not promotions, not the ranch, not my family. All of that slipped away. My entire awareness was laser-focused on the girl who had stolen my heart one random day as she’d run laughing through a field, and she’d never given it back.
A girl’s voice invaded our private moment, and just as quickly as everything had faded, my senses returned in a flash.
“Trace!”
Cara pulled out of my hold, and she blinked several times, a dazed look on her beautiful face. Her breaths were coming in shorter pants than usual, and her cheeks had a light-pink stain to them.
“Trace! I saved you a seat!” the same girl shouted again.
Without looking up, I recognized the voice as belonging to Lizzy Green. She’d been texting me and hitting me up on Facebook a lot over the summer. I liked her, she was a sweet girl, but I had no interest in anyone but the person sitting beside me.
Somewhere in the back of my consciousness, I knew I needed to acknowledge Lizzy, who was trying desperately to get my attention. But, like a magnet drawn to steel, I couldn’t seem to break my gaze away from Cara.
“You can go sit with Lizzy. You don’t have to wait with me. The girls aren’t coming.”
“I know,” I admitted.
“You know?” Her gaze shot to mine.
“Yep.” I popped my P the same way she had. Then, scanning the crowd, I located Lizzy, who was standing up and waving her hands. Sitting up straighter, I called out, “Hey, Liz! I’m gonna hang here. But thanks.”
“You don’t have to,” Cara snipped.
“I know.”
She was still a little breathless as she spoke, “I’m not even sure I’m going to stay.”
“You are,” I answered confidently.
“I am?” Her eyebrows rose as her lips turned up in a small, sassy grin.
“You are.”
After a few moments where the jury seemed to be out, she finally sat back and sighed. “Fine.”
It was the same sigh she exhaled every time she popped open a carton of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, which she maintained was her greatest guilty pleasure.
Then, as if on cue, like we were in a movie of our own, the wall of the courthouse illuminated with a frame welcoming the town to tonight’s Movies in the Park showing of Ghost . Our mayor’s voice sounded over the speakers as she talked about the rating and running time of the film.
I couldn’t count the number of girls I’d spent Saturday nights in this park with. They’d been snuggled between my legs, their heads resting on my chest as we watched and made out—mostly made out—during whatever was showing.
As much of an asshole as it made me, the truth was that all of those other girls had just been seat fillers. Because there had only been one girl I’d actually wanted to share the experience with and she was sitting beside me now. I didn’t have the right to pull her between my legs and wrap my arms around her waist. Yet. Tonight, I’d have to be satisfied with sitting next to her and knowing that, for whatever reason, I was the guilty pleasure she was indulging in this evening.
Yeah, I could live with that.
Chapter 7
Cara
“Your ears must be burnin’ like bare feet on a hot tin roof.”
~ Dolly Briggs
“W hat are you going to wear?” Harmony asked over FaceTime.
“I’m not sure.” I had three dresses in my closet that I’d never worn before and tonight I was going to take one of them for a spin.
Excitement or nerves—most likely nerves—fluttered in my belly as I looked at the three contenders laid out on my bed. A sleeveless, lavender mid-thigh; a coral turtleneck bodycon; and a red, form-fitting halter that hit me just above my knee. All three covered the one part of my body I did not want to show tonight—my port scar—so that was not a consideration.
“Hey, I’m sorry for bailing on you Saturday night.”
It hadn’t surprised me that Destiny had felt really bad for not having been able to make it. But feeling bad for things wasn’t really Harmony’s style. Our auburn-haired angel was a
A girl’s voice invaded our private moment, and just as quickly as everything had faded, my senses returned in a flash.
“Trace!”
Cara pulled out of my hold, and she blinked several times, a dazed look on her beautiful face. Her breaths were coming in shorter pants than usual, and her cheeks had a light-pink stain to them.
“Trace! I saved you a seat!” the same girl shouted again.
Without looking up, I recognized the voice as belonging to Lizzy Green. She’d been texting me and hitting me up on Facebook a lot over the summer. I liked her, she was a sweet girl, but I had no interest in anyone but the person sitting beside me.
Somewhere in the back of my consciousness, I knew I needed to acknowledge Lizzy, who was trying desperately to get my attention. But, like a magnet drawn to steel, I couldn’t seem to break my gaze away from Cara.
“You can go sit with Lizzy. You don’t have to wait with me. The girls aren’t coming.”
“I know,” I admitted.
“You know?” Her gaze shot to mine.
“Yep.” I popped my P the same way she had. Then, scanning the crowd, I located Lizzy, who was standing up and waving her hands. Sitting up straighter, I called out, “Hey, Liz! I’m gonna hang here. But thanks.”
“You don’t have to,” Cara snipped.
“I know.”
She was still a little breathless as she spoke, “I’m not even sure I’m going to stay.”
“You are,” I answered confidently.
“I am?” Her eyebrows rose as her lips turned up in a small, sassy grin.
“You are.”
After a few moments where the jury seemed to be out, she finally sat back and sighed. “Fine.”
It was the same sigh she exhaled every time she popped open a carton of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey, which she maintained was her greatest guilty pleasure.
Then, as if on cue, like we were in a movie of our own, the wall of the courthouse illuminated with a frame welcoming the town to tonight’s Movies in the Park showing of Ghost . Our mayor’s voice sounded over the speakers as she talked about the rating and running time of the film.
I couldn’t count the number of girls I’d spent Saturday nights in this park with. They’d been snuggled between my legs, their heads resting on my chest as we watched and made out—mostly made out—during whatever was showing.
As much of an asshole as it made me, the truth was that all of those other girls had just been seat fillers. Because there had only been one girl I’d actually wanted to share the experience with and she was sitting beside me now. I didn’t have the right to pull her between my legs and wrap my arms around her waist. Yet. Tonight, I’d have to be satisfied with sitting next to her and knowing that, for whatever reason, I was the guilty pleasure she was indulging in this evening.
Yeah, I could live with that.
Chapter 7
Cara
“Your ears must be burnin’ like bare feet on a hot tin roof.”
~ Dolly Briggs
“W hat are you going to wear?” Harmony asked over FaceTime.
“I’m not sure.” I had three dresses in my closet that I’d never worn before and tonight I was going to take one of them for a spin.
Excitement or nerves—most likely nerves—fluttered in my belly as I looked at the three contenders laid out on my bed. A sleeveless, lavender mid-thigh; a coral turtleneck bodycon; and a red, form-fitting halter that hit me just above my knee. All three covered the one part of my body I did not want to show tonight—my port scar—so that was not a consideration.
“Hey, I’m sorry for bailing on you Saturday night.”
It hadn’t surprised me that Destiny had felt really bad for not having been able to make it. But feeling bad for things wasn’t really Harmony’s style. Our auburn-haired angel was a
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