Take what you can! “Yes. It’s a yes.”
“Good.”
Kendra glanced up quick. Had he sounded relieved? Or was it just her ridiculous, hopeful heart reading things that weren’t there?
Get a grip. Don’t make this any harder than it already is. Sh
e sighed. If that were the case, she should’ve said no.
“We can leave after we feed the horses and clean up,” he suggested, leading Lucky to his stall.
“Okay.”
A half-hour later, she stood under the shower spray and wondered why she’d said yes. How did she expect to endure his laughter and jokes, his kindness and silent understanding now that she knew what her heart had been warning for the past couple weeks? Knowing she loved him while he just passed time with the closest willing female wouldn’t make it easy.
“Then I’ll be casual, too,” she muttered as she dried off.
In front of the mirror after she’d dressed, she revised it to sexy-casual and realized what her subconscious was urging her to do. And what would be the harm? Better to take some memories when she left than to regret later on what she could’ve had. If she were going to have this one evening, she’d make it count. Even if it was only a casual evening.
God, she hated that word.
She reached for a sweater to pull over her short-sleeved, scooped neck, burgundy top, then paused. If it got cold later, and he noticed she was chilled—because there didn’t seem to be much he missed regarding her lately—maybe he’d offer a warm arm around her shoulders. Ignoring the sweater, she smoothed a hand over her navel and across the hip of her low-rise jeans, which hadn’t been out of the closet since that first week on the ranch. Yeah, he’d be warm, all right.
Smiling with increased confidence, she zipped on a pair of calf-length black leather high-heeled boots that hadn’t been ruined in the barn, and completed the ensemble with the diamond pendant her mother had given to her on her eighteenth birthday. It was the one thing she’d kept while on the run—only because she’d had nowhere to pawn it. Now she was glad at the hand fate had played.
She smoothed the necklace against her skin. The thought of Colton trailing a finger along the length of the chain sent a shiver down her spine and spread heat deep down inside. This was going to be a night to remember.
Colton stood in the living room and his appreciative smile sent her heart slamming against her ribs again.
“Wow, you clean up nice.”
Heat flooded her face and she hoped he didn’t notice. He’d changed into clean jeans and a long sleeved burnt-orange ribbed shirt that deepened the caramel highlights in his hair and brightened the light green of his eyes. She drew in a breath and, in the spirit of casual, managed to joke, “One of us has to.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“What are friends for?” she quipped before she could stop herself.
“Right.” For just a second, he sounded annoyed, then he suggested, “Let’s walk over and let those guys know we’re going to skip the movie.”
She wasn’t so sure she wanted to face Joel with him knowing it was just her and Colton going to dinner. “Or we could call.”
Colton held the door open with a grin. “Just as easy to walk.”
Fine.
She noticed on the way over that Colton had left his gun behind and almost asked about it, until she realized he could hardly wear a gun out in public. Strangely enough, she didn’t feel any less safe with him. Again, he held the door for her and she walked ahead into the kitchen of the main house.
Kendra was immediately struck by a hush that she’d never heard in the usually chaotic house. Uneasiness rippled through her. Her gaze darted to the windows as she instinctively sought security from Colton. “Where is everyone?”
His arm came up around her shoulders as she pressed close to his side. “Probably just waiting for us in the living room. Come on.”
She resisted, whispering frantically, “Something’s not right. What if Rob—”
“Shh.” His other arm pulled her into a full hug. “Trust me, everything’s fine.”
“But—”
He sighed, his breath stirring her hair. “Noah wanted to throw you a surprise birthday party.”