each day. It made sense for me to grab dinner with them rather than try and make it up to the house for dinner. That meant I hadn’t seen Timberlynn in a while...besides a quick moment or two when I’d see her at the barn, or with my mother when they went riding.
It had nearly killed me, not being able to talk to her. See that smile. Hear her sweet voice. Just a couple of days of not being close to her was starting to get to me. Especially since we had left things on not-so-great terms.
Tonight, I would get to see her, though, and I had been counting down the hours all day. It was Christmas Eve, and the family always went to church together.
As I walked out of my bedroom, I heard Blayze and my father playing a videogame on the TV. Judging by Blayze’s belly laughs, it was clear he was enjoying himself immensely. I smiled. He was growing up so fast and so was Morgan. I was glad Lincoln was expecting another baby. The housed needed to be filled with kids again, especially with how happy it made my parents. I knew Mom and Dad missed having Blayze here at the house so much when Brock was still bull riding. He still came over often, but not as much as I knew my folks wanted.
As I went to walk down the steps, I paused and looked down the hall where Timberlynn’s bedroom was. With a deep breath, I walked to her door and knocked. It opened, and my breath caught in my throat at the sight before me. She looked beautiful, dressed in a red dress that was off her shoulders ever so slightly and hugged the top half of her body. The front of her dress fell to her knees with the back longer, almost to the floor. For a moment I found it hard to even speak. “Wow. You look beautiful, Timberlynn.”
Her cheeks flushed. “Well, Stella told me to dress up since we were going to dinner afterwards at the country club. Apparently, Brock’s treat,” she said in a teasing voice.
I smiled and then noticed her eyes giving me a once-over. I was in dress slacks, a button-up shirt, tie, and, of course, I carried a black cowboy hat in my hand. “You sure do shine up nice, cowboy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything other than jeans and boots, except for the tux at Kaylee and Ty’s wedding.”
This time I laughed. “Well, it makes my mom happy, and she doesn’t ask us to do it too often.”
Her eyes met mine. I could see the confusion in them. The uncertainty of something. Me? What had happened between us? Her feelings toward me? I had so many questions, and the urge to haul her into my arms and kiss her was almost overwhelming. And what in the hell did she need rope and matches for?
I cleared my throat. “I wanted to apologize for the way things were left the other day. I didn’t mean to make you upset, and I hope you know I didn’t mean the things I said. I would never disrespect you, Timberlynn. I need you to know that. I was angry because you were pushing me away.”
She nodded. “I know you didn’t mean it.”
I looked down at the floor, trying to figure out what to say to make her understand that she could trust me. I decided to simply be honest. After all, that was the advice Mom and Dad had both given me when I talked to them this morning about what had happened in Dad’s office between me and Timberlynn. They suggested I talk to Timberlynn and be honest with my feelings, so that was what I was going to do. And be patient. There was that word again. After everything she had told me about her father, I could now see why she had such trust issues. But it still bugged the shit out of me that she thought I was simply a player. My father had said it right when he cautioned that I was going to have to work to earn Timberlynn’s trust.
“I don’t want to lose your friendship, Timberlynn.”
Her mouth turned up at the corners slightly. “I don’t want to lose that either.”
“Good. I also want you to know that I want to be more than friends with you, and if that’s not something you’re able to do, or not wanting to