Kennedy slapped at a fly that landed on his leg. “Erin knows, and she isn’t running. Why can’t you just level with her and see what happens? She’s a really pretty lady.”

Wyatt couldn’t argue those points. “True, but I’m a risky bet for almost anyone, even a woman who is interested in me despite my disability. Let’s say I ask Erin out and she accepts. We hit it off, and one night, the situation heats up, so she asks me over to her place. The moment the lights go out, I can no longer read her lips. Even if she leaves the lights on, a guy can’t always see a woman’s face as he has sex with her. Can you see how that complicates things?”

Kennedy nodded. “So you’re afraid she’ll change her mind at the last second, and you won’t hear what she says to you.”

“Exactly.” Wyatt settled the Stetson on his head and angled the brim to shade his eyes before he walked back to the ranch proper. “But that’s not the only risk factor for me. Women like some things and don’t like others, and no two women are the same. Erin couldn’t communicate to me what she wants me to do or doesn’t want me to do. There’s also the possibility during sex that something that usually doesn’t bother a lady can suddenly be painful. If I can’t read her lips or see her hands move, she would be unable to let me know.”

Kennedy puffed air into his cheeks and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “There has to be a way around that. Other deaf men have significant others in their lives.”

“True, but it’s probably safe to say that there’s still a huge communication problem when the lights go out.”

“Will you at least consider talking with Erin about it?”

Wyatt wished his brother would just let it go. “Sure, I’ll consider it. But my biggest concern right now is that I hurt her feelings. I said some pretty ugly things and owe her an apology. The sooner I take care of that, the better.”

* * *

At a quarter after three the next afternoon, Wyatt got in his truck and drove into town. He knew through Slade and Vickie that Erin worked the day shift this week, so by the time he reached her house, she’d most likely be home. If she wasn’t, he’d just sit on her porch and wait. It was perfect weather for that, sunny and warm for Mystic Creek in May. He’d had a busy morning, allowing him little time to think about how he should apologize to her. Maybe if he had a few minutes of downtime, he could come up with a brilliant approach to what would probably be a tension-packed conversation.

As he pulled into Erin’s driveway, which was in sore need of grading and fresh gravel, he saw her on the front porch. She was bent over something big and black. Through the glare of sunlight on the dusty windshield, he squinted to see what she was doing. She appeared to be dumping potted plants into a garbage bag. She didn’t glance up at the sound of his truck, which he thought was odd. According to Kennedy, diesel engines emitted a loud rumble. Wyatt had no clue what a rumble sounded like, but he figured Erin should have heard him pull up.