Chapter 1
Kaylee
I hate blind dates. Becca, who I work with, set me up with one of her brother's friends. She has shown me his photo and swears he's seen mine.
This guy is good looking and don't get me wrong, but as a curvy girl, I think I carry more anxiety than most over blind dates. It's one thing for a guy to see you in person and ask you out, and it's another for them to just show up without seeing me beforehand.
On the last blind date, I had the guy take one look at me, then turned around and walked out. Curvy girls aren't for everyone and I'm okay with that. In fact, I think it weeds out some of the assholes.
I love my body and don't have any plans to change for anyone. It just means dating is a bit harder for me than many of my friends.
"Girl, that dress looks hot!" Becca says.
She is on a video call with me as I get ready. As much as I hate this blind date, I am happy to have an excuse the wear this dress I picked up on sale last month. Though I didn't have any place to wear it, I had to have it. I learned a long time ago when I find something that’s flattering on my body to pick it up right then and there.
It's a blue floral print with a tight bodice, making my boobs look amazing and perky and then loose from the waist down, hugging my hips perfectly.
"He is going to swallow his tongue in that dress, girl. If I wasn't straight, I'd do you in that dress!"
"Becca!" We both burst into giggles.
She's one of those friends who tells it to you like it is and doesn't have a filter. So, I know when she says something, it's the truth. Though it can backfire sometimes like when it comes to setting me up on dates.
"Okay now. Go put some curls in your hair and you will be the hottest girl in the room tonight, no matter where he takes you."
"I doubt that, but thank you. Just remember if this date is a dud, you’ll be buying me lunch at work for a month!"
"I promise. Now go!"
We hang up and I head into the bathroom to put some curls in my long dark brown hair. My hair has always held curls very well, so it's my favorite way to wear it. Even if most days I just let it air dry because I don't want to put the energy into it.
I'm just finishing up with the curls when Garrett calls.
We have been best friends since elementary school. We did everything together. I do mean everything. We even lost our virginities together. When I went to school in Jasper, he stayed behind to work his parent's ranch and take online business classes.
Since then, he's taken over his parents’ ranch while I've gotten a job working in human resources for a family owned company in Jasper. We see each other a few times a month and talk several times a week.
Back home in Whiskey Run, he has a reputation as the King of No Commitment. The girls complain, but he's been nothing but nice to me, so I ignore the rumors.
"Hey," I answer the phone
"What are you doing?" he asks.
There is some slight noise in the background. I know that sound well. He’s in his truck driving somewhere and wants to kill some time.
"Getting ready for a blind date."
"No way. Not tonight. I'm in town."
"Why didn't you tell me you were coming to town? I'd have cleared my schedule.”
"It was more of a last minute thing and just for the day. Cancel your date and let me take you to dinner."
Even though I don't want to disappoint Becca, but there is no way I'm passing up dinner with Garrett. I know I will have a good time and he’s pretty easy on the eyes. There’s something about a cowboy in wranglers and boots that just does it for me.
Plus, I always get a kick out of watching the girls flirt or try to hit on him when we are together. He ignores them and won't flirt back. When I asked him about it once, he said it's out of respect for me. I told him if he wanted to pick up a girl he could, but he didn't like that idea at all. So now I just enjoy the show.
"Okay, how long before you get here?" I ask.
"Fifteen minutes."
"Good thing I'm ready to go out."
"See you soon." He says and we hang up.
Glancing at the clock, I can see that the chances are Jason hasn't even left his house yet, so I shoot him off a quick text saying some family came into town unannounced and I'd like to reschedule.
Then I take a deep breath to steady my nerves and call Becca.
"You are not changing that dress, you look killer in it."
"That not it. Don't get mad, but I’m going to reschedule the date."
"Kaylee! What? No! Come on, you need to get out there. Plus, you look gorgeous and I swear this guy is a good one. He likes curvy girls and he's hot. Don't do this," she pleads.
"Garrett just called. He's in town and we are going out to dinner," I tell her.
She laughs, but I can hear the sarcasm in it.
"Of course, he is. Didn't you tell him about this date on Monday?"
"I think I did, but he said it was a good idea just like you did."
"Right. Well, let me know how dinner is and I'm going to hold you to rescheduling with Jason."
"I promise," I say, just as there is a knock on my door. "He's here. I have to go."
We hang up and I walk through my small apartment to the door, checking the peephole before opening because he will be making sure I do.
When I open the door to the sight of Garrett, my heart starts to race like it always does. Wranglers that hug him just right, and his strong muscular body brings a flush to my face. He’s in his dressier boots, the kind he wears to town, or to meetings, not the ones he wears to work on the ranch. And his outfit wouldn’t be complete without a nice shirt and a cowboy hat in his hand.
Looking at him, I can’t help but think, yeah, tonight is going to be better than any blind date.
***
Garrett
I take a deep breath before knocking on Kaylee's door. When I see her, it's always the same. Yeah, it’s the same feeling I got when I kissed her for the first time, or when I saw her naked for the first time, and when I made the vow to her one night that I still plan to uphold.
Every time I see her it’s like a field of butterflies are in my stomach and the breath gets knocked out of me. Kaylee's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen and even more so since she went to college and has developed those stunning curves. The curves I'd do anything to get my hands on.
So as much as I try to prepare myself, it never quite works. When I knock on the door, and she answers in a blue dress that sets off her baby blue eyes and hugs every curve, I know I still don't have it together. I was prepared for her to be in jeans and a cute top, not this sexy dress.
Thankfully, I have a moment to get myself together as she checks me out, too. I just hope she doesn't notice I've taken my hat off and am holding it in front of me to hide how hard she makes me. That has been a challenge to hide from her for years.
"You were going to go on a date wearing that?" I ask her with a smirk.
"Yes. Why? What’s wrong with it?" She looks down at the dress.
"You are asking for trouble, baby girl. That dress gives a man ideas you might not be ready for." I know I'm talking about myself, but she assumes I'm talking about her date, and I just go with that. No point in stirring up that hornets’ nest.
"Well Becca picked it out and I love it so it's what I'm wearing." Looking at me, she holds her head up a bit higher. She's always been a stubborn one, and it's one of her best qualities, in my opinion.
"You ready to go?" I ask her.
She grabs her purse and locks the door behind her. "Yep, let's go."
I place my hand on the small of her back just for a bit of a connection. Then I lead her to the elevator and down to my truck where I open the door and help her in. Though she always assumes I do this to be a gentleman, but my motive behind it is so I can touch and get my hands on her even for a brief moment. Plus, the view of her ass is not only spectacular, but a perk.
Taking her to our favorite BBQ restaurant downtown, we get a table and sit in the back. We spend the night talking and catching up. Even though we have been friends since we were kids, now we have jobs, bills to pay, and adult responsibilities, and are only able to grab dinner together like this one or twice a month if we’re lucky.
I miss being with her. Though we talk every day on the phone, and text, it’s not the same as seeing her in person. It’s just different. As we finish up and the waitress brings the check, she tries to pay for her half. We go through this every time.
"Not a chance. I asked you to dinner, made you cancel your plans, and I'm paying." I tell her.
"But you came into the city, so I should pay," she pouts.
"I was here anyway meeting with a supplier. There was no way I was passing up a chance to hang out with you."
"Okay, but I'm buying ice cream," she says.
"Deal," I agree.
We always go for a walk after dinner and end up at the handmade ice cream place where we get a cone and eat it while walking the rest of downtown.
I love our little routines and look forward to them.
Walking downtown tonight with the air cooling off and the lights on Main Street shining in the dark reminds me of the promise we made to each other a few years ago.
Every day we were watching her mom die a little more from cancer and it was the worst time in both our lives. Her parents were like second mom and dad to me, so it was hard to see. Because her parents started a family late and were older when the surprise pregnancy happened, she was their only child.
One night, Kaylee said she wanted to start a family young and have a few kids. I agreed with her and at that moment we made a promise. If neither of us were married by the time we were thirty-two, we'd marry each other and start a family within a year.
She made me promise and gave me a huge list of reasons why I should agree. What she didn't know was I didn't need all the reasons, because I'd have agreed the moment it came out of her mouth if she had let me. That night, Kaylee sealed her fate.
I have been in love with this girl for as long as I can remember. Her going off to college put space between us, but I think it was for the best. We were both still young, and I was taking over the family ranch, while she was getting her degree. At that time, I don't think it would have worked out.
But then we made that vow her senior year, she became mine that night, even if she doesn't know it. Though really, she had always been mine, but I promised myself that night I'd make sure of it. She had things she wanted and desired to do, and I needed to get our life set up for us.
As we eat our ice cream and walk, I fight the urge to take her hand in mine, to lick the ice cream off the corner of her mouth. She had made it clear she has friend zoned me and I'm good with that for now. Neither of us is ready to settle down just yet.
But she has always been mine and always will be.
