Chapter 14
Kacey
Jessie
*clears throat* Hellooo? I’m waiting for my update on last night.
Jessie
How did it go?!
Kacey
Good.
Jessie
Good? That’s all I get? I basically facilitated this entire date and all I get is ‘Good’?
Kacey
First of all, you are the most dramatic person I know. Secondly, it was not a date. I’m busy working cows, I’ll fill you in later.
Jessie
First of all, I take pride in that title, thank you. Second, fine, I’ll be patient—but barely. Meet me at Gran’s for dinner tonight.
After Knox got in his truck and drove off last night, I promptly went inside to hyperventilate.
His whole “not a date” definitely felt like one by the end of the night.
I’m trying not to overthink it or read into anything, but the way he touched me, the things he said, replay in a constant loop in my mind.
And never in my life has a man looked at me the way he did.
Like he wanted to cherish me, yet at the same time, pin me against the wall and prove exactly how breathtaking he thinks I am.
I’m helping Chet, Carson, and two of the other cowboys work cows, but all I can think about is the hungry look in Knox’s eyes. He wanted to kiss me, I could see it. And to be honest, I’m not sure I would’ve stopped him if he—
“Kacey! Wake up!” Chet yells, right as a cow we need runs past me.
Shit.
“Sorry, I’ll grab her!”
Carson follows me. “What’s up with you? You’ve been out of it all morning.”
“Nothing’s up. Just tired is all.”
There is no way I’m telling Carson about Knox and me.
Not that there is a Knox and me to talk about.
I know there is no future for us—he’s leaving in a few weeks and doesn’t even live here.
Not that the butterflies in my stomach seem to understand that.
I’ve never felt so drawn to a man, and it terrifies me.
And even worse, just for a few minutes last night, I let my guard down.
We get around the cow and head her back toward the chute. Once we get her in, Carson stops his horse next to mine.
“Stay up late reading again?” He rolls his eyes at me under his black cowboy hat. One time, he found out what Jessie and I read, and he gagged. Now, he uses that information to mock us.
“No, for your information, I went out last night.”
“What? Where? With who?”
I realize my mistake too late. “Uh, it looks like Chet needs help.” I spur Hooch and leave Carson with a scowl on his face.
I don’t even get through the door at Gran’s before Jessie is on me.
“I’ve been waiting all day. Spill it!”
I sigh and move through the kitchen to greet Gran.
I love Jessie’s Grandma Dorothy. All my grandparents have been gone a long time, so she’s the only grandma I have.
After Jessie moved in with her, we started having what we called “epic sleepovers” where Gran let us eat junk food and watch scary movies.
She’s lived in the same little house on Columbine Street in Cottonwood Valley my whole life. The kitchen and dining area is an open space with pale yellow walls and a daisy wallpaper border. I remember when she let Jessie pick it out when we were nine. She’s never changed it.
“Hi, Gran,” I say as I give her a hug. Her tiny but strong frame squeezes me tight as her signature scent of vanilla and moth balls hit me. She has her long, white hair braided down her back and a flower-printed dress on.
“Hi, sweetie. Go on and sit down. I’m making chicken and noodles. It’ll be ready soon.”
Oh, bless her heart. I love Gran’s chicken and noodles.
“Helloooo? My update! I’m on the edge of my seat here,” Jessie calls from the table, still in her scrubs. She must have picked up an extra shift. I frown, concerned by the hours my friend has been working.
Now Gran is the one who sighs. “Jessie, honey, please just let her come in and sit down. What is this update you’re wanting about, anyhow?”
Jessie smiles like the cheshire cat. “It’s about Kacey’s new man. He’s the world’s hottest bull rider.”
“Oh, you don’t say? Good for you, sweetie.” And with that, she returns to the stove.
I sit down at the table and glare at Jessie. “He isn’t my man. He’s just a friend, and he’s only in town for a few weeks.”
Gran turns from the stove and looks at me like she’s waiting for me to say more. When I don’t, she says, “I noticed you didn’t dispute the ‘hot’ part.”
Jessie busts out laughing. This is where she gets it from; Gran might be pushing eighty, but she’s sharp as a tack and has no filter.
I smirk at her. “When I was a kid, you told me not to lie. You said liars go to hell.”
She lets out a cackle. “That’s my girl. Now, tell us what happened last night with the hot man who isn’t your man.”
I drop my head into my hands and groan. I knew this was how tonight would go.
Gran sets out plates and utensils, unfazed by my obvious annoyance. “Dinner is ready. Make your plate and we can chat at the table, girls.”
We make our plates and sit down. I fill Gran in on who Knox is and why he’s in town. Jessie gives a very detailed physical description before finally looking up his Instagram and showing her a photo.
Gran releases a low whistle. “I have to agree with Jessie, he is very good looking. There’s just something about cowboys.”
I finally give Jessie her long-awaited recap of last night. I tell them about our conversation at dinner and the drive back to the ranch. However, I fail to mention the way his touch sent heat through me or how I found myself leaning into it.
“Then he walked me to my door, and I went to bed,” I finish as I blow on my fork full of noodles to cover up the fact that my face is turning red just thinking about what he said last night. And the way his fingers felt running down my arm . . . .
Jessie looks up from her plate. “That’s it? No kiss? No ‘can we go out again?’” She frowns at me.
“No, it wasn’t a date. He just walked me to the door.”
I chance a glance at Gran but quickly look away. Her eyes are narrowed at me from her seat to my left. As a child, I swore she could read minds. As an adult . . . well, I still think she can. I can feel my face is red, so I look down at my plate.
“Bullshit,” Gran calls me out. “I wasn’t born yesterday, dear. I can tell when there’s more to a story. Let’s have it.”
Jessie busts up, almost spitting her food out. I thought she was going to choke for a second. My cheeks turn even redder, and I curse my pale skin. I should have known better than to hide anything from Gran.
“Alright, fine.” I lean against my seat’s back with a huff.
“When we got back to my house and he started walking me to my door, I told him he didn’t need to do that.
No one has ever walked me to my door. When we got to the door, he turned me to face him, picked a lock of my hair to rub between his fingers and said, ‘Sweetheart, you deserve to be walked to your door. You deserve to be told how breathtaking you are. I don’t know what kind of men you’ve been dating but find better ones.
’ Then he left and I went into the house and hyperventilated. ”
Jessie’s jaw is on the floor. It’s been years since I’ve seen her speechless. Leave it to Knox to finally shut her up.
Gran, however, is not speechless. She blows out a long breath. “Honey, back in my day I would’ve melted against him like wax on a burning candle for talking like that—especially one as good-looking as him. Hell, I would lock him in the basement ‘till he gave me a ring if I were you.”
Jessie snorts. “Well . . . you don’t have a basement. So what are you gonna do?”
Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back. A sad laugh escapes my lips. “I have no idea.”