| Chapter Thirteen When I woke the next morning, memories of the night before swept over me and I allowed myself to drift in them. I could feel his lips and his hands on my body and it was as if he was there with me, touching me like he had the night before. As I got ready for the day I wondered if things would become awkward between us. I didn’t want them to be and I determined then and there that I would do everything to make things go smoothly for us in the remaining time we had. I had known from the beginning that they’d only be here on the ranch for five days. But somehow it hadn’t mattered the night before. It was totally unlike myself, but I couldn’t have stopped what had happened even if I had wanted to. I wanted him too much to listen to reason, and now, I was extremely happy that for once in my life I had reached out and taken what I had wanted. His leaving wouldn’t be easy for me, but I would always have the memories. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Later that day, after the other guests checked out, I went in search of my sisters. I found them in the kitchen talking with Frieda as they helped get the groceries put away. “Hey guys,” I said as I entered the kitchen and began to pitch in. “You’re just the person we need to talk to,” Callie said as she turned from unloading a bag. “We were thinking, since it’s the guys last night, that we’d have a cook-out tonight by the pool.” I smiled at my sisters’ thoughtfulness and I quickly agreed. “Great, I’ll go let them know,” Carly said just before she walked out in search of the guys. The three of us spent the rest of the afternoon preparing the side dishes while the chicken marinated. From where I was standing, I had a clear view out the window into the back yard where the guys were in an intense game of basketball. Kevin’s tall frame drew my attention and I felt my pulse begin to pound. He had shed his shirt in the eighty plus degrees, and rivulets of sweat rolled off his sculpted body. His long hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, leaving the strong lines of his face completely free for me to gaze at. “Beautiful,” I murmured aloud without realizing it. “Did you say something,” my youngest sister asked as she passed by me on her way to the refrigerator. “No, not a thing,” I said as I forcefully dragged my gaze from the tantalizing scene outside. But it didn’t stop me from thinking about him. He had actually surprised me earlier that morning when he had been just as talkative and friendly as he had been before. He had even pressed a kiss to my lips after breakfast, before I had headed out to man the front desk. “Everything is ready, we just need to heat the grill,” Callie said, breaking me from my thoughts. Together, the three of us carried the food outside and I began to cook the meat while Carly accepted an invitation to join in a game of basketball. Pretty soon the meat finished cooking and I called everyone to the table. While we ate, we talked about all they had seen and done while there. Everyone agreed that the barn dance had been the most fun and while no one was looking Kevin and I shared a look. It had been more fun than they all knew! Long after the sun had set, we all had moved onto the porch. Kevin and I shared the swing, while the rest were spread out, sitting on the whicker chairs that lined the length of the porch. “The last five days have been a lot of fun,” AJ stated, his head resting against the side of the house. “Did I really hear that,” Brian asked as he shook his head. “Hey, I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong,” AJ countered. “It has been nice, even going riding wasn’t so bad,” Howie added with a small smile. “Okay, now I know I’m hearing things,” Brian said as he comically pretended to clean out his ears. Kevin chuckled and assured his cousin that he hadn’t been hearing things. “You guys didn’t want to come,” Callie asked incredulously. “We had to twist their arms,” Nick answered. My sister’s just shook their heads at the two men. “Well, I guess one good thing came out of all this,” Carly began. I cringed, wondering where she was going to go with this. “What’s that,” AJ asked, his curiosity piqued. “Next time they won’t have to twist your arm, now will they?” Laughter erupted as we all shared in the fun. “I think I’ll turn in. We have to be up early,” Howie said as he stood. As if that had been a pre-arranged signal, Nick, AJ, Brian and my sisters also said goodnight and left Kevin and I alone for the first time all day. Silence reigned over the porch for long minutes, as we listened to the others move up the stairs to the second floor. “I’m glad we have this time to ourselves,” he whispered when at last we heard the final bedroom door shut. “Me too,” I admitted. “I’m really glad we decided to spend our vacation here. It’s been so peaceful. After our hectic lifestyle its what we needed.” I wasn’t sure what to say. It was the first time he’d mentioned anything about his lifestyle and being that it was his last night here, I didn’t want to make him feel uncomfortable by prying into things that were none of my business. “It is peaceful here. It’s one of the things I love most about it,” I agreed, playing it safe by limiting the conversation to the ranch. “I’ve really enjoyed myself the last five days. Being able to ride again on a daily basis, experiencing things for the first time, meeting you, it’s been amazing,” he said, as he turned to face me. I smiled at him and said, “Yes it has.” He took that moment and leaned down bringing his lips to mine. The kiss was gentle, and I knew it was good-bye. I returned it and sighed softly when he pulled away. “I guess I better get to bed,” he said as he stood. “I’ll see you in the morning." I could only nod in response, not trusting my voice to stay steady as I watch him walk into the house. I stayed where I was for a while just thinking about the time I had spent with him. Reluctantly, I stood and made my way inside. CCC Index Chapter Fourteen Main Page |