Chapter 27

They were mostly silent on the drive home. Mitch found a country music station and turned it on low volume.

"You need to learn Texas-style music," he told her, letting the deep baritone of a familiar voice fill the silence in the truck cab.

By the time they reached the ranch, between the beer, the dancing and the music, Autumn was feeling as mellow as she ever had in her life. She dug into her purse for the keys to the house but Mitch shook his head.

"Uh-uh. I've got a better place for you to spend the night."

Butterflies did the two step in her stomach and her palms were suddenly damp. She knew what he had in mind. The same thing she did. Could she actually go through with it?

When he helped her out of the truck, it seemed the most natural thing in the world for her to take his hand and let him lead her around the barn to his house. On the porch he looked hard at her, eyes boring into hers.

"We both know what's going to happen, Autumn. We've been building toward this since you g