“I know, but the babies.”

  “Sarah.”

  “What?”

  “No.”

  “I just…never mind.”

  “No, say what you were thinking.”

  Sarah drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly as she curled her legs under her, which moved her body closer to Eli. “I just worry about him.”

  “Oh God.” Eli chuckled. “One calf and you’re in love.”

  Sarah blushed. “So what if I am? He’s adorable.”

  Rolling her eyes in an over-exaggerated movement, Eli put her cup of tea on the side table. “What would you even do with a cow?”

  “I don’t know, but I’d find something. He’s so cute and small.”

  “For now! They grow to be beasts pretty dang quick.”

  Letting out a small giggle, Sarah nodded. “I know, but still, a girl can dream, right?”

  “Sure, she can. For a day or two.”

  “Will you take me to see him tomorrow?”

  “If you want, but I have to go to town tomorrow for some lumber, and I’m not sure how long you’d get to spend with him. The next day might be better.”

  “I’ll take it.” Reaching out, she covered Eli’s hand with her own and squeezed. “If I only get one more week with him, I’m going to take every minute I have.”

  She may have made it off like she was talking about the calf, but Sarah knew in her heart she was really talking about Eli. She couldn’t deny the attraction. She’d tried, but she was done avoiding it. She liked touching Eli’s hand, liked being up close to her on the couch in front of the fire, liked spending time with her out on the farm.

  Eli turned her hand over and shoved it back into her lap, her shoulder pulling away from Sarah. Confused, Sarah bit her lip and tried to get Eli’s attention. She was so confused. Everything had been going so well, but she couldn’t figure Eli out. Anger burst in her chest, which surprised her, but the anxiety was at least at a minimum for the time being.

  “Why do you keep doing that?” Her voice rang out in the quiet den.

  Eli’s jaw clenched before she slowly moved to stare Sarah in the eye. “Doing what?”

  “Pulling away.”

  “You’re leaving in a week.” Eli stood up and stalked over to the window, checked the fireplace, and was about to leave the den, when Sarah raced and grabbed her hand again.

  “I’m confused.”

  “You’re a guest in my house, Sarah. Nothing more.”

  Sarah’s lips parted in surprise. “Is this about Bridget?”

  “God no. Nothing is about Bridget. You are leaving in a week.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  Eli bounced on her toes. “Just leave it alone.”

  “No. I want to know. I’ve been here eight days now, and I suck at reading people, so tell me what is going on.”

  Sighing, Eli shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and rolled up onto her toes and back onto her heels. Sarah waited impatiently for an answer, any kind of answer that she could get. Eli waved her hand around. “You leave in a week, Sarah. That’s just it, nothing more. You’re my guest, and I want to make you comfortable here.”

  Narrowing her eyes, Sarah realized she wasn’t going to get much more of an answer no matter how many times she asked or how much she begged. Sighing, she crossed her arms and turned toward the fire with a burning desire to ask more questions and to know more, but she withheld. Something in Eli’s stance told her it would better not to.

  When she twisted back around, Eli was surprisingly still there. Sarah gave in to Eli’s silent request to drop the subject. “Sit down.”

  “What?”

  “Sit down. Relax. You’ve been out all day. Let me make dinner, you drink your tea by the fire, read a book, whatever it is you want to do, and let me do what I can for you. I’m not going anywhere in this weather as it is.”

  “You really don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to.” Sarah raised one eyebrow, daring Eli to object again, but she didn’t.

  Taking a risk, Sarah walked around Eli and gripped her hand as she went. She gave a squeeze, brushing her fingers over Eli’s firm bicep. She resisted the urge to lean into Eli’s strong body as she took the next step toward the kitchen. She had to make amends, had to make everything right again from all that she had messed up. She would distract herself well enough with food and perhaps when she was done and they were eating, Eli would be more amenable to having a conversation.

  Eli stayed put on the couch, trying to figure out what she was doing. She’d thought she had a plan for dealing with Sarah, but every time they were in the same room together that plan went right out the window. And that question? What was she supposed to do with that?

  Eli rubbed her hands over her face and tried to hide as much as she could. She was at a loss. Each time she was in the room with Sarah something changed. She wanted to stand back, to be firm in her resolution not to do anything, but then there was Sarah, standing by the window in the den staring at her like the world rested on her shoulders and everything depended on the next move she made.

  And the touching. God, the touching. It wasn’t anything big, nothing that was over the bounds, just a slide of hands here and there, a squeeze of fingers, and Eli was done for, melted. She would do anything Sarah told her to do. She hadn’t known what else to say to her, but Eli could tell Sarah hadn’t understood what she meant when she’d said Sarah was leaving in a week.

  She needed to explain it better, but again, every time she and Sarah were in the room together, she either had no words or all the wrong words. The hand on her shoulder startled her. Eli jumped until the second hand joined the first on her other shoulder and Sarah’s voice flitted over her ears, her breath on Eli’s skin.

  “Dinner is ready.”

  “That was fast.” Eli twisted and looked up at Sarah, who stood behind the couch, leaning down. A serene smile slid across Sarah’s lips before it vanished.

  “I didn’t want to get too fancy.” Her voice sounded far away, and Eli realized she had probably hurt her in her failed attempt to explain everything jumbled in her brain in one freaking line.

  Immediately, Eli stood up and rounded the couch. Just like she knew would happen, she couldn’t stop herself from grabbing Sarah’s hands and squeezing as they faced each other. She had to make it right, had to explain better, but once more, words failed her. She said the only thing that came to mind. “Want a drink?”

  “What?”

  “Uh…do you want a beer or something with dinner? We can eat in here by the fire.”

  “Sure.” Hesitation was full force in that single word.

  Eli released Sarah’s hands but moved her palm to Sarah’s back, guiding her toward the kitchen. As soon as they got to the hallway, Eli could smell dinner. She must have been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed it before. “It smells amazing.”

  “It’s just a simple pasta bake.”

  “Well, it sounds delicious. Do you have a preference on beer?”

  “Just whatever you’re having.”

  Each of them did their own thing. Eli got the drinks while Sarah plated their meals. Then together, they walked to the den and folded themselves onto the couch. As soon as the spaghetti hit her tongue, Eli knew she was in heaven. She didn’t care if it was jarred sauce or not, whatever Sarah had done to it was amazing.

  “You should cook for a living.”

  Sarah snorted. “No, thanks. But I do cook as often as I can. Eating out gets old so fast.”

  “I imagine. I rarely eat out.” Eli took a swig of her beer before setting it on the table next to the couch. “What’s your favorite dish to cook?”

  “I like to try new things out.”

  “Adventurous.”

  “Some days.” Sarah smirked and ate her own food. “Do you not like to cook?”

  “It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s that I’m not very good at it. Mom did all the cooking growing up, and I was more interested in learning from Dad about stuff on the farm than I was about staying inside and cooking. I wanted to be out there.”

  “Makes sense,” Sarah muttered.

  Eli could tell she was going to have to work harder to put their relationship, whatever that was, back on the track they had been on. Sarah still seemed to be resisting any type of regular conversation, and an awkward tension had both of them walking on eggshells.

  Taking the risk, Eli slid her free hand onto Sarah’s warm thigh, the softness of her worn jeans hitting the palm of her hand and her fingers all at once and sending a jolt of something up her arm and into her chest. “Well, thank you for cooking so much for me. I do appreciate it.”

  Sarah’s eyes moved to where they were connected then traveled the line up to Eli’s eyes. She nodded in the slightest, and that pull was back for Eli to lean forward and press their mouths together, but she refused to give in to it.

  “I think my sister would like it here,” Sarah’s voice echoed, her tone tense.

  “Oh yeah? You should bring her next time.” Eli moved away and shoved forkfuls of food into her mouth.

  “I probably should. Maybe I’ll bring my whole family up some day. I feel bad, sometimes. I need to spend more time with my sister and her kids. I feel like I miss everything.”

  Eli hummed agreement. “Kids grow up fast. So long as they know you’re there for the important stuff, I’m not sure the rest of it matters.”

  “It matters to Kendal.”

  “How old are her kids?” Eli finished her plate and shoved it onto the table while grabbing her beer.

  “She’s got twin girls. They will be ten next month.”

  “They’re about to get fun.”

  Sarah gave her a funny look, her brows furrowed and confusion littering her face.

  Eli snorted. “I prefer kids who can think for themselves, so teenagers. Little kids are just…so much work.”

  Sarah cocked her head to the side as she thought. “They’re each time-sucks in different ways, I think.”

  “Do you want kids?”

  Tensing, Sarah’s shoulders squared. She stiffly and awkwardly put her empty plate down as she grabbed her own beer and pulled at the corners of the label. “I do. I don’t know if it’ll happen, but I do want kids.”

  Eli kept her mouth shut, not quite sure what she’d say if Sarah asked her the question back, which she only assumed would be the normal response. Lightning flashed outside, illuminating the entire window. Eli held her breath as she waited for the thunder to sound next. Sarah had jumped at it, and while she’d wanted to say something calming, she didn’t. Eli raised a brow as soon as the room was still and quiet again and knocked her beer bottle toward the fire.

  “You know, it’s pretty romantic up here, too. You could always bring a partner with you. I’m not exactly going to be judgmental of who you bring.”

  Sarah’s lips parted in surprise, and Eli couldn’t quite tell, but she thought or maybe felt there might be a rebuttal on the tip of her tongue. Eventually, Sarah shook her head and smiled. “I’m not dating anyone, and it’s not exactly easy to be in a relationship with the hours at my job.”

  Eli shrugged, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Sarah. Heat pooled in her stomach again, burning her up from the inside out as hope flared in her chest. No matter how much she wanted it to go away, it wouldn’t. “Their loss.”

  Grinning, Sarah shook her head. “Who says I’m a good girlfriend?”

  “You cook amazing meals. That’s about all I need to know.”

  Sarah laughed, the trill sending shivers up Eli’s arms and spine. “I think it takes more than one’s ability to cook or not cook—” Sarah gave her a pointed look “—to determine if one is a good partner.”

  “It’s a good start.” Eli set her empty bottle down and relaxed into the couch, staring at the flames as they licked the logs. She had successfully broken down the barrier Sarah had put up earlier.

  “I could teach you, you know.”

  “Teach me what?” Eli’s head swiveled from the fire to Sarah.

  Sarah curled her legs under her after setting her bottle on the floor and leaned in so she was closer to Eli, a hand on her upper arm so soft and gentle that Eli wanted to close her eyes and revel in the feel, but she didn’t. She resisted.

  “Teach you to cook.”

  “Oh! Yeah. Maybe tomorrow.”

  “I’ll teach you one dynamite meal to make that will impress any future girlfriends for you.”

  Eli’s cheeks heated, and then she paled when she realized she hadn’t thought about a future partner, not since she’d been with Bridget, not since before she’d moved home to take over the family business. She inched her way closer to Sarah so they were only a breath apart when she answered. “I’d like that.”

  If anything, maybe Eli’s flirting with Sarah would get her back on track to being open to a relationship eventually. Bridget had hurt her so much, far more deeply than she had fully realized, but being in the same room and flirting with Sarah was so easy.

  “Good.” Sarah grinned as another flash of lightning lit up the sky. “Do you get a lot of storms like this?”

  Sarah’s gaze didn’t move from Eli’s, and Eli was hesitant to break the moment. “Only really in winter and spring, more in spring.”

  “I could learn to like storms. They’re so different here than in Dallas.”

  “You can see them coming for miles out here.” Eli’s voice was almost a whisper, and her gaze kept moving down to Sarah’s thin lips before popping back to her dark brown eyes, eyes that swirled with temptation.

  “Maybe that’s it.” Sarah’s voice was soft, barely loud enough to hear against the thunder as it roared.

  Eli had to back up, had to move away, because she was pretty sure if they stayed sitting the way they were, she knew exactly what was going to happen. Slipping away, she grabbed her beer bottle and stood up. “Want another?”

  “Sure.” Sarah reached down and chugged the last of her drink before handing it to Eli’s proffered hand.

  When Eli reached the kitchen, she seriously thought about splashing ice-cold water on her face. She dropped the bottles into the bin and grabbed new ones before heading into the den. This time when she sat down, Sarah was immediately against her, head on her shoulder, hand on her thigh.

  Eli swallowed and clenched her jaw. She had to stick to her plan as much as she could. She wouldn’t allow herself to have a fling for one week. That wasn’t what she wanted. But the question floated through her mind, what did she want from Sarah?

  Sarah’s lips surrounded the bottle as she took a long sip. Eli inwardly groaned and closed her eyes. She was done for. If Sarah asked, she knew she would jump, but Sarah hadn’t asked—she hadn’t said anything, pushed anything, or made a move even. Either something was holding her back on that front or she really didn’t want Eli in that way and was only searching for companionable friendship while she was there. She had offered to teach Eli to cook for a future date, so Eli figured it was most likely Sarah wanted nothing more than friendship. Settling into that thought, Eli relaxed and tried to enjoy the rest of the night as the rain and hail started down.

  Chapter 15

  Eli backed into the lumber yard carefully and parked where she knew her load was going to be ready for pick up. Sarah stayed plastered to the front seat, surely lost on what she should be doing, but Eli didn’t care. The company to town had been nice, and Sarah had wanted to see town again before she left, and to be fair, she’d only seen it in the dark not in broad daylight.

  Pulling down the tailgate, Eli moved to Sarah’s door and tapped her knuckle against the window. “I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Okay.”

  Inside, Eli grinned as Cady popped up behind the register. “Eli!”

  “Cady.” Eli grinned. “I’m here for that lumber I ordered.”

  “I got it. I’ll have to get the boys to load it on the lift.”

  “Sounds good. It’s ready for it.” Eli tapped her hand against the counter as she waited.

  Cady headed to the back room and yelled loudly that Miss Wilson needed her wood. Had Cady not been a middle-aged woman who had no idea what innuendo she’d just made, Eli would have erupted in giggles. When Cady came back, Eli waited patiently.

  “You still got that pretty young woman up there?”

  “Who?”

  “The one you brought to bingo night.”

  “Oh! Sarah, yes, she’s still staying at the house.”

  Cady nodded and stared Eli directly in the eye. “I saw Bridget after you left that night.”

  Eli’s heart thumped. It hadn’t been loud around town that she and Bridget had been together. Honestly nothing could be a secret in a town their size, but she hadn’t expected anyone to come right out and say it.

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing,” Eli muttered as she stared at her boots, suddenly finding the pattern of mud on them more interesting than anything.

  “No, what happened? Talk to me, Eli. You know I’m here for you.”

  Sighing, Eli tried not to cry as she stared up into Cady’s older and wiser face. She shrugged. “It’s been a while since we broke up.”

  “Yeah, I think we all know that. What happened the other night?”

  Eli groaned. She did not want to go into this. “I have no idea.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Elijah Wilson.”

  Eli hated when Cady used that tone with her. Pursing her lips, she bounced on her toes, mumbling.

  “I didn’t catch that.”

  “She kissed me, all right? I don’t know why. I don’t know what she was thinking. It wasn’t welcome, but there it is.” Eli planted both her palms on the counter as she caught sight of the boys outside raising the forklift up for the two-by-fours.

  Cady pointed one decisive finger at Eli, nearing Eli’s nose as she squinted her eyes. “She’s jealous.”

  “I…what?” Eli shook her head, completely confused.

  “She’s jealous.”

  “Of what? I’m not seeing anyone.”