there in a month. Time seemed to move differently since I’d returned to my ranch a week ago.
Without the prospect of seeing Hailey, there didn’t seem like much to give me motivation. I went through the motions of doing my job and running Fort Davis, but beyond that, everything felt hollow. For the first time in years, I’d actually looked forward to seeing my brothers and parents at the family dinner. Hailey had stirred a desire for companionship inside of me that I didn’t think existed.
Next to me, my phone started to ring. It was an unfamiliar number. I let it go to voicemail. When a new message chimed through, I instantly held it to my ear. Hailey’s voice sent my heart racing. It was a short voicemail with simple instructions to call her. Instantly I leaped from my seat and headed for the door. Everyone in the room froze.
“Just where do you think you are going?” my father asked.
I hesitated. “I need to make a phone call. I won’t be gone long.”
“Have you forgotten about the rules? No business during family dinner. It’s been this way longer than you’ve been around.”
I chuckled. “It’s personal.”
Before he could say anything else, I left the dining room and made for the front porch. I didn’t want to risk anyone in the family overhearing the conversation. Part of me wondered if she was only calling to berate me again for asking her to marry me. I cringed at the memory. It hadn’t gone how I’d planned it at all. The romance and spark between us hadn’t been enough to make her curious.
Instead, she had lit into me, sending me home with my tail between my legs like a scolded puppy. At first, I’d attempted to drown her rejection in good whiskey, but it only made me think of her more. The women didn’t help, either, though I’d tried with three just to be sure. Each one was more humiliating than the last. The damage to my reputation would be irreparable if I continued to lack the performance I was known for.
On the other end, the phone started to ring. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel my throat moving with each pump.
“Hello?” Hailey said.
“Hailey? It’s Jackson. I just got your message. Sorry I didn’t answer.”
“Did you have to slip out from under someone really quick to take the call?”
“You know I’m not always sleeping around, just to clarify. It’s not my fault if my reputation proceeds me.”
“Oh, it has nothing to do with your reputation, its’ all your ego. You know what, this was a bad idea. I don’t know why I called.”
“Did you reconsider my offer?”
“Well, I seemed to like it more when I didn’t actually have to talk to you. Seems like every time you open your mouth, I’m reconsidering my decision.”
“I promise my mouth can be used for something besides talking.”
“Yep, this was a mistake.”
The line went dead. I cursed under my breath. I couldn’t help myself! That sass of hers lit a fire inside of me until I found myself wanting to plunge into her body. I wanted Hailey to wrap her legs around my waist and her hand around my throat as she nibbled on my lip. I shuddered and took a deep breath, quickly redialing the number again.
“I’m sorry!” I said before she could speak. “Please! I really am. I’m sorry. I don’t know what comes over me when I talk to you.”
“Poor little fella, blood rushing to the wrong head?” She chuckled.
I grinned. “I’m sorry, Hailey, I really am. For everything. I should never have poked Natalee for information about you or proposed.”
“So, the offer is off the table then?”
The hint of disappointment in her tone made my heart jump. “Well, no, I just wasn’t sure if you called for that or not. Listen, I can’t stop thinking about you—”
“I accept.”
My heart was now a continuous hum as my stomach joined in the flurry of excitement. The line fell silent. I tried to think of something to say, but no words would come from my mouth. To anyone passing by, I would have looked frozen in time, scared to breathe or move, wondering if I was only dreaming but not wanting to wake up from it.
“Hello?” she said. “Listen, if you are having second thoughts, just let me know now, okay?”
“No!” I shouted. “No, not at all. I just, I’m shocked.”
“I have some demands,” she continued. “I want the check upfront, and I want