IT’S SUNDAY NIGHT, JUST THREE days since Rhett finally broke down enough of my walls to have me agreeing to a date with him. Just two days since the most romantic night of my life, where he held me so tightly in his arms and swayed me across the battered wooden floors.
And I’m a nervous freaking wreck.
I still can’t believe how tender and sweet he was that night. And the fact that I agreed to this.
Not only am I nervous as all hell to open myself up in any way to yet another man—even one like Rhett, but I also can’t find anything to wear!
I know it’s silly and vain and downright unreal considering I hate drawing attention to my body and the way I look. But I can’t help wanting to look good for him, be worthy of him…look like I belong with him.
Rhett’s presence is staggering—always—and it isn’t just because his glorious body is covered in tattoos from the neck down. He’s tall—so tall—with so much bulk I swear he could crush skulls with his bare hands. Add in his rich brown hair styled in that always just-fucked way, his deep brown eyes, sun-kissed skin, and carved-from-granite features, and you’ve got a man that always turns heads.
Always.
So as much as I want to blend in with the rest of the world, for him I want to stand out.
Frantically, I search my closet from top to bottom trying to find the perfect outfit but come up empty-handed only to end up heaving the most depressing sigh known to man.
What the heck am I going to do?
I hear Saylor chuckle from the doorway into my room behind me. I spin around, a look of panic on my face. I know it.
“Girl, what’s got you all out of sorts? It’s just a date with my brother.”
I swallow at the reminder. “I know! That’s why I’m freaking the hell out. Nothing fits or looks right. My hair won’t cooperate, and every time I try to apply makeup, I either look like a clown or a damn hooker.” I end my rant on a whine, I know I do, but I can’t help it.
I’m finally giving in to the feelings Rhett’s made me feel since day one, and I have no clue what to wear. He’s got me all out of sorts, in more ways than one.
Shaking my head, I sigh in defeat. “I just…I want to look nice but not too overdone. Or too much.”
“Doll, you’ve got to relax.” Walking into my room and placing her hands to my shoulders, Saylor eyes my wardrobe in the open closet behind me before looking back into my eyes. “Let’s go casual but cute. It’s Rhett and Sunvale; I can’t imagine he’s taking you anywhere too fancy. So how about that little navy floral sundress that’s hanging back there? The one with the ruffle, off-the-shoulder top. It’ll be perfect for the warm weather and show off a little skin without revealing too much.
“Then for your hair, keep it natural. Your makeup, too. I know you hate hearing it, but your gorgeous, babe. You don’t need to do anything to accentuate that. So keep the natural beach waves I kill myself to achieve and just do some mascara and gloss. Voila, you’ll be done and look perfect and have his tongue a-waggin’.” She winks when she’s done, and I roll my eyes but listen to her advice.
As I pull the dress from its hanger, Saylor busies herself with grabbing a couple products from my makeup bag on my dresser so I can strip down to my bra and panties and slip the dress on over my head.
When I let her know I’m decent, she turns around and gives a nod of approval. “Looks amazing, babe. Perfect. Now, let’s get you dolled up.” Her accompanying smile is genuine and warm.
I return it in kind, thinking of how lucky I am in this moment because I’ve never had a girlfriend to get ready with before. She gently squeezes my arm, as if reading my mind and letting me know she’s here now. She’ll never know how much that means to me.
Taking a second for the moment to pass, she then sets to work. First swiping on a couple layers of mascara to my lashes before dotting a tinted gloss onto my lips. Then she moves onto my hair, rubbing some product between her hands and running them through my long locks to keep the waves tamed.
Stepping back, she assesses her handy work. “I’m a fucking genius,” Saylor sasses as she tosses her cranberry hair and a hand to her hip. Her red-painted lips turning up into a devilish smirk.
Looking at myself in the mirror, I can’t help but kind of agree.
I look soft, not harsh and brash like I tend to look. My makeup is light, subtle and natural. You can barely tell I’m wearing any. The dress accentuates my slim waist and long legs but doesn’t highlight my deep curves in an obscene way.
For once I feel put together, pretty, but not on show, and I can’t help but hope Rhett feels the same when he sees me.
She’s killing me while she eats her ice cream. Totally unaware of the effect she has on me with the way her tongue licks at each spoonful and the way her lips wrap around the creamy fucking goodness.
We’ve been out for more than a couple hours now, the sun setting to the horizon letting me know night isn’t too far off. Meaning the end of our date isn’t too far off either. Despite it feeling like I just picked her up.
When I arrived at In Ruins and bounded up the stairs to my sister and Kennedy’s apartment above the bar, I thought my heart was gonna bust from my chest. And when Saylor opened the door and I saw Kennedy standing behind her, it nearly did.
I’ve never done this before. Dated. But it wasn’t that thought that had me tripping over myself before I got to the door. It was me trying to get there as fast as I could, to get my eyes on her. Take her in. Devour her, mentally of course.
And I wasn’t disappointed.
She was a vision, standing all shy and gorgeous as fuck in her pretty flower dress and flawless, natural beauty. Then when her mossy, pale green eyes lifted and locked on me, she smiled and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I’d do anything for this woman.
I’d lay it all out for her. My heart. My life. Everything.
I knew before; fuck, of course I did. That’s why I gave chase and haven’t let up on her. But picking her up for our first date—first of many if I have any say—and seeing her all perfect and vulnerable and silently strong solidified it all for me.
This girl, my angel, was here to save me.
As I stood in awe of all the beauty and good radiating from Kennedy, Saylor broke our staredown with her throaty chuckle and a “Have her home by nine sharp, son.” Kennedy giggled before hugging her while I settled for a chin lift and a murmured, “Smart ass,” as I placed a hand to the small of Kennedy’s back to guide her out.
After getting her safely buckled into my all-black Dodge Charger, I drove us the ten-minute drive to the restaurant. A small, intimate place that sits on the lake. Mountains and lush forest the backdrop. It’s quaint, nothing fancy, but the view makes it feel like a million bucks.
And Kennedy wasn’t disappointed, her shocked gasp of awe giving her away. She hadn’t known about this place, she told me. But was so glad I showed it to her.
So was I.
Now we’re at Sweet Dreams, the local shop for sweets in town, where we settled for dessert after dinner.
I clear my throat and shift in my seat, trying to ease the ache she’s been creating since I picked her up and the need she’s stoking as she eats her ice cream.
Why the fuck did I think this would be a good idea?
“So, what had you choosing Sunvale?” I figure the question is innocent enough and will help keep my mind on her and not what she can do with her mouth.
Taking one last spoonful of her chocolate ice cream, she uses a napkin to wipe her mouth before she answers. “When I left, I had no real destination in mind. I just knew I needed to leave, to make a change. For me.”
Her voice is soft and tender, a bit hurt, too, as she offers a small shrug.
“When I stopped for gas after about five hours, I went inside to pay and saw a stand full of postcards from area towns and cities. As soon as I saw the one for Sunvale, I felt this immediate connection…” She shakes her honey-brown head and ducks it down to hide her face. “I must sound insane.”
“No,” I rush to say as I put a large hand on one of hers atop the table between us. Coaxing her to lift her head. “You don’t at all. Keep going,” I encourage her. Wanting to know more about her.
She blushes a light shade of pink and nods her head as she lifts her eyes back to mine. “Okay,” she says quietly.
Swallowing delicately, she begins again. “The picture on the postcard…the sun on the horizon over the sprawling mountains and green fields looked so peaceful. Like it could become…home.” She clears her throat and fidgets a bit. Seeming a little uncomfortable. “Then with that thought a memory triggered in my mind. A good one from one of the earlier foster homes I was in. I had to be seven or eight, and I remembered seeing a postcard like it on the refrigerator and thinking the same thing. That it looked like a place I’d like to call home.”
My chest aches as the organ in there beats and pounds in agony for her. Because her soft, angelic voice sounds so lost and lonely. Something I can understand but wish we didn’t share.
“After that, I knew my destination, filled up my tank, and made my way into town. Hoping and praying I could make it work.”
“And here you are. Making it work.”
“And here I am,” she says through a smile. “Thanks to your sister and Gus. Without them, I don’t know what I’d be doing. If I’d even be here.”
That thought sends a whole new kind of ache to rock through me. Because now that I’ve seen her, talked to her, felt her up against me and in my arms, there’s no way I could let this woman go.
Not a damn chance in hell.
“Wanna take a walk?” I ask after a few minutes of heavy silence. Wanting to break it up, while making use of the last minutes of daylight and not wanting this date to end.
She smiles and nods her head gently. “I’d love to.”
We both stand at the same time, and after tossing our garbage, I snag her hand and wrap it snug in mine. I feel her lean into me, just slightly, as we walk, and I can’t help the grin that overtakes my face.
Comfortable silence surrounds us as we step down the sidewalk before veering off onto the single dock that juts out into the still water. As the sun descends behind the mountains and twilight threatens to break, we’re the only two soaking up the last moments of the day, and I couldn’t have planned it any better if I tried.
“This is so beautiful,” I hear Kennedy’s sweet voice whisper as she stands with her back to me, overlooking the water and scenery.
“It really fuckin’ is,” I reply. Just as softly. But I’m not talking about the water or mountains or trees. It’s all fucking her.
At my hushed response, she looks over her shoulder, another soft smile playing on her lush lips, because she knows I didn’t mean the view either.
Taking a chance, I step up behind her and wrap my arms loosely around her waist. Wanting nothing more than to wrap her up tight and never let go. But trying to remain a gentleman and not push her too far.
As my arms come around her and my head overtop hers, she lets out a small sigh, contented, and leans back into my chest. Barely hesitating, she lifts her small, soft hands to lay on top of my tattooed ones at her waist.
Nothing has ever felt so right than this girl in my arms. Nothing.
Minutes pass with the two of us just taking in the moment, the view, before Kennedy says, “I had a really great time tonight, Rhett. Thank you.”
Her tone nothing but tender and kind. True.
I breathe in deeply, taking another chance and pulling her in tight. Her back snug to my chest. Then leaning down, I press my lips to her temple before whispering, “Me too, angel. Me too.”