I shook my head as I followed her over to the register. “I have no clue, but next week is her birthday. I was thinking of asking her on her birthday.”

After Anna rang up the ring, she put it into a box and wrapped it all up. She kept telling me to make sure I made it romantic. My heart started pounding.

Shit! Mike was always the romantic one, not me. What in the hell am I going to do to make it romantic?

“Layton? Layton! Snap out of it. I’m talking to you.”

I looked back at Anna, who was standing there with her hands on her hips.

“Did you even hear a word I just said?”

I shook my head. “I can’t do it.”

“What? What in the hell do you mean you can’t do it? You sure as shit can and will do it. Don’t you dare walk around, carrying that ring in your pocket for two years, because you’re too damn afraid to take a chance, Layton Morris.”

I just stared at her. “What if she says no?”

She raised one eyebrow at me, and for one brief moment, I felt like I was about to be sent to the corner for time-out.

“Please. No woman in her right mind would ever say no to you. Layton, you’re one of the sweetest, most caring guys I know. Trust me, she’s not going to say no. Promise me that you will at least attempt to make it romantic for her.”

I let out a laugh because Mike of all people had asked Jen to marry him in his truck. He had been so nervous that he’d just blurted it out. I smiled, just thinking about Mike and what he would say to me right now.

I winked at Anna as I took the small ring box and put it into my jacket pocket. “I promise, Anna. I’ll make it a night she’ll never forget.” I smiled at her, and I turned to leave.

I quickly opened the door and walked outside, looking around to make sure Whitley wasn’t nearby. I had no idea where she could have met this client of hers. I put my hand in my pocket and held on to the ring box as I jogged the two blocks to my truck.

When I got to my truck, I jumped inside, pulled out my cell phone, and hit Reed’s number.

“What’s up, dude?” Reed asked, breathing heavily.

“Hey, what’s up? What in the hell are you doing?” I asked.

“Do you really want to know?” Reed laughed.

“Well, I don’t know, Reed. I’m assuming you’re at work, so fuck, I don’t know.”

Reed let out a laugh as I heard him talking to someone. It sounded like a girl.

“Dude, do you want to, um…call me back? Are you busy?” I asked as I looked at my watch.

“Nah…I’m finished. I just got laid at work. That was a first,” Reed said.

My mouth dropped open. “What? What in the hell, Reed? With who?”

“Some cute little secretary that just started,” Reed said.

“Ah hell, Reed. Really? So, are you going to just fuck girls until you forget about Courtney?”

“To hell with Courtney. I told you, I don’t give a shit about whom she’s dating or what she’s doing. Shit, Layton…this damn blonde has been flirting with me for two fucking days, so I gave in. Don’t act like you’ve never fucked a girl just to do it.”

I let out a sigh and shook my head. “Anyway, guess who I just ran into?” I said, hoping to change the subject.

“I don’t know, Layton. Who?”

“Anna MacBeth,” I said with a smile.

“No shit. Is she in town visiting or something?” Reed asked.

“Better. She moved back to town and is working at her grandfather’s jewelry store—Jim’s. I just left there, and she told me to tell you to give her a holler.”

Reed let out a laugh. “First off, what in the hell were you doing in Jim’s? And second, I thought she was getting married.”

“Nope. Turns out the guy was a cheat, and she missed Llano, so she moved back. And I bought Whitley an engagement ring.”

“Wait—what? Dude…no fucking way! Are you for real? You’re going to ask Whit to marry you? When?”

I laughed as I started up my truck. “I think on her birthday next week.”

“Jesus, Layton. That is huge. Congratulations, man. I mean, I knew the two of you were pretty damn serious, but…dude, marriage? Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. Anyway, I think you need to pay a little visit to Jim’s. Anna really perked up when I mentioned your name.”

“Really? Awesome. I think I might head on out and make my way into town for lunch. I’ll ask her if she wants to go to the game with me tonight.”

I shook my head. “You fuck a girl at work and then go to lunch to make plans to take another girl out tonight? Real nice.”

“Fuck off, asshole. You’re just jealous. Hey, I’ve got to run. I have a meeting to get to. I’ll see y’all tonight at the football game, right?”

“Yeah, we’ll see ya there, and, Reed…trust me, dude, I’m not jealous.”

Reed let out a gruff laugh. “Yeah, I know you aren’t, you lucky bastard. Later.”

I hung up the phone and put my truck in drive. I was about to pull out and head home to put Whitley’s ring in my safe. There was no way I was going to walk around with it. Right before I pulled out, someone knocked on my window. I turned to see a young guy standing there, staring at me.

I rolled the window down and smiled. “Can I help you?”

The way he was looking at me was almost like he wanted to rip my eyes out before he slowly let a smile play across his face. His green eyes were filled with contempt, and I was almost wishing I had just driven off. I looked him up and down. He was dressed in dress pants and a button-down shirt with a light jacket. His brown hair was perfectly in place, but he looked completely out of place.

“Thanks so much, dude. I’m actually looking for a hotel. My cousin is getting married right outside of town, and I lost the paper she’d sent me with the hotel names on it. I just flew into Austin and drove straight out here. My cell coverage is hit or miss here in the middle of nowhere.”

I let out a laugh. Yep, city folk.

“Where you flying in from?” I asked as I threw my truck back into park.

“Denver, Colorado.” He extended his hand and smiled. “The name is Pete, Pete Miller.”

I reached for his hand and gave it a good shake. “Well, Pete, welcome to Llano, Texas. Layton Morris. There’s a Days Inn on Bessemer Avenue and a Best Western on West Young Street.”

I quickly glanced down at his rented convertible. I wasn’t surprised to see he had the top down.

“I guess, being from Colorado, this type of weather feels good for you.” I gestured toward the car.

He looked back at the car and then turned back to me and smiled. “Yeah. Well, I’m also picking up my fiancée. She was staying here for a bit, but it’s time for her to come back home now. I’ve missed her…if you know what I mean,” he said with a wink.

I let out a laugh. “Oh hell yeah, I’m ready to see my girl tonight as well, if you know what I mean,” I said, giving him a wink back.

His smile faded for a quick second before he replaced it with another look, one I wasn’t too sure how to read.

“Thanks for the warm welcome. I look forward to getting to know this little town.”

“How long are you in town for?”

“Oh…not long. Long enough to get back what was mine and head out on the road.”

I nodded. I didn’t like this guy at all. Something about him was throwing up warning flags in my head.

“Okay, well, enjoy your stay, Pete.”

“I will. Trust me,” he said with a shit-eating grin on his face.

I watched as he turned and got into his rental car. He punched something into his phone and took off.

As I watched his car drive off, something came over me—anger. Something about that guy didn’t sit right with me, and I was hoping that was the first and last time I ever ran into him.

Chapter Twenty-Three: Whitley

As we walked into the stadium, Kate was begging Layton to let her sit on his shoulders. I couldn’t help but smile at how she totally had him wrapped around her little finger. Jen, Kate’s mother, had told me since Mike had passed away that Layton had pretty much stepped in as the father figure for Kate. It showed. There wasn’t a thing he wouldn’t do for Kate to make her happy.

I let myself wander into a daydream as we stood there, waiting to pay to get in. I imagined Layton at the ranch on top of the hill at sunset. He was swinging our little girl around and around in circles as she laughed and cried out for him to go faster.

I felt someone tug on my shirt. “Whitley, why are you closing your eyes? Are you tired?”

I looked down at Kate and laughed. “I guess I was lost in a daydream, sweetheart.”

I glanced up at Layton and winked. He’d been acting so strange ever since he came to pick me up. He had been nothing but a nervous Nellie.

As he smiled back at me, he leaned down and put his lips right up to my ear. “What were you daydreaming about?”

His hot breath instantly turned me on, and I felt the blush moving up my cheeks.

I was just about to answer him when Kate started laughing.

“You were sleeping while you were standing up, Whitley? Uncle Layton, she must be really tired to sleep and dream while standing up, huh?”

Reaching down, Layton picked up Kate and swung her up and over his head until she was sitting on his shoulders.

“Yay! I can see everything now!” Kate called out.

He pulled me closer to him and gently kissed my lips. He smiled as he pulled slightly back. “Maybe we should get her home and to bed right away.”

I giggled and shook my head. “I think I’ll be okay for now. But we might have to leave early.”

Layton laughed and grabbed my hand as we paid and made our way into the stadium.

“My God, it’s been forever since I was at a high school football game,” I said as we headed toward the stands.

“It’s gonna be fun. The Yellow Jackets are gonna kick some ass tonight,” Layton said with a laugh.

“Uncle Layton, you said a bad word. You owe me an ice cream!”

Layton laughed. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’ll get you an ice cream. I got a little carried away ’cause I love football, and I love Llano high school football even more.”

Layton reached up and took Kate off his shoulders. As he set her down, she looked between the two of us.

“Do you love Whitley?” Kate asked as she giggled.

Layton snapped his head up, looked at me, and gave me the most panty-melting smile ever.

“Yeah, baby girl, I love Whitley more than anything. She’s my honeybee.”

Kate jumped up and down and clapped her hands. “Oh, like Mommy’s song she plays all the time.”

I laughed. I leaned over and kissed Layton.

Kate pushed us apart. “Now, me! I want kisses, Uncle Layton! You love me, too, right?”

Layton leaned down and scooped up Kate. He started giving her small little kisses all over her face as she laughed.

“You’re my number-one girl, Kate. Don’t you ever forget that. Now, come on, let’s go find Reed and Anna,” Layton said as we headed to the bleachers.