I had the best sleep of my life. Most people didn’t sleep well in strange places, but I’m not most people. I take comfort in the unusual. And there was something about the isolation the ranch o ered that made me feel secure and at ease. e clicking sounds from the cicadas, howls of some animal or another, and hoot of an owl outside my window last night lulled me into a deep sleep. Quite the opposite e ect of the blaring sirens and car horns in the city. Knowing there was nothing I had to be awake for was also a relief.
Dressed in a pair of black silk pajamas, I slipped out of bed and popped my head out the bedroom door. It was silent. A creaking sound somewhere deep in the home interrupted the stillness. It was impossible to tell where it came from, but the house had old bones and old bones cracked and groaned. I quickly padded to the kitchen, following the scent of the freshly brewed co ee Calvin had promised me. It was such a rare luxury for me to wake up after the sun did, and I relished in it. He must have been out somewhere on the ranch, tending to the animals or doing whatever it was country boys did. I picked up the mug Calvin had left out for me. It had a cow on it and the words, Wyoming, a place that will mooo-ve you. I laughed at the cheesiness of it and poured myself a cup of co ee. A door squeaked open just as I was about to head back to my room.
Calvin’s presence was punctuated by the slam of the screen door. His shirt was o , and my God, he looked better shirtless than I had imagined he would.
It was like an artist had chiseled each ridge in his abs and perfectly sculpted his
pecks. Beads of sweat covered his chest, neck, and forehead. I nearly dropped my mug. Calvin looked me up and down and blew out his red cheeks while taking me all in.
“Sorry,” he said, averting his eyes. He shu ed his feet in place as though he had forgotten how to stand up.
I crossed one leg in front of the other and brought an arm across my chest. “Don’t be,” I said, realizing how ridiculous it was that I hadn’t gone out and bought something like plaid pj’s. I’m sure girls around here didn’t wear silk and lace to bed.
“You just . . . uh . . . caught me by surprise. at’s all.” Calvin smiled. He forced his eyes to look at my face, and I did the same. “I see you found the co ee.” He gestured to my cup.
“I got a nose like a bloodhound for it.” I brought the mug to my lips and took a sip. Steam rose o the top of the liquid.
“Good. You make yourself at home at here,” Calvin said, reaching into the pocket of his jeans. “By the way, I forgot to give you this last night.” He handed over a silver key on a single loop.
“What’s this?”
“Key for the house. I usually leave it unlocked with it being the country and all, but with a lady in the house, gured I’d better lock up. Wanna make sure you feel safe . . .”
I slid the key ring onto my pointer nger and clasped the co ee mug with two hands, taking another slow sip. “ anks . . .”
Safe? I had felt safe. Even slept like a baby last night. But what was out there that he needed to lock out? I considered asking but I didn’t want to come o as skittish. I wasn’t that type of person, so I brushed the thought aside. It was just my crazy brain, seeing the worst in everyone and every situation. When you’ve seen the worst in people, it’s hard to unsee it. It’s in all of us. However, I liked the idea of Calvin wanting to protect me, and I knew where it came from. When you lost someone, you ended up holding on to everything
tighter. And Calvin had lost a lot.
“Got any plans for today?” he asked, shu ing his feet again.
“No plans, just relaxing. at’s the name of the game,” I said with a cool, laid-back tone.
“And how do you relax, Miss Grace?” “Reading, yoga, running.”
“Some of that sounds like work,” he teased. “I don’t want to intrude on any of your relaxing time, but if you’d like me to, I can show you the grounds.”
I brought the mug to my mouth and took a slow sip. I could see in his eyes he wanted me to say yes. I took my time, making him squirm a little bit.
“I’d like that,” I nally landed on. “I’ll change quick.”
Turning on my foot, I started down the hallway. I glanced back at Calvin before disappearing into my bedroom and caught him staring at me. ere was this intensity beneath his eyes. I had seen that look before. I couldn’t place it but I knew I liked it.
