“You’re up early,” Hal said from behind him.
“Yeah. I didn’t sleep very well.”
“That’s going to make your day move along slow. Get some breakfast, and we’ll get to work.”
Wilder nodded, but he knew Hal didn’t see him since he’d gone back into the bunkhouse.
Looking in the house’s direction, he wondered if Rory was up and just how much she regretted yesterday.
****
Rory had just removed her cup from the coffee maker when a knock on the door startled her. She set the cup down, walked to the door, flipped the porch light on, and peered out the blinds on the window.
She stepped back, took a deep breath, and opened the door to let Wilder in.
He strode past her, and she did her best not to inhale his scent. Yesterday came rushing at her like a freight train.
After she pushed the door closed, she looked at him. She wanted to take him back to her bed.
“What is it?”
“I didn’t get an answer to you putting some cows up in the pasture.”
She looked at him, and the heat poured into her cheeks. He had mentioned it yesterday, but they didn’t get to discuss it because they ended up in bed.
“I agree,” she said and almost laughed at the expressions on his face. She shrugged. “I thought about it yesterday after you… left.”
“Good. We’ll take a few up there once it gets light,” Wilder said, reaching for the doorknob. He pulled the door open and started out.
“I’d like to speak with you.”
“All right.” He pushed the door closed, turned, and looked at her.
Once he looked at her, she wasn’t sure what to say. She heard him sigh.
“I have things to do, Rory. What did you want to talk with me about?”
“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she said in a low tone of voice.
“Sorry? For what exactly? Having sex with me or telling me it happened too fast?”
Rory looked at him and saw the anger on his face.
“Wilder, I loved being with you, but now isn’t a good time. You’re here to do a job—”
“Not you, right?”
“Don’t be crude,” she snapped, then blew out a breath. “Look, it just happened. I won’t deny that I’m attracted to you, but since you are here to do a job, I don’t think we should let it happen again. Maybe…”
“Maybe what? After I solve the case? Let me ask you this, Rory. What if I don’t? Sometimes a rustling case goes unsolved for years or never gets solved. So then, what do we do?”
“I don’t know.”
“I never make promises on a case. All I have done is let people down if I don’t solve it. It happens, so just how long do we wait to see if I solve it or not?”
She could hear the anger in his voice, and she looked into those irate blue eyes.
“I don’t know.”
“Yeah, I heard you the first time. I have to get to work.” He walked to the door, opened it, and slammed it closed behind him.
Rory pulled a chair out from the table and slumped down onto it.