“Hey, Kylie! Did it fit you well? Cat and I wanted to see!” She spoke over the door, bringing me back to my senses. I stopped looking at my reflection and turned the dressing room’s knob. As I opened the door slowly, Bailey’s eyes glowed in delight.
“I told you, Kylie! It looks great on you! So freaking hot!”
Even the saleslady gave an approving look, stunned by its fit on my body. I felt my cheeks flush for a moment, unable to believe that I could look this good. I guess those pants and cowboy shirts covered my body that I myself barely knew I had.
“If only I had the same body, I would buy all the sexy and pretty clothes I could. Unfortunately, these saddlebags loved me so much that they did not want to leave,” she joked and reached for Cat’s hand.
“Thanks, my friend. I’m not sure what to say. I’ve been dressing like a cowgirl for so damn long that I forgot how good this feels.” I ran my hands over my hips. “I love it. I feel pretty.”
“You should. Get the dress for sure. If you won’t, I’ll buy it for you, and you don’t have to pay me back. That looks totally perfect on you. Do it,” she whispered, smiling at me giving me no other choice.
“Okay. I’ll get it.” I smiled and closed the door, my heart light and burdens gone for the time being. Maybe I should find my courage and talk to Hunter. I had a few things I could bring up…like those damn hogs tearing up our yards. He was the owner of a gun store. He could shoot them for us. Yeah…that’s what I could do. Anything to get in front of him.
I returned with my checkered blouse and tattered pants again; I held the dress over my arm. I directly went to the cashier to check out. Bailey and Cat stood outside the shop, carrying a shopping bag from the store we were in.
I walked toward them, meeting my best friend and cuddly goddaughter outside the shop. Cat was pointing over to the ice cream stand, begging for her mom to buy her one.
“Yeah, Cat’s right. We need it on this hot afternoon.” It was late afternoon, but the sun was out and in full effect. It was late spring, but it already felt like summer.
While we walked toward the ice cream stand, I noticed how she struggled to carry her daughter and bring her bags all at once. I volunteered to hold the bags to ease her burden, to which she agreed.
“Thanks, Kylie. That saved my ass a lot.” She pulled Cat up and cuddled her.
Cat smiled at her mother, pressing her mother’s cheeks with both of her tiny hands.
“I know I don’t ask you often…” I trailed the words, searching the nicest ones to address my curiosity, “but don’t you want to find someone special?”
She frowned. As we stopped and recited our orders to the ice cream store attendant, she answered my query. “You know how things worked out for me and Marco. All the shit that happened in our relationship. Most men are nothing but trouble. I can’t risk my heart again. Not yet at least. I’m not ready.”
She had a point. Too bad her previous marriage ruined her perspective about men and relationships. So, what was my problem? I’d never really had a bad relationship, just boring ones. There hadn’t been a guy in my past worth sticking with, or even thinking about once it was over.
Thoughts of Hunter rolled through my mind. His career choice was dangerous, as were his hobbies. Such a daredevil. A brave kind of man with strong hands and a fearless spirit. Hot.
Maybe taking more risk would be a good thing. It made him who he was. Interesting. I felt my body warming and turned my thoughts. The last thing I wanted to do was get turned on in public. Brother…
After we had finished up our ice creams, we decided to go home. I parted ways with Bailey and Cat at the parking lot, got in my car and drove home.
Thoughts began to flash before my eyes. I imagined myself wearing the dress once again. What if Hunter saw me in it? Would he finally notice and like me then?
I shook my head and focused on the road. Anyway, he’s my neighbor. I could peek in the windows and see him out in his barn. He often cleaned the place without any shirt on. A little eye candy during the mornings, he was my buzzing espresso.
I looked at the digital clock on my car’s dashboard. It was already 6:08 p.m. I hoped he was finally home, but I guessed he was still busy at his gun shop. I just hoped I could see him.
As I slowed down in front of my house, I realized that my front door was wide open. My heart skipped a beat. “What the fuck?”
Without a doubt, I remembered triple locking the house before I left that morning, but now it was unlocked and open for anyone to enter. I called 9-1-1 on my phone and locked the doors in the car, parking out in front of the house. Fear raced through me. Someone might attack and abduct me if I showed up outside without a weapon: not that I would know how to use the damn thing anyway.
“9-1-1. What’s your emergency please?”
“Hello? Please come by my place. Someone broke into my house.” I enunciated my address to the police and the details of the surroundings of my house. They advised me to go to any nearby neighbor’s house and stay. Seeing Hunter’s lights on, I knew he and his son were inside. Shit. I had no clue what to do.
I sat there, lost in indecision until the sound of sirens filled the air around me. As the cop car pulled up, I got out and walked toward him. Hunter’s door opened, and he walked out in jeans and a t-shirt, his shoes off and his hair a mess.
Had I not been terrified of what I was going to find in my house, I would have stared him down with unabashed intent. He was beyond gorgeous. Vince jogged up beside him, reaching up and taking his hand. My heart melted. How cute were the two of them, living life together?
“Hey. What’s going on?” Concern crossed Hunter’s handsome face as he walked toward me. “You okay?”
“I don’t know.” I glanced over at the cop car. He’d pulled right up to the house, and two of them had their guns drawn and were going into the open front door. I jumped and yelped as Hunter squeezed my shoulder.