“You’re beautiful, Cadence--“
“No.” The word is soft and futile as it slips out of her mouth. That distance is taking her over again, and I’m not sure what to think, except that I’m mad at whatever part of her past is haunting her, making her think that she’s not worth anyone’s time. “Or--thank you, I think.” I feel her eyes on me again. “But hell, Rowan, this isn’t the kind of relationship we entered into. I’m happy to go with you to this thing tonight--“
“Good, because we’re already over the mountain, city girl, and we’re pulling into the Foundation in less than five minutes now.” She laughs, and the sound of it breaks the tension in the car, even if only for a moment. “And I’m going to roll in there with the most beautiful woman in the state of New Mexico on my arm, and I’m going to tell everyone what a talented artist you are. And if anyone asks me if you’re my date, I’ll tell them that hell yes you are, even if you think you didn’t have a choice about the whole damn matter.”
“Rowan, you don’t even know me--“
“I know you enough. I know you’re hardworking, and you’ve got ideas that knock me to the ground about art. I know that you like good food, and you wake up and walk around the front of the house each morning, watching the sun rise. And I know that you laugh at my jokes, and you’re a fucking knockout. And that’s all I need to know, Cadence. The other stuff can come later--“
“There won’t be a later. I live in New York. My life is there.”
“I’ve got a plane, and I’ve been known to drive across the country for the hell of it. Even if it’s just for a date, I’d do it to sit across from you and share good conversation.”
“That’s... excessive.” She laughs just a little bit, even though I know what she’s saying is true. But hell, I don’t mind being an excessive man. Not if it means I get a chance with a woman like her.
“Well, darling, the thing about being an oil billionaire is that it doesn’t matter one damn bit if I’m excessive. I can do what I want, when I want. And if I want to date a woman in New York--“
“No one said anything about dating!”
“I just did, sweetheart. This right here is our first date. And I hope it won’t be the last. Snow’s starting tomorrow morning, so we won’t even be able to get into Ruidoso for a few days. I hear it’s going to drop a couple of feet on us before it’s all over with. Not real common this time of year, but it’s good for sitting around by the fire and getting to know a woman.”
“Snow! I didn’t even know it snowed in New Mexico. Oh dear God, I should have gotten out to that guest house. Should I—can I—oh God, Rowan. This is all a mess. If only you knew what a mess I am.”
“That’s damn good, because I don’t like a woman who’s neat and tidy and has everything all figured out.” I pull into a parking space by the Foundation and turn off the car. The cool air already starts to seep in, despite the solid doors of the Range Rover. It’s that chill that seeps into everything, that chill that makes me want to take this warm, real woman in my arms and remind her that there’s a beauty in her so deep that she should never forget it, not for one moment.
“I’m not that, not that at all.”
“Good, then. I like a woman with messy hair and paint under her fingernails. Maybe I didn’t know I liked that before, but I do now.”
She laughs again. “You got me pegged, then. I am that girl, to a tee. And I don’t have a damn thing to get my hair under control--“
“I like it that way. Like to see you wild and gorgeous and painting in those big grand gestures that you use. It’s fucking sexy.” I look to her with those last words and then get out of the car and walk over to let her out. When she gets out, she looks up at me, her eyes curious and searching. I brush one of the curly locks away from her forehead, but it springs back--a far cry from the straightened out style she had when she first arrived.
“Rowan, this can’t go anywhere serious. I like you too, but—”
“You like me too? Well, hot damn, woman, why didn’t you say so?” My twang starts to come out in full force, and I take Cadence by the shoulders, feeling her skin as goosebumps rise and she starts to shiver. “As for the serious thing, let’s hold off on deciding that for a little while, Cadence. This can go any way we want it to. And maybe we can figure that out after our first date. Or the third, you know, whatever.”