woman Aiden might be with. Aiden was a man who could make an entire roomful of heads turn—Janie was a woman who’d get lost in the crowd.
They were two very different people who only knew each other because of Will. She forced a cheery smile as she pulled back. “Thank you. I mean not thank you,” she amended, keeping her tone light. “But no more. You’ve done so much. Just be a great dad to Will, that’s all I want, and…let me be a part of his life.”
He frowned. “I would never take that away from you.”
She covered her face with her hands for a moment as relief flooded her, then quickly dropped her hands, not wanting to look overdramatic to Aiden. But she believed him, the promises he made. She would be able to sleep tonight, knowing he was a man who genuinely had all their best interests at heart. He wasn’t selfish.
“I’m done in here.” He gestured toward the door. “I’ll walk you back.”
It hit her then that it would just be her and Aiden in the empty house tonight. But that was fine. Totally fine.
They stepped out into the cold, and a blast of flurries pummelled them. “Yuck,” she said. “March snow is the worst.”
“I’ve always thought so,” Aiden said with a laugh as they walked to the house, chatting away like friends. Friends. It was better that way. For Will.
“Snow is always so beautiful in December, and then by February I’m over it,” she said, huddling farther into her sweater.
“No kidding. I was thinking of maybe picking up some takeout from Tilly’s, since we have the night to ourselves. What do you think?”
“Sure, that sounds great,” she said, climbing up the steps, trying to not act like it was a big deal that they’d be alone together.
Not together, Janie. Inhabiting the same premises for the evening. That’s what they were doing. That’s all they were doing.
“Okay, I’ll go warm up the truck. I’m looking forward to our night.” And before she could even process that statement, he turned and headed for the driveway.
What just happened…
I’m looking forward to our night?
Janie’s entire body overheated, making her sweat even though she was still shuddering from the cold.
She estimated that from the time Aiden left to the time Aiden returned would be approximately one hour. She had one hour to figure out how the hell she was going to handle this.
Chapter Eleven
I’m looking forward to our night.
Aiden cursed out loud in the empty truck. What kind of dumbass thing was that to say? Janie’s eyes had widened bigger than saucers. Way to make things awkward, genius.
He turned onto the winding road that led to his ranch, the truck fishtailing slightly as the powdery snow accumulated on the empty roads. He’d seen many March storms out here and had a feeling they were in for a doozy tonight. At least the horses were well-fed and warm in the heated barn. All he had to worry about was being alone with Janie and not saying stupid things. He eased his foot off the gas as the road and shoulder seemed to disappear under the snow. He could faintly make out the lights from his house in the distance.
He pulled into the driveway a few minutes later and grabbed the takeout bag from Tilly’s off the passenger seat, then made his way to the house, surprised how much snow was already on the ground.
Janie opened the door the moment his foot hit the first step. “We’re in for a blizzard,” she blurted out.
He tried to focus on what she was saying, but instead his gaze travelled over her, hating that he liked what he saw. Too damn much. She didn’t have her glasses on, and those eyes made him want to pour his heart out to her—which was one hell of a warning sign he was already a goner. He listened to people pour their hearts out to him at River’s, not the other way around. Her full, pink lips made him want to kiss her and taste her, and he could bet his life it would be the best kiss he’d ever had.
God, he was so screwed. And not the good kind.
“Aiden? Are you okay? Did you hear what I said—we’re in for a blizzard. White-out conditions, rapid accumulation, high winds, power outages,” she said frantically as though this was somehow going to send him into some kind of a frenzy.
“Yeah, it’s just your typical March storm.” He walked into the