“I left my truck with the valet.” Devyn dug through her purse for the ticket. “Do you want to wait out front with me while they go get it?”
Even with her goat failing his test run in a public setting, I wasn’t ready for the evening to end. “Do you want me to follow you home to make sure he doesn’t cause a wreck on the highway?”
“Gosh, no. You should go back in and spend time with your friends. He’ll be fine once I get him secured in the backseat.”
I didn’t want to say goodbye. Desperate for a reason to see her again, I brought up the emu she’d talked about earlier. “Did you want me to come take a look at Shirley while I’m in town this weekend? Graham and I could stop by tomorrow after I pick him up from Lou Ellen’s.”
“Are you sure you have time?”
Once upon a time I’d have walked to the ends of the earth for a chance to spend time a few minutes with Devyn Daniels.
“Of course. Eleven o’clock work for you?” I’d have to get up early to make the drive back to Broken Bend. There was no way Lou Ellen would let me leave with Graham until I gave her a complete rundown of my date with Devyn. Though it seemed less like a date and more like a catastrophe, I’d still had the best night I could remember in way too damn long.
“Eleven would be perfect.” The valet pulled into the drive in an old Ford pickup I recognized as the one Duke had driven back in high school.
The dress and heels had fooled me, but Devyn was still the down-home country girl I’d fallen for. I couldn’t wait to see her in her element. She opened the back door, and I set the goat down on the bench seat. Devyn attached his collar to a harness that would prevent him from causing any trouble. When she was done, she shut the door and turned to face me.
“Thanks for tonight. I hope Houdini didn’t get you into too much trouble. I’m really sorry for bringing him.” She bit down on her lower lip. Worry made her forehead crease.
I fought the urge to cup her cheeks in my hands and kiss the frown lines away. “Don’t worry about it. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
“Me, too.” She lifted her arms like she wanted to give me a hug.
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her tight against my chest. We hadn’t had enough time together. There was so much I wanted to ask her, so much I wanted to know about how she’d spent the past eleven years.
Houdini butted his head against the door of the truck, and Devyn broke the embrace.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I wanted to follow her home to make sure she got there. Wanted to lift her up in my arms and carry her up to my room. Wanted to lean down and pull her full bottom lip into my mouth. Instead, I shoved my hands in my pockets and resigned myself to spending the rest of the night with a painful set of blue balls.
Then I watched her climb behind the wheel and pull away from the hotel. Tomorrow morning couldn’t possibly come soon enough.
5
DEVYN
I’d been texting one of my besties in between morning chores for the past hour. Even after rehashing everything that had happened the night before, it still didn’t seem real. Had I actually met up with Henry? I’d given up on ever seeing him again, and he’d be showing up at the rescue in the next ten to fifteen minutes.
Cleary: How do you feel about him?
Me: I don’t know. Seventeen-year-old me still has heart eyes for the guy. He looks soooooo good now. Even better than before.
Cleary: So ravage him in a pile of hay in one of the barns.
My cheeks burned as that suggestion conjured up X-rated images. As much as I might want something like that to happen, I could pretty much guarantee it wouldn’t. Not when he’d be bringing his son along on his visit. I hadn’t mentioned I’d invited Henry to bring his mini-me to the farm.
Me: OMG. I hear someone coming down the drive. I think he’s here!
Cleary: Breathe. And text me later. I need to know what happens!
Me: Will do.
I tucked my phone into the front pocket of my overalls. Knowing I’d see Henry today, I’d been so unsure about what to wear. I didn’t want to look like I’d put too much effort into my appearance, but I also didn’t want him to think I’d just rolled out of bed. I’d settled on my favorite pair of overalls with my pink rubber boots. Shabby chic farm chick is what I called the look, and as far as I could tell, it was unique to me.
My feet crunched on the gravel as I made my way up the path from the barn to the drive. Seeing him last night had thrown me for a major loop. All the feelings I’d stuffed deep down inside years ago had bubbled up to the surface again. Though we were older and had been through major life events, he still looked the same as he had back then. I’d been a shy high school girl who was infatuated with her older brother’s best friend. Looking back on it now, it seemed so cliché.
Before I had a chance to second, third and fourth guess my idea to invite him and his son to the farm, they were there. Henry leaned into the back seat of the car at just the right angle for me to get a good look at the way his jeans molded to the curves of his ass.