Page 21 of Midnight Roots

I'm still grumpy, but I could eat. At least the house is nice and clean for when I invite Dillon over.

I go downstairs, and I make a sandwich, looking around my clean kitchen. Once my sandwich is made, I take it out to the porch to the table out there, and I sit with my feet up. I wonder how Dillon's day is going. I hope she's made lots of tips and had a good day, especially because I couldn't see her.

I finish eating and set the plate down. I walk to the stables and tack Charlie before I ride him out to the pasture where the cows have moved to graze again, having had their fill of hay earlier. There are no new calves to weigh and tag, but I stay there for a moment.

There's something about riding a horse, the intense power between your legs, that just drives a person wild. I'm tempted to ride Charlie hard, go galloping through the pastures and outonto the road. I don't think anyone would know what to do if they saw me. The quiet, unassuming ranch hand suddenly cantering along the countryside.

That would be something for the books.

Instead, I turn Charlie back toward the ranch house and I touch my heel to his belly. "Get on."

He trots back toward the stables, and I take him in. Unsaddling him, I brush him down and give him some hay and carrots. I wonder what it would feel like to have Dillon ride me like a horse—just wild, uninhibited sex. I mean, the sex last night was amazing, but we were limited in the space of the truck. What I wouldn't give to have her in a bed with me. In my bed with me.

It sounds like heaven.

Chapter Seventeen

Dillon

When I get home from the dinner shift, I fall into a deep sleep. I don't even shower. It wasn't just the rushing around with the orders. It was cleaning up between patrons, cleaning up after everyone left for the night, doing prep work for the morning, and finally closing up the diner for the evening with Cece.

It was all a lot to take in, and there were plates broken and bottles overfilled, but Cece told me it was fine, and honestly, it doesn't bother me right now. I've tried hard not to think about Heston and the fact he was missing today. It felt lonely without him in his spot, and every time someone walked in, I looked up, hoping it was him coming to see me.

Maybe I am a fool for it.

I offered to work the morning shift today with Cece even though she said I didn't have to,so I get up early when my alarm goes off, shower, and dress. I'm a lot more dejected as I walk to the diner than I was yesterday. There isn't really anything for it. I feel like Heston upped and ditched me.

I am a fool.

That's my final thought before I walk into the diner. I've been a fool, and now I just have to live with the awkwardness of having to serve him when he does show up again.

I haven't even finished that thought when the door swings open behind me, and Heston walks in.

"Hey, Dillon," he says cheerily.

"Heston," I say coolly. I look into his large eyes, and I almost melt immediately. "Where were you yesterday?"

"Had to work," he says gruffly before he walks through to the grill side of the diner.

I frown and continue prep work in the cafe side. When I walk over to the grill side, I see Cece and Heston talking quietly. I go back to the cafe side and make myself a strong cup of coffee to get ready for the morning shift. The regulars walk in, and as I'm about to start serving them, Cece comes to my side. "Why don't you go help Heston, and I'll take this?"

I can't argue with her; she's my boss. I nod and fix a smile on my face. I go over to the grill side and take out my notebook, not making eye contact with Heston. "Breakfast burger with fries and an orange juice?" I ask.

"Yeah, that'll do," he says. "Dillon, can we talk?"

"Talk about what? You were working when you promised to have lunch with me. You couldn't even bother to call and let me know. I worried about you, Heston," I say, finallylooking him in the eyes. "I'm going to go put your order in."

I take the paper the few steps to where I need to hang it, and then I pour him a glass of orange juice. I set it in front of him and he grabs my hand gently. "Please, I'm sorry. I wasn't myself yesterday, and I had a ton of work."

"You still could have called," I say.

"I don't have a phone," he says finally. "I seriously am a simple man, Dillon. I come from humble beginnings, and I like to keep shit uncomplicated," he says.

"Are we complicated?" I finally ask.

"No, no, we're not complicated. I want to get to know you better and spend more time with you."

I gently pry my hand from his. The way he sounds and the desperation in his voice give me pause. I'm a bit wary of him now.