Against the Odds: A Love Story Read Online Free PDF

seemed the drain under his kitchen sink was leaking and he was trying to fix it. So Caroline dished him up a plate of food and sent me to deliver it.
    Even though his house could be seen through the trees in the distance, it was still too far to walk with a plate of food and get it to him warm, so I drove David's truck. I had only been to Hayden's once. Caroline had taken me over to see the place after Hayden and I got back from our unforgettable outing at the UFO Museum.
    Hayden's home was beautiful. It was a colonial-style brick home with white siding and black shutters on the windows.  It boasted a three-car garage, which he never used. There was a large white vinyl deck on the back that wrapped around the side of the house to make a lovely veranda. There was even a vinyl porch swing.
    I knocked on the screen door lightly. A minute later Hayden appeared, his tall, massive, shirtless form filling the doorway, a smile on his face. I was startled at the sudden feel of unwanted goose-bumps on my arms at the sight of him. I mentally put myself in check.
    “Hey there,” he said, opening the screen door and moving aside so I could enter.
    “Hey, yourself. I just came to bring you some dinner.” I grinned slyly. “We wouldn't want you to starve.”
    He grinned back. “Good thing I've got ya'll looking out for me.” He took the plate of food. “Mmmm, smells good. Thank you.”
    “You're welcome.”
    “Come on in the kitchen.”
    I followed him through the house, again take in the beautiful interior.
    Hayden didn't have much as far as decor, but the combination of the over-sized, rustic leather and fabric furniture, set off by hard wood floors, made it homey and inviting.
    As I entered the kitchen, I was freshly awed by the large, stained pine-wood table and six matching chairs. The table was bare, as were the walls in the kitchen, but it was still lovely. I noticed various tools scattered on the floor in front of the sink. The cabinet doors were open and an old towel was lying beneath the drain pipe.
    Hayden put the plate of food on the table. “Have a seat,” he said, pulling out a chair for me. Then he went back over to the sink. “I managed to get it fixed.” He knelt down and wiped up the excess water with the towel. Having finished, he grabbed a fork from the drawer, sat down at the table next to me and started on his dinner.
    “So, how has your afternoon been?” he asked between bites.
    “Good,” I replied. “I had a good talk with Mama today.”
    “How is she?”
    “She's good. My goal is to get her out here for a visit.” I slowly grinned. “What do you think? You think Roswell is big enough for two big-city girls?”
    “Well, I don't know. The one who's already here is pretty much throwing us simple folk for a loop. We might need to get a little more prepared first.”
    I laughed and hit his arm playfully. “Honestly, I'm not that bad. Besides, I'm adapting.” I stood. “I mean, look at me,” I said, turning around for his inspection. “I'm wearing Wranglers and boots. Now you never could have convinced me a year ago that would happen.”
    He studied me quietly for a moment, allowing his gaze to roam over me. A sudden softness enter his gray eyes as he said, “You're wearing this life well.”
    I was instantly warmed, not only by the unexpected compliment, but by the look in his eyes as well. I couldn't remember the last time a man looked at me without lust or something close to it in his eyes. Hayden's eyes were sincere.
    “Thank you,” I finally said.
    “You're welcome.” He cleared his throat before returning to his dinner.
    “I think I'll get her out here sooner or later,” I said, charting my drifting thoughts back toward safer waters.
    “I'm sure you will.”
    I let my gaze roam around the large kitchen again. “Have you never lived anywhere else?” I asked as he finished his dinner. He took the plate over to the sink
    “Nope. I've never had a desire to. I travel every now and