Delicate Promises (Southern Bride 2)

“Sounds like fun. Where is the party going to be at?” Dad asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Dad, I’m not sixteen anymore. You can’t interrogate Miles about where we are going on a date.”

My father huffed. “I was curious is all. No harm in asking where my daughter will be, is there?”

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. “Dad.”

The warning in my voice must have caused him to snap out of his insanity. I was thirty years old, for crying out loud.

“No drugs!” he warned, pointing his finger to Miles.

“Oh, good gracious. Daddy, really?”

Miles chuckled, then nodded. “Yes, sir, no drugs. There will be booze, though.”

My father snarled at Miles, then walked out. “I’m leaving the door open.”

Dropping my head in my hands, I let out a groan. “No wonder you never wanted to date me.”

Miles laughed.

“Seriously, though, I did come over to tell you about the party. You in? I sort of mentioned to Trey we were dating.”

I smiled. “I don’t mind at all. We are dating, and there is no reason to pretend like we’re not.”

“I like this new attitude of yours.”

“Me too,” I answered honestly. “Where’s the party?”

“It’s a field party.”

“A field party?” I repeated. “What are we, still in high school? Whose idea was it to have a field party?”

He shrugged. “Mine. In my field. Like old times.”

“Y’all seriously want to have a field party?”

“Yeah, I think it will be fun.”

A part of me thought it would be fun, another part of me dreaded it. I had always hated field parties. Miles usually made out with a girl while I had to act like it didn’t bother me. Of course, I knew that wouldn’t happen now, yet I was more into small dinner parties these days. Not sitting around bonfires and drinking beer. But maybe this was something Miles wanted to do, since it had been his suggestion after all.

“I guess I’ll head on home and change,” I said.

Miles and I stood. I turned off my computer, got my purse and laced my fingers with his outstretched hand.

“It will be just like old times,” Miles said.

I groaned. “Let’s hope not. The last field party you snuck off with some little tramp from Llano, and I’m pretty sure y’all had sex in the back of your truck bed.”

He laughed. I had been insanely jealous at the time. So jealous that I even made out with Trey as a payback. Not that Miles had known that, of course. He was too busy with the chick from Llano. Oh yeah, this should be a lot of fun.

“I didn’t have sex with her. We messed around, then I saw you making out with Trey and got pissed off. Told her it wasn’t going to happen. I made my way back to you and shot my old best friend a warning look.”

Drawing in a quick breath, I stopped walking and faced him in the middle of the store. “Is that why Trey stopped feeling me up?”

Miles looked horrified as he glanced around the store. “Mother of God, Kynslee, keep your voice down!”

He grabbed my elbow and pulled me to the door, then outside. He stopped and faced me, anger etched not only on his face, but in his eyes. “He was feeling you up?”

I drew my brows in tight. “What?”

“Trey, he was feeling you up? Where?”

“Um, what?” I asked, staring, confused. Why was he getting bent out of shape?

“Where did he touch you, Kyns?”

Shaking my head to make sure I heard him right, I repeated, “Where?”

“Yes. Where?”

I shrugged. “Miles, I don’t remember, it was so long ago. Does it really matter?”

“Fuck yes, it matters. I warned the asshole you were off limits. It was bad enough I saw y’all kissing. I had no idea he was feeling you up, too!”

Taking a step back, I let his words sink in. “You warned him I was off limits?”

“Yes.”

“How many other guys did you issue this warning to?”

Miles looked away, slipping his hands into his pockets. The answer was written all over his face.

“You bastard! That was why no one ever asked me out! And if they did, no one went past kissing.”

He looked back at me. “Who else kissed you?”

“Ugh! You are just so…ugh!”

Pushing past him, I stormed to my car. I could hear Miles behind me.

“Kyns, stop. Why in the hell are you mad about something that happened so long ago?”

Spinning around, I placed my hands on his chest and gave him a good push.

“Do you hear yourself, Miles? You’re mad about Trey kissing me so long ago!”

“Feeling you up.”

I shook my head in disbelief. “You made sure that while you were gone, no guy would ever want me. Was that your plan all along? I’d be so wound up and ready for you by the time you got back you’d be a shoe in?”