never wear around the ranch. She was a part-time cowgirl at best, and she was truly happiest curled into the couch with a bowl of caramel popcorn and the largest diet cola someone could bring her.
She loved horses and dogs, goats and chickens. She didn’t mind her daily chores of making sure the small animals on the ranch got fed. She even knew how to mend fences, as the goats at Hope Eternal seemed to have a special knack for breaking things. Every morning was an adventure as she walked out to the paddock as the first rays of sun warmed the path beneath her feet.
Hannah had learned to like getting up early, just like she’d learned to like her barrel-sized and shaped midsection and her impossibly thick hair. In high school, she’d shaved the bottom half of her head—everything in the back below her ears—in an attempt to have the same amount of hair as other girls her age.
“All right,” she said with a sigh. She turned and picked up the keys to her car, which she’d only gotten a few days ago. She’d only driven it back to the ranch, and she realized as she went into the kitchen that she should’ve gone out yesterday to practice.
Her nerves needled her, but she managed to pour herself a large amount of coffee into her thermos, add sugar, and a healthy splash of cream. She reached for her purse, which held all of the essentials, and headed outside.
She’d expected to be early, because she was always early. Always ready before everyone else. And yet, she seemed to have fallen behind all of her friends. She put away her jealousy, because it could act like a poison, spreading through her whole system before she even had time to breathe. The antidote worked in a far slower way, and Hannah hated how off-kilter her envy could make her feel.
“Ready?” Luke asked, and Hannah flinched away from him, dropping her keys in the process.
“Oh.” Her humiliation had no end, as she was constantly making a fool of herself in front of the man. Things between them had been much easier before Jill had told her Luke was going to ask her out. She’d gone out to the cabin construction site several times and had intelligent—or at least cohesive—conversations with him.
Since her break-up with Bill, though, everything between her and Luke had shifted. He never had asked, and then he’d left the ranch.
“Here you go.” Luke had bent and retrieved her keys while Hannah stood there mute. She’d done the same thing yesterday, but at least she’d had a good reason then. The man had muscles everywhere. Muscles on top of muscles, and while she’d never seen him work outside without a shirt on, he obviously went shirtless at some point, because his skin had been golden and beautiful.
The familiar heat that had assaulted her yesterday made a reappearance, and she was grateful she’d thought to double-down on the deodorant.
“Thanks,” she said, taking the keys. “Let’s see…unlock…” She found the right button the key fob and pressed it. The car made a satisfying clicking noise, and Hannah beamed at Luke like she’d done an amazing thing by unlocking the car.
“Can you pop the trunk?” he asked. “I just have the one bag.”
“Sure.” Hannah got that job done too, and Luke lifted his bag into the trunk as if it were empty. He met her gaze as he rounded the trunk to the passenger side, and Hannah opened her door to get behind the wheel.
The new car smell filled her nose, and she managed to get the engine started. “Okay.” She flexed her fingers on the steering wheel and looked at all the controls. “This is a brand new car for me. I literally got it a few days ago.”