Chapter Twelve
Kylie
We wrapped things up, and Hunter walked me to my car. I stopped just before we got to it and turned to face him. I had to see him one more time.
“Today was fun.” I was smiling from ear to ear as I took the gun case from him.
He returned the same smile I wore, seemingly sharing the same experience as I did. “You are a fast learner. A joy to watch.” He leaned closer to me, my heart beating fast again. That similar feeling I felt when he was at my back, teaching my how to shoot re-birthed inside of me. I closed my eyes, anticipating a kiss from him.
Only when his lips touched my forehead did I realize he was kissing me goodbye. I opened my eyes again, struck by his gentle kiss on my head. “See you soon, Kylie.”
“Yeah. Okay.” I got into the car, a little disappointment. I wanted a real kiss. We’d fucked in the barn the night before. Maybe it meant more to me than it did to him?
I ignored my internal questions and waved at him as I drove off, my heart still racing. I had never felt this before. Butterflies fluttered inside my stomach. Although my eyes were on the road, my head was somewhere off in space. Somewhere above the clouds, thinking of things that caused my body to ache and grow wet.
I got to the store and parked, freaked out that I had driven without thinking about it at all. I walked in to find my mother waiting for me, the look on her face showing that she had been nervous.
“How did the gun practice go?” Her eyes were on the new novelette she had just started yesterday as she manned the counter. It was late afternoon, but the store seemed a little bit empty. I walked toward her and stopped.
“It’s pretty great, Mom. I got Hunter to teach me how to use the gun with a target.”
I pinned my name tag on the chest portion of my shirt as I stood before the counter. My mother was still reading her novelette as if she did not care much about what I had to say. She was still pissed about me disobeying her advice.
I walked over to her, taking the book out of her grasp. She stared at me with her green eyes. Only then did I see that she was troubled and worried. I squeezed her shoulder and leaned over to kiss her cheek.
“Mom, we are going to be safe now. The gun will help us, in case things make a turn for the worse.”
She looked at me and ceded a weak smile. “And do you plan on using that scary thing if someone comes in here and threatens us?”
It was a good question. I shook my head, still uncertain about my intent. I hadn’t considered what I was going to do with the gun. All I knew was that having it, and knowing how to use it, helped me feel safe. Shooting a man was not part of my thought process. I wasn’t sure I could do something like that, no matter what.
“I’m not sure yet, Mom. Maybe, but hopefully, we don’t have to face something like that.”
“Yep. Hopefully not.” She went back to her romance novellas and left me to my thoughts. It was a dangerous place to be.
*
After my shift had ended, I decided to visit Bailey before going home. She had been worried sick upon hearing that my house had been broken into by burglars, but I never got the chance to see her and update her on the investigation. Now that I had some free time, I figured I’d stop by and see her and Cat.
I knocked on their front door, and Bailey opened it. She had Cat in her arms but still managed to lean in and squeeze me tightly. Cat got pinned in between the two of us and cried out before squirming around.
The three of us laughed. I loved them both so much. They were a ray of sunshine in my life that I couldn’t live without.
“Come, have a seat.” Bailey walked toward the living room. “Take a load off.”
I picked up some of the toys that were scattered on the ground, putting them in Cat’s toy box. “Sorry for not calling or coming over sooner. I got a lot of things going on.”
She helped me in picking up the toys while Cat sat on the couch, occupied by the cartoons she was watching on the TV.
“It’s okay, Kylie. As soon as you have the time, you can visit us. You doing okay after everything? You sure moving back to your house is the best idea?” She looked at me with worried eyes resembling those of my mother.
“Yeah, things are back to normal, and I stayed there last night. It was good.” I shrugged. “Besides, Hunter keeps the neighborhood in check. And I feel safer now that he taught me how to use a gun.”
I picked up the last toy and placed it in the toy box. Bailey closed the chest, her eyes smiling at me. She looked like she just heard some new gossip in town. I looked at her with a questioning gaze, waiting for her thoughts. She pursed her lips. Pain in the butt.
“What?” I crossed my arms beneath my chest.
Finally, she ended my torment and spoke what was on her mind. “You’ve talked about nothing but Hunter these past few days. Is there something I’m missing?”
From the tone of her voice, I knew she was already fully aware of what was going on. I sat beside Cat, wrapping my arm around her tiny shoulders as I planted a kiss on her cheek.
“Maybe?” I laughed.
“So, tell me! Is it what I think? Did you sleep with him?” Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God. You lost your virginity to him, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t keep anything from her. She was my closest friend. “Yeah. I did.”
“What!? Really?!” Her whole face lit up.
“Yeah. I went over there to learn how to hold my gun, and one thing led to the other.” I ran my hand down my face, embarrassed as hell.
She glanced at Cat and leaned close, whispering her next words. “So, was he any good? Was he big?”
I blushed upon hearing the word big. I could still feel him inside me, the tremendous part of him that filled me up. “Yes. Excessively so. I can’t get it out of my head, to be honest.”
“How big?” She mouthed and held up six fingers.
“Ten.” I leaned back and let out a long sigh.
“What?” She stood up and walked around in a circle, looking like an idiot. “Are you kidding me? How did you? Were you able to… Did he hurt you?” She put her hands on her hips, her excitement all but gone.
“What? No.” I sat back up.
“Good.” She let out a sigh and dropped back down beside me. “Well, just be careful.”
“Of?” I laughed, half expecting her to say to be careful of his monster cock, but Cat was there. We were trying hard to behave.
“Of falling for a guy like him, Kylie. Relationships need attention and time, but Hunter’s priorities are filled up already. He’s got a son and a business to manage, plus being a volunteer firefighter would limit his time even more. It’s difficult to add yourself to his tight schedule, and I don’t want to see you disappointed. Take it from someone who faced the same dilemma.”
“I know the risks.” I felt defensive, which I hated, but she didn’t know him. He was different. He had to be. Everyone loved this man…including me.
“Hey, I want you to be happy. I know how you are. But also, I want you to be happy not only for a short period of time. I wish the best for you, and as your best friend, I don’t want you coming back here and crying due to heartbreak.”
“I know. I appreciate that. I’ll be careful, really.” I forgot about everything and laid back on the couch. Cat crawled up in my lap and wrapped her tiny arms around my neck. We stayed that way until the baby grew bored of me.
After helping to clean up Bailey’s living room, I decided to get ready and go home. “It’s getting late. I need to get some sleep. Thanks for letting me spill my news.”
“Or thanks for dragging it out of you?” She laughed and pulled me in for a quick hug. “Don’t be a stranger, stranger.”
“Never.” I kissed Cat on the head and walked out toward the car.
I began to drift away from reality as I drove home. Dinner with Hunter and Vince would be so nice. I hoped it would be sooner rather than later. I loved to cook, and even more so, I would love to cook for the two of them.
I drove down my street and forced myself to focus. The same car I’d seen before the burglary was the driving by the house. Shit.
Trying not to make a scene, I turned around and headed back toward my mother’s house. I didn’t want to bother Hunter, but I sure as hell wasn’t staying home alone. I called the cops when I got back on the main road, and they promised to send someone over.
I wanted to ask if they could do it permanently but knew how ridiculous I was being. It was probably a fluke. Or maybe a different car.
No, I was lying to make myself feel better. Too bad that shit wasn’t working.