N A T E
“Are you going to the same place as me?” Ryke’s voice behind me stopped my mirror check. The last thing I wanted was shit about primping.
“Just getting cleaned up for dinner, brother.”
“Bullshit. You look like you’re going out on the town. I’m sure Caroline will appreciate all your effort.”
His laughter irritated me. Ryke didn’t understand how hard it was for me to actually communicate with the ladies. The guys assumed I had game because I got laid a lot. The truth was, the only thing I had going for me was my looks. When I saw someone I was interested in, I turned on the charm and gave her a few smiles and winks. Shallow? Yes, but it worked for me.
“Like I said, just cleaning up. You ready?” I slammed my shoulder into his as I moved through the doorway. It did nothing to stop his poking fun. Rather, he laughed harder. A smile threatened my face, and it was a good thing Ryke was behind me. I didn’t want him to see it.
As much as his amusement at my expense pissed me off, I couldn’t help but appreciate it a little. Ryke rarely let go and enjoyed himself. He’d been serious most of his life. The death of our mom when we were five years old changed him and everything else.
Halfway across the yard, Ryke settled into a pace next to me. His face was relaxed, but no longer smiling, although a hint of mirth remained in his eyes. “So, what’s her name?” he asked.
“The girl? Or are you still hot after her horse?” This time he bumped my shoulder with his, causing my feet to stumble as they hit the bottom porch step. I barely caught myself before falling on my face.
“Asshole,” I muttered as we slipped through the door. A smack on the back of my head sent a sharp sting across my scalp. “Oww!”
“Watch your language, Nathan.” Caroline reached up and kissed my cheek and then Ryke’s before continuing into the dining room.
Ryke held his laughter as I rubbed the back of my head. Caroline had been known to cuff those who took too much pleasure in another’s discipline. I swear that woman had the hearing of an owl, but hers was hyper-focused on swear words. She was determined to rid the ranch of cussing and make us boys respectable. It was a good thing we all adored her.
“Holy Sh—izzle.” I barely caught myself, nervously looking around for the woman with the stealthy hand. The dining table was set like we were celebrating a holiday. All the dishes were in perfect matched settings. A large, mouthwatering ham sat in the center, the glaze sizzling like it was straight from the oven.
“This looks incredible.” Ryke took his usual chair.
“Caroline has outdone herself,” Silas said from the end of the table.
“You think we should go help?” I asked Ryke and Si, unsure if we would just be in the way.
“No need.” Mira burst through the door, carrying a salad.
With a nod, I took my own seat. Mira and Ryke were at Silas’s sides, and Caroline was beside me, putting me within arm’s reach if I misbehaved. Shiloh’s empty chair was directly across from me.
“Here she is,” Mira announced.
Three chairs skidded on the wood floor as Silas, Ryke, and I stood to welcome our guest. My heart raced in anticipation as I turned to face the beauty.
Her blonde hair hung down her back, the soft curls bouncing as she descended the stairs. She didn’t look over at us right away, giving me an extra chance to check out her gorgeous profile. The pink sundress stopped right above her knees, and if I’d thought her legs looked nice in her riding breeches, it was obvious they hadn’t done them justice at all. As her foot hit the last step, she faltered. Her arms and legs seemed to be in some kind of quarrel with her brain as to which direction they should go. Just as quickly, she righted herself, but not before banging into the rail.
“Hey!” Her cheerful voice had me grinning like a fool, impressed with her quick recovery.
Then I saw something strange. It took several seconds to make sense of it. She strode toward us, sweeping a long, thin, white cane back and forth in front of her.
“What the hell?” I muttered seconds before I caught another hand to the back of the head. “Oww!” At this rate, I was gonna have a concussion by the end of the night. Silas glared at me before stepping forward.
“Hi, Shiloh. Can I help you to your seat?” he asked, waiting for her to take his arm before leading her around the table. When she was seated, Ryke and I lowered ourselves into our own chairs.
Shiloh closed her eyes and breathed in deeply as she placed her napkin on her lap. “It smells delicious.” What was I missing? “Who all is with us?” Her voice was so casual like this was an everyday occurrence. Maybe it was for her, but I was completely lost.
“You have me to your right, then Silas and Ryke. Nate is across from you, and Caroline is to your left,” Mira said.
“Can I serve you?” Caroline asked. When Shiloh nodded, Caroline proceeded to fill her plate, explaining each food as she did.
“Nice to meet you all. I’m Shiloh, by the way.” Her mouth curved into a smile, so genuine and warm, all I could do was stare at her.
As the food was passed around the table, I placed random scoops onto my plate before handing off the dish. If asked what I’d served myself, I couldn’t say. My eyes were trained on the woman across from me. Without thinking, I reached across the table and flashed my hand in front of her face.
“Nate!” Silas’s voice held a sharp warning that had me sinking back into my seat.
“Is this a joke?” I asked, looking around the table, waiting for someone to give in and have a good laugh at my expense. It wasn’t unusual for the guys to pull pranks on me in retaliation for all the ones I pulled over on them; however, usually the ladies weren’t involved, so this was new.
“Nate, stop.” Ryke poked me hard in the ribs.
“Did you really just wave your hand in my face?” Shiloh’s head tilted to the side, her facial expression hardening, as she stared in my direction. Her eyes appeared focused on me, and then they almost seemed to look through me.
“See!” I clapped and pointed. “I knew you were messing with me.” I grinned, glancing around the table at my friends, only none of them shared my discovery. In fact, they stared at me like I had two heads. My confidence faltered.
“You’re blind?” The question sounded accusatory even to my own ears, and when Shiloh recoiled slightly, regret hit me in an instant.
Mira placed her hand on Shiloh’s to comfort her, and I knew I’d fucked up. I half-expected Shiloh to cry, but instead, she patted Mira’s hand before squinting in my direction.
“Yes, Nate, I am blind.” Her mouth set in a hard line.
Her statement was so confident, I almost admired her. At the same time, I felt blindsided. How did I not know? Wasn’t this something I should’ve noticed right away when I first met her?
“Why didn’t you tell me at the paddock?” I wondered aloud. How could she ride a horse with more self-assurance than most people without being able to see?
“I guess we both held something back at our first meeting.” Her small shoulders raised and lowered in a shrug as she popped a piece of ham into her mouth.
“What do you mean? I didn’t hold anything back?” Frowning, I replayed our first meeting over in my head.
Her fingers feathered along the tabletop until they found her lemonade, moving with fluidity and softness. The sight of her full pink lips curved around the glass as she drank, mesmerized me. With her left hand, she searched to find a level place for her glass before carefully placing it back down. Moving her fingers around the edge of the plate, she located her fork where she’d placed it before. Her movements were gentle, yet precise. I half expected her to ignore my question, but she looked back at me and smiled. Only this smile wasn’t the warm one from before. This one didn’t reach her eyes. It was almost mischievous.
“You’re right. I didn’t tell you I was blind when I introduced myself, and you didn’t tell me you were an asshole when you introduced yourself. I guess we both found out something new this evening.” She popped another piece of ham into her mouth, nonchalant like she didn’t call me an asshole at the dinner table. As soon as she finished chewing, she looked back in my direction. “The difference is that my blindness doesn’t define me. As for you, well, that’s still up in the air.”
“Oww!” My hand cupped the back of my battered head, protecting myself in case another smack was coming. “Why are you hitting me, Caroline? She’s the one who cussed.”
“That one was yours because she’s right. Shame on you, Nathan.” Caroline nodded once and grabbed the pitcher of tea, refilling her glass as if nothing was different. Silas and Ryke barely covered their laughter as they stuffed food into their mouths.
As conversation ensued around the table, I ate quietly. Like a fool, I’d gotten all cleaned up in hopes of impressing this girl. Women usually approached me, and those who didn’t were eating out of my palm minutes after I made my move. But in this situation, I had no idea how to start from scratch.
How the fuck did I catch the attention of a blind girl who couldn’t see how hot I was?
This night wasn’t going at all like I’d planned.