Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
It was a little after six on Friday and Will waved to the good people of Sweetbriar Ridge as he made his way across the elementary school parking lot. Everyone was out and decked out in costumes and seemed to be having a good time already. The atmosphere was extremely festive and, as usual, the organizers outdid themselves with the theming.
He wished Sloane were here to see it all with him.
While there were some things set up and going on already, most people would soon be heading to the field for the hayrides to the pumpkin patch. Maybe he’d go on over and see if they needed a hand with anything, like driving the tractors or something like that. It would be an excellent distraction.
“Hey, Will!” MacKenzie yelled out as she and Devin walked over. They were dressed as a race car driver and a sexy race car driver. They looked cute and from the way Devin was smiling at his wife, he figured his friend would rather be home and out of their costumes than wandering around town in them.
“Hey, Mac! Hey, Dev,” he said, shaking his hand. “You guys look great.”
Devin nodded. “Sort of living out my NASCAR dream right now.”
“Okay, I get that, but…” He motioned to MacKenzie’s checkered flag mini dress.
“It was the only matching option,” she said. “It’s called a first-place racer costume. It seemed cute, so I went with it.” She was smiling broadly and then shivered a little. “Although it’s a little cold to be walking around in a miniskirt and no jacket.”
“I promise to keep you warm,” Devin said, wrapping his arms around her. He looked over at Will. “So, what are you up to? Going for a hayride?”
He shrugged. “Not exactly. I figured I’d ask around and see if they need some extra hands to drive the tractors.”
“I’m sure whoever’s in charge will appreciate it.” Devin paused. “But I have a favor to ask first.”
“Sure.”
“I was supposed to bring some extra coolers with me and I left them at the shop. Ashlynn asked me to bring them—apparently she’s in charge of one of the beverage booths—and…well…now that we’re here and I can see all the stuff set up…”
“You guys want to walk around a bit first,” Will finished for him.
“Exactly. So…do you mind?”
“Not at all. I’m just killing time, so it will give me something to do. Are they in your office?”
Devin nodded. “There are four of them. And if you can get them over to Ash’s booth for me, I’d really appreciate it.”
“No worries. You guys go and have fun. I’m sure I’ll see you around later.”
“Thanks, Will,” Devin said as he led MacKenzie away.
With nothing else to do, Will walked back over to where he’d parked his truck and made the short drive over to the shop. Once there, he loaded the coolers into the back and then decided to call and check on Sloane.
He sat down on the bed of his truck and listened as her phone rang.
And rang.
And rang.
“Maybe she’s sleeping,” he murmured and decided to just leave a message. “Hey, sweetheart. Just calling to see how you’re feeling and make sure you’re okay. I’m on my way back to the festival with some coolers and I’m going to see if I can help out by driving some tractors for the hayrides. Anyway, I hope you’re feeling better. I love you and I can’t wait for next week. Bye.”
Hanging up, he sighed—hating that she hadn’t answered. With nothing left to do, he secured the coolers, climbed into the truck, and made his way back across town. This time, the drive over was a little slower because of all the extra traffic and some roads being blocked off for the festival, but he figured he wasn’t in too big of a rush.
At the school, he had to park further away than he did the last time, but he was a little closer to where the booths were. Grabbing two of the coolers, he made his way around toward where they had refreshment stands set up. He noticed several long tables and a first aid booth. It looked brand new, and he wondered who was manning it because he didn’t see anyone around.
“Hey, Will!” Ashlynn called out as he approached. “I see you brought Devin’s coolers!”
He nodded. “Yeah. Devin forgot them, and when I ran into him and MacKenzie a little earlier, he asked if I’d mind going back to the shop and picking them up. They seemed excited to walk around and check things out, so I’m happy to bring them over.”
“That was very nice of you,” she said with a smile. “I heard Sloane’s down with that stomach crud.”
He nodded. “Yeah, it put the move off for another week.”
“If it’s any consolation, she’s pretty disappointed about all the delays too.”
“I know. I’m just hoping we’ve hit the last one. I really hate that she’s missing the festival.”
Ashlynn chuckled. “Dude, we have a ton more coming up. She’ll be fine.”
He wanted to argue, but what was the point?
“Hey, Will,” Reid said as he made his way over. They shook hands and Reid took the coolers from him. “Thanks for bringing these over. Are there more?”
“Two more in the truck. I’ll be back in a minute.”
It wasn’t necessary to run back to his truck, but he still did a leisurely jog—holding down his cowboy hat as he went—and waving to the people he knew along the way. Grabbing the last two coolers, he made his way back to Ashlynn’s booth at a slower pace. Reid met him and grabbed them, thanking Will again.
“So, I hear Sloane’s move got postponed again.”
Damn small-town living. Everyone knows your business…
Sometimes it didn’t bother him, but right now he really didn’t want to talk about it.
But he had to.
“We’re hoping next weekend will be the one,” he said, crossing his fingers. “And if not, I’m flying down to Florida myself and getting her.”
He was only partly joking.
“That’s what Max did with Hailey,” Ashlynn chimed in. “But I totally get why it makes sense for Uncle Kevin to drive the truck. We all know he’s dying to get back here and see how things are going at The Ridge.”
“That place has been packed every night!” Reid told him. “They really hit on a good thing.”
“This town needs a few more social places,” Ash added. “And I’m not just saying that because my dad is involved—although it’s been really nice knowing he has something of his own to occupy his time now.”
Will nodded because he had no real idea what she was talking about, but also didn’t care enough right now to ask.
“If you guys are set, I’m gonna see if maybe they need a hand with the tractors.”
“Thanks, Will! Have fun!” Ash said, waving to him.
The next two hours flew by as he lent a hand wherever it was needed. When he finally got asked to drive the tractor for a couple of rounds, he was more than happy to do it. It wasn’t the way he imagined spending the festival—and he missed Sloane like mad—but he was still having a good time, just like everyone else.
After his third time around the maze, he stopped to help people down and noticed just how crowded it had become. So many people were milling around that he had a hard time believing anyone could be at home tonight.
He helped an older couple down and heard the woman let out a small cry when her foot hit the ground. “Are you all right?” he asked, his voice laced with concern.
“I think I twisted my ankle,” she said, reaching for her husband. “Oh! Oh, no, it hurts! What am I going to do?”
They looked vaguely familiar, but that was nothing new. “It’s going to be alright,” he assured her, immediately helping her over to the nearest bench. Once she was settled, he glanced around frantically. Tanner was running one of the other tractors and had hopped down to see what was going on.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Ice!” Will called out. “We need ice and a medic!”
“Go on over to first aid!” Tanner called out. “I think Reid’s working the booth! I’ll stay here with her.”
First aid? Oh, right. The booth. There really should be a better system in place rather than relying on someone running around to get help, he thought.
“I’ll be right back,” he told the couple and then made his way through the crowd toward the booth. As if sensing his urgency, everyone moved out of his way—it was a little like the parting of the Red Sea. If he wasn’t in such a rush, he might have appreciated it more.
By the time he reached the booth, his hat was gone, and he was completely out of breath.
“Ex…excuse me,” he said breathlessly. There was a woman behind the counter wearing a long red coat. She was wearing what looked like a cowboy hat, and he wondered who got pulled for first aid duty. Her back was to him, and he didn’t have a clue who it was. Maybe she didn’t hear him, so he leaned on the counter and repeated himself. “Excuse me. One of the guests twisted her ankle getting off the hayride and I need an ice pack. Can you help me?”
Then she turned.
The hat came off and the coat fell to the ground.
Sloane.
In a sexy nurse costume.
The look on Will’s face was priceless.
Although now he looked as if he was going to pass out.
“Will?” she said frantically, leaning over to take his hands in hers. “Are you okay?”
“What…what are you doing here?”
“Volunteering,” she said, smiling sweetly.
“But…I thought…you said…”
“I wanted to surprise you,” she said, leaning over a little more and exposing a bit more cleavage to him.
“Well…you managed to do that. In spades,” he added.
“So, you need some ice,” she said, her voice a little low, a little sultry, and she loved how his eyes stayed fixed on the skin she’d just exposed to him.
“Huh? What?” he asked distractedly.
“It’s going to cost you.” Sloane almost wanted to giggle at her sexy Marilyn Monroe-esque voice.
His eyes met hers. “Cost me?”
She nodded. “Uh-huh.”
A slow grin crossed his face. “What’s the price?”
“A kiss.”
His grin broadened. “A kiss?”
She nodded again. “Rumor has it that you kiss like a dream.”
He chuckled and moved in a little closer. “That’s no rumor. That’s the God’s honest truth.”
“Prove it,” she whispered.
Cupping her face in his hands, Will did just that. The moment his lips met hers, she was lost. It was just like every kiss they’d shared at the festivals and so much better, because this time, she knew she’d be leaving here with him.
Bolder, his tongue teased hers and more than anything, Sloane wanted to crawl over the counter and wrap herself around him. She was just about to do that when a massive round of applause thundered around them.
Lifting her head, she smiled. Will was a little more confused as he looked around. “Wait…what? What’s happening right now?”
It seemed as if the entire town of Sweetbriar Ridge was standing around witnessing their kiss and celebrating with them. He smiled and laughed out loud when he spotted Devin, who was giving him a thumbs up, and yelled, “Finally! Now we can all go on and enjoy the festival!”
Looking over his shoulder at Sloane, a wicked grin crossed his face. With a curt nod, he turned and walked around the back of the booth and pulled Sloane out. Then he cursed.
“What’s the matter?” she said loudly in his ear, to be heard over the ongoing applause.
“The ice pack!” he said. “I need to get…”
She cut him off and turned him toward the crowd. He spotted the injured woman—who didn’t look as if she were having any problem standing on her feet, holding out his cowboy hat to him—and then looked at Sloane in confusion.
“My Aunt Kate and Uncle Shane,” she said. “They wanted to be in on the surprise!”
That had him laughing again. “I’ll have to thank them,” he said. “Tomorrow!” And then he scooped her up in his arms and made his way back through the crowd amidst the hoots and hollers. When they got back to his truck, he slid her in, climbed in after her, and kissed her again.
As they backed out of the parking lot, Sloane took Will’s hand in his. “Now I can see why you love these festivals! They’re so much fun!”
Will kissed her hand and turned the truck toward home. “Sweetheart, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”
He kept her hand tightly held in his as she simply stared at him with the biggest smile on her face. “Surprised, right?”
“I’m still not sure how you pulled this off!”
Laughing, she twisted slightly in her seat. “Will, I have a ton of family here in town, and, as you’ve pointed out numerous times, everybody knows everybody. I mentioned to Hailey how after those first few delays, I really wished I could surprise you and just show up when you least expect it.”
“I certainly did not expect to find you in the first aid tent tonight,” he said with amusement. “But you’re definitely wearing that coat tomorrow when we’re walking around the festival. You nearly gave me a heart attack because you’re so sexy.”
“Aww…” Glancing down at her cleavage, she had to admit that she looked pretty damn good. “We’ll discuss that tomorrow.”
“Anyway, you were saying?”
“Oh, right. So, I mentioned it to Hailey, and she got a family text started looking for ideas, and let me tell you, that chat took on a life of its own! I am related to some very clever people!”
“So whose idea was this?”
“Ashlynn’s. She basically demanded that we do it at the festival.” She giggled before adding, “She claimed the people of Sweetbriar Ridge desperately wanted to see how it all turned out for us and it would be perfect making you run across the festival and finally catch me.”
He burst out laughing. “Well, I’ll be damned. I want to be a little mad, but I can’t! It was a brilliant idea!”
“I know, right?”
He kissed her hand again. “I’ll have to thank her tomorrow when we see her.”
“You may need to tell her how brilliant and diabolical she is. Those were her words, and she basically insisted that you use them.”
“That sounds like her. So where’s all your stuff?”
“In Hailey and Max’s garage. We already knew we weren’t going to fit all of it at your place, and Max volunteered the space so I wouldn’t have to pay for a storage unit.”
“That was very nice of them. I’ll have to thank them tomorrow too.” Then he grinned. “Any specific words I’m supposed to use when I see them?”
That made her laugh. “Um…no. Maybe just promise we won’t keep the stuff in there forever, and I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“I can do that. But what about tonight? If all your stuff’s at your sister’s, won’t you need at least a suitcase or something?”
“I dropped one off before I went to the festival. It’s on your back porch since I didn’t have a key.”
“Holy crap! Why didn’t I ever give you a key?”
“Um…probably because there was never a reason to? Every time I was in town, we were together. It’s not a big deal. I just wanted to have something here so that once we got home, there wouldn’t be a reason to leave again until we were ready.”
They were only a few blocks from the house, but he pulled the car over.
“What’s the matter?”
“You said home,” he said gruffly.
“Well…yeah. That’s what we’ve been working for. I’m finally home.”
And damn, did it feel good to say those words out loud.
“I’m not gonna lie to you; I was feeling like it wasn’t going to happen. I was scared that all the delays and obstacles were going to convince you that you really wanted to stay in Florida.”
“Silly man.” Leaning over, she kissed his cheek. “Take me home and I’ll show you how much I missed you and how happy I am to be here.”
“Sloane…”
“I have on very naughty lingerie under this sexy nurse costume, so…”
The truck was instantly in gear, and they were moving, causing her to laugh the rest of the drive to the house.
As soon as Will parked in the driveway, he jumped out and ran around to the passenger side to get her. When he scooped her into his arms, she tried to tell him he didn’t need to do that, but she secretly loved it.
They awkwardly made it through the front door, and he slowly put her on her feet, letting her slide provocatively down his body. “Don’t move,” he said firmly before walking away.
“Will! What in the world?”
He came back a minute later with her suitcase, settling it next to the couch before coming back to stand in front of her. “Now, what’s this about naughty lingerie?” His hands were gripping her hips, and she had to admit she couldn’t wait for him to see what she had on.
And hopefully not for long.
Her costume was a white dress that zipped up the front, and slowly, she reached up and cupped her breasts as she whispered, “Are you sure you’re ready for it?”
All he did was nod.
With one hand, she unzipped the dress inch by inch. It wasn’t until it hit her waist that Will stopped her. His rough hands gently caressed the swell of her breasts as he peeled the fabric open to reveal the sheer white bra.
“Damn, Sloane. That is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,” he murmured reverently.
“Yet,” she said silkily as she continued to unzip the dress the rest of the way, revealing the matching panties.
Slowly, almost achingly so, his knuckles skimmed their way from the valley between her breasts down to the apex of her thighs, making her shiver. His name was a breathless plea before he hauled her close.
“Had I known this was what you had on under that dress, we would have been home even sooner.”
“It was already pretty fast.”
He grinned. “And so is what’s going to happen next, but I’ll be better next time.” Then he was done talking. Scooping her up into his arms—a move she seriously loved—he stalked to the bedroom and put her down on the bed. He stripped out of his costume in record time, but before he could cover her body with his, she stopped him.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“I was just thinking of how sexy you would have looked all naked but still with your cowboy hat on.” She winked. “Next time, right?”
“It’s out in the truck, but…hell yeah!”
Laughing, they came together in a searing kiss that went on and on and on. She wrapped herself around him, and in all her thoughts, dreams, and imaginations about how her first night at home with him would go, this was far better.
It was everything.
Hours later, still tangled up together, she looked up at Will and grinned. “I knew that hat would look amazing on you.”
“Sexy. You said it would look sexy.”
“And it does! I kind of like the role-playing aspect of it.”
“I’m not sure how the cowboy and the sexy nurse really fit together, but I think we gave it an excellent shot.”
Giggling, Sloane placed a kiss on his chest. “Hopefully someone grabbed the cowboy hat I was wearing earlier. Maybe tomorrow night we can play out a sexy cowboy meets sexy cowgirl theme.”
“Can I lasso you and catch you before hauling you to bed?”
That image just made her giggle even more. “No lasso is necessary; this is exactly where I want to be.” Reaching up, she caressed his jaw. “I love you, Will.”
“Love you too, beautiful. You know, this is the first time I skipped out on a festival.”
“Seriously?”
“Yup. They’re a tradition here in town—especially in the last several years. But after the first time you kissed me, I typically spent every moment looking for you.”
“The first time? Really?”
“Hell yeah! I’d never seen you before, and I was totally interested.” He studied her for a moment. “Were you on the track and field team in high school or something?”
Another laugh. “Um…no. Why would you even ask?”
“Because you run so damn fast!”
“Well…my running days are officially over. I’m yours now—no more running.”
“That’s good, because I’m not letting you go.”
And he sealed that promise with a kiss.