Midnight Roots (Silver Creek Ranch)

Chapter Four

Heston

I hold the door open to my Ram 1500 pickup truck and nod at Tessa to hop in. She gives me a nervous smile as she reaches inside for the grab bar and attempts to lift herself in. I guess the fact that she’s about five-foot-nothing doesn’t seem to help much, so I gently place a hand on her backside and help her in.

As I close the passenger door securely behind her, I take notice of how her body began to shake when I touched her. I’m not surprised at that, and it’s only because of the way she throws herself at me whenever I’m in to have a drink or two and a chat with Cece.

Normally, I’d be oblivious to a woman’s advances, but Tessa, in what I’m assuming she thinks is a nonchalant way, could easily win a gold medal for desperation .

I’m not interested in Tessa in the way she probably hopes that I am, but if I’m going to go back to the Catch + Candle , then I’m going to have to brush the rust off and get ready.

Not for Cece, I’ll never do her any harm, but for the girl that I’m pretty sure has already taken Tessa’s place.

I walk around the front of my truck and pull open the driver’s side door before I reach into my jacket pocket to fish out the keys. I can’t get over how beautiful she is, and I know that’s going to stick with me while I work on Tessa. I’ll see her face instead of the one I’m taking home, and it’ll keep my mind on track for when it’s time to go back and buddy up to her.

“You alright?” I ask Tessa, giving her a quick glance before I start up the engine. She nods, but I can taste how nervous she is. She probably never thought I’d give her the time of day, but now that I have, maybe she’ll realize that some of the things that one dreams of turn out to be nothing more than cleverly masquerading nightmares.

“Buckle up,” I say with a nod as I glance into my sideview mirror and then carefully pull away from the curb.

If I break my toys before I get them home, I’ll have nothing to do with my time, and I won’t be the man Cece’s new girl will need me to be.

No sooner than we pull on a main road does she clear her throat, more than likely hoping I’ll start a conversation with her. Unfortunately for her, the only person I ever have much to say to besides the kind man and his wife who helped me out when I first got here is Cece.

I run a hand over my chin before stealing a look at her, my eyes stern, and then turn my eyes back toward the road. If she wants to babble, that’s on her.

Actually, it might be a better idea for her to get it all out now since she won’t be doing much but screaming later.

Though, it definitely won’t be the kind she’s hoping for.

I guess the least I can do is pretend to be what she’s been hoping for before I show her what I’ve always been.

“So,” I begin as I do my best to sound genuinely interested in what she might have to say, “tell me how your day’s been so far.”

It’s all the leeway she needs as she starts talking.

And I let her keep talking all the way back to my property.

I figure it’s the first and last genuine act of kindness I can do for her.