Delicate Promises (Southern Bride 2)

I chewed on my lip. Yes, I most certainly remembered. His last big surprise when he showed up five years ago and ruined me for all men.

“Fine, you like surprises,” I snapped.

I could feel his eyes on me. “What?”

“Are you okay? You seem like you’re mad now.”

I swallowed hard and forced myself to smile. How could he forget all the things he said to me that night? The way he made me feel so…loved and wanted. No man had ever made me feel like that, not even Jack. Truth be told, I had always wanted it to be Miles asking me to marry him. Instead, he showed back up five years later with an arrogant chip on his shoulder and demanded I marry him because we promised when we were young.

“Kyns? You okay?”

I jumped at the sound of his voice, drawing me out of the memory. “Yes, sorry!” I said with a chuckle. “I guess I was thinking about something.”

He raised a brow. “Something good or bad?”

“Both,” I said softly.

He gave me a small smile, and I’m pretty sure he was reading my mind. “Let’s head on out.”

I returned his smile, then glanced out the window as I tried to get my racing heart back under control.

Miles

MY HANDS GRIPPED the steering wheel as I tried to get my damn heart rate under control. We were in San Antonio, and my pulse was still racing.

Stupid, fucking rooster.

Kynslee still stared out the window. We were almost there, and she had remained silent nearly the entire drive.

“Penny for your thoughts, Kyns.”

She shrugged, and I felt her eyes on me before she spoke. “What did you mean the other day at our picnic when you told that mom you were taken?”

Smiling, I replied, “Just that. I’m taken.”

“By whom?”

I glanced her way before focusing on the road. “By you, Kynslee.” I gave her a wink and added just to piss her off, “We’re gonna get married, remember?”

She sighed. “That’s right. The whole cash in on the stupid promise.”

“It wasn’t a stupid promise. And, honestly, I really need to talk to you about it.”

“I’m not talking about marrying you, Miles. No.”

“No, you won’t marry me or…”

Interrupting him, I said, “Why now? Why come back now? Why didn’t you just stay in the CIA or the Marines or whatever you were doing, Miles?”

My stomach fell. “Would you rather I hadn’t come home at all?”

When she didn’t speak, I felt like I had my answer, and it made me sick to my stomach.

“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice sounding cold.

“Maybe I should turn around. “If you didn’t want to go with me today, Kynslee, you should have just said so.”

“I…” Her voice trailed off for a moment before she said, “I wanted to come.”

I glanced her way. She was looking at me, and I couldn’t read her face at all. It was void of emotion.

“Okay, well then I guess you’ll see where we are going when we get there. The whole surprise thing.”

She folded her arms across her chest as she tried to be annoyed. I knew deep down, though, she wasn’t.

I pulled into the parking lot and looked up at the building with huge smile.

Kynslee leaned forward and read the sign. “Great Room Escape.” Then she looked at me. “Miles, no, this is not where you are taking me on a date.”

Laughing, I replied, “Yeah, it is. How fun will this be?”

“Fun? You think this will be fun? Trapped in a room with a bunch of strangers all trying to figure out how we are going to get out? How in the hell do you call that a date?”

I shrugged as I looked back to the building. A group of people about our age were walking toward the entrance. “It’s just the first part of our date. I’ve got plans for after.”

“What, are we going to go shoot paint guns or something?”

Facing her, I said, “That’s a great idea! I’ll keep that in mind for our next date.”

Shaking her head, Kynslee sighed. “This is all a joke to you, isn’t it?”

“What?”

She got out, then slammed the door and headed to the entrance. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I loved a pissed-off Kynslee.

I followed her in. Fifteen minutes later, we were in a room where they were giving us the rules of the escape room.

“Does anyone need to use the restroom before we get started?” The guy who worked there asked.

“Do you have a window in the women’s bathroom?” Kynslee asked with a sweet smile.

With a frown, the guy replied, “I don’t think so. Why?”

“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when you’re on a terrible date? Sneak out a bathroom window?”

Everyone laughed, including me. “You can’t escape me that easily, princess,” I said, giving her a wink. She snarled and looked away.

One of the women in the group looked at Kynslee, “Girl, if you don’t want that fine-looking man, I’ll take him.”