Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
Emily
“Shit, what happened to you?” Kassie asks, kicking my bedroom door shut.
I can barely see her face peeking above the mountain of dresses, skirts, and tops on hangers she’s carrying in her arms.
“Oh—” I look down at the white bandage wrapped neatly around my palm. “I caught it on the engine earlier. It looks worse than it is, really. The blood is just kinda fresh.”
Kassie quirks an eyebrow, a slow, knowing smirk spreading across her face. “Don’t tell me. My knight in shining armor brother patched you up, didn’t he?”
“What?” I ask, feeling a heat crawl up my neck.
I try to sound suspicious of her observation, but I know I’m failing. If only she knew how close I’d come to kissing him earlier. I swear to God he was seconds from putting his lips on mine, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
“Well, yeah. He was there. He helped me clean it up. It’s no big deal.”
Yeah right.
“I bet he did,” she says smugly, tossing the clothes onto the bed, the hangers clattering together as they land. She crosses her arms. “Judging by how cozy you both looked when I walked in earlier, I’d say he was doing a lot more than just playing doctor.”
Oh God, so it’s not just in my head.
“Kass, it’s not like that. We were just talking.”
“Yeah, sure.” She smirks, her eyes dancing with mischief. “Listen to me, Em. My brother doesn’t just talk to anyone. He’s spent four years grunting at people and hiding in the north pasture. He definitely doesn’t do cozy with anyone of the opposite sex. I’m glad he’s finally woken up.”
I bite my lip, looking back at the bandage. I can still feel the residual heat of his large, calloused hands against my skin, the way he’d been so surprisingly gentle, his thumb stroking my wrist as he worked.
“He’s just being a good host,” I mutter, though even to my own ears, it sounds like a lie. I hope it is.
“Honey, if Wyatt Miller was being a good host, he would have pointed you toward the first-aid kit and gone back to scowling at a fence post.” Kassie laughs, her bracelets clinking as she reaches for one of the hangers.
“Anyway, I didn’t know if you brought anything worthy of a night out when you fled, so I’ve come armed with options. ”
I giggle, looking at the mountain of silk and denim she’s unceremoniously dumped on my bed. “Thanks, Kass. Honestly, my approach was definitely more practical than fashionable when I packed up. Other than running gear and T-shirts, I don’t think I have much worthy of a Montana Friday night.”
I can’t help but watch her as she rifles through the hangers.
I’ve noticed she has this innate ability to look like she just stepped out of a Pinterest board.
Today, she has on this oversized, denim button-down as a dress, paired with her weathered, knee-high tan cowboy boots.
She always looks effortless, and I envy her ability to make something as simple as a shirt look high fashion.
“Perfect. I actually have a dress I think would look amazing on you.” Kassie pulls a ruffled, black chiffon fabric from the pile, holding it up against me. She gives me an approving grin.
“Your boobs will fill this better than mine ever could.” She smirks and does a quick, appreciative sweep of my figure.
“Kass! I hardly think announcing my arrival here with my boobs is the right tone to set,” I say, though I can’t help but smile at her bluntness.
“Hey, if you paid for ‘em, flaunt ‘em,” she quips.
“Yeah, well, they were a very expensive impulse after I graduated. Turns out they make men think they have permission to grope you.”
“I hear that. But then again, my brother may be blind, stupid, or both, so we need to remind him that he ain’t the only man in Montana with eyes.”
“Kass…” I warn, feeling that familiar heat creep back into my cheeks.
“I’m kidding. Mostly.” She winks, tossing the dress toward me. “But seriously, I ain’t paying for my own drinks tonight, so you’re going to have to put the girls to work, my friend. It’s a specialized skill. Don’t let it go to waste.”
I look down at the dress. It’s daring, a far cry from the oversized hoodies I’ve been using as a shield these past few days. But looking at the bandage Wyatt put on my hand, I feel a sudden, reckless spark of defiance.
The past eighteen months had been nothing but grief, stress, and lonely nights.
I’m long overdue for an opportunity to let my hair down.
When I came back here, I’d assumed all the Miller kids would be married off with broods of their own by now, but it turns out they’re all trying to find their way in the world and failing at it as spectacularly as I am.
“Is Mike coming?” I ask, deciding to play her at her own game.
Kassie pauses. A slight flush hits her cheeks that she tries to hide by fluffing a denim skirt. “Probably. He usually tags along wherever the rest of them go.”
“Oh, I’m sure he will be there if it involves a night with you.”
“Oh, please. That poor son of a bitch is so oblivious that he doesn’t know which way is north if I’m standing in the room. Although—” She sighs. “Anything is an upgrade compared to my ex-husband.”
I stop mid-reach for my towel. “Oh, right, yeah…you’ve been married. I forgot.”
“Yeah, but that’s a story I’m saving until I’ve got at least three tequilas in me.” She winks, her usual bravado snapping back into place.
“I’m holding you to that, Kass.”
“I’m sure you will, babe. Now get showered. You’ve got some cowboys to impress and one big, grumpy one to drive absolutely insane.”
She flounces out, and I stand there for a moment, looking at the black chiffon dress.
I think back to the night at the fire, the way the air tensed up a notch the second Kassie arrived.
There is definitely history there between Mike and her that she’s playing down.
Whatever it was, I noticed the way he was watching her when she wasn’t looking.
It makes me even more annoyed that Wyatt was practically trying to hand me to Mike on a silver platter the other night.
I grab my towel and head toward the bathroom. Actually, I’m glad he’s not coming tonight. I feel like really letting my hair down, and the last thing I need is Wyatt Miller staring at me and realizing that the girl he spent his childhood with is not the girl he remembers.