your mama doing, son?”
Mr. Banks was an older man. I didn’t know when they had Olivia, but it had obviously been late in life. He was a nice man though, one of the few that never seemed to judge us younger guys.
“She has her good days,” I said, leaving out that she also had her bad days, and those seemed to be more often than the former.
Her mother nodded in understanding, a pitying look crossing her face that made me want to get away quick.
“Make sure you send her our regards,” Mr. Banks said.
“Will do, sir.”
I turned and walked into the garage, entering the door there that led directly into the kitchen. There was no sense in knocking, no one would have heard me over the music.
As I entered, I realized everyone was out in the backyard. Everyone except one person, who stood in the kitchen, her head looking up at me, eyes widening.
I froze, my hand still on the doorknob, as I took in Chloe up close, for the first time in a week. It felt like years.
Her hair was down in soft waves around her face. She wore a green sundress that showed off the healthy glow of her skin, and only a minimal amount of make-up that still made her look natural, while accenting those eyes and lips.
We both stared at each other for a moment before she seemed to snap out of it, her lips lifting in a hesitant smile.
“Hey, Kyle,” she said softly.
“Hey,” I replied, my voice embarrassingly hoarse.
“Briggs! You’re here,” Rannon said, making the two of us jump. His eyes looked between us, but if he noticed anything, he didn’t say.
I finally moved, walking further into the room, letting the door shut. We clasped hands and bumped shoulders.
“Everyone is outside, man,” Rannon said. “The cooler’s full. Make sure you grab yourself a beer.”
I just nodded, my thoughts too mixed up to reply, especially since I was concentrating extra hard on keeping myself from looking at Chloe again. I wanted to so badly. I felt like a man starved.
Forcing my feet to move, I headed out to a cheer of greetings. Grabbing a much needed drink, I dropped down into a seat and did my best to immerse myself with my friends.
“Where’s Ella?” I asked Olivia. Usually the two best friends were always together at parties.
“She’s still at the farm,” she said with a frown. “Her little one is sick, so they couldn’t get away.”
“That’s too bad.”
She nodded. “Yeah. But Colt and I are going to go up for a visit next weekend.”
The back door slid open, and my entire body stiffened. I didn’t have to look to know Chloe had come out.
Why hadn’t I assumed she’d be here? It made sense Colt would have invited her, and yet it hadn’t occurred to me on the way over. Trying my best to keep from gawking at her, I kept my head turned away, pretending to listen to whatever Colt and Rannon were talking about.
Her scent suddenly washed over me. Closing my eyes briefly, I inhaled the sweetness that drove me crazy. Blinking, I caught the sway of brown tresses beside me, and finally gave in, looking at her as she leaned over the table to place a tray of food down.
The back of her dress rode up slightly, showing off more of her perfectly toned thighs. I wiped a hand over my mouth, biting back a groan.
“Chloe, you don’t need to do that,” Olivia said.
Chloe smiled. “I don’t mind.”
Olivia slapped Colt on the chest. “Stop your sister from doing all the work. You should be helping.”
Colt rubbed at his chest. “Okay, okay,” he said.
“I’ll help her,” I said standing up before Colt could. What the fuck was I doing? I didn’t know, but I was beginning to think I had a masochistic side to me I didn’t know about.
Chloe hid her face behind the curtain of her hair, but not before I saw that telltale blush. She didn’t look at me as she turned and walked back inside.
“You sure?” Colt asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
“Yeah, man. Just hang out,” I said, trying to make it sound like it was
Mr. Banks was an older man. I didn’t know when they had Olivia, but it had obviously been late in life. He was a nice man though, one of the few that never seemed to judge us younger guys.
“She has her good days,” I said, leaving out that she also had her bad days, and those seemed to be more often than the former.
Her mother nodded in understanding, a pitying look crossing her face that made me want to get away quick.
“Make sure you send her our regards,” Mr. Banks said.
“Will do, sir.”
I turned and walked into the garage, entering the door there that led directly into the kitchen. There was no sense in knocking, no one would have heard me over the music.
As I entered, I realized everyone was out in the backyard. Everyone except one person, who stood in the kitchen, her head looking up at me, eyes widening.
I froze, my hand still on the doorknob, as I took in Chloe up close, for the first time in a week. It felt like years.
Her hair was down in soft waves around her face. She wore a green sundress that showed off the healthy glow of her skin, and only a minimal amount of make-up that still made her look natural, while accenting those eyes and lips.
We both stared at each other for a moment before she seemed to snap out of it, her lips lifting in a hesitant smile.
“Hey, Kyle,” she said softly.
“Hey,” I replied, my voice embarrassingly hoarse.
“Briggs! You’re here,” Rannon said, making the two of us jump. His eyes looked between us, but if he noticed anything, he didn’t say.
I finally moved, walking further into the room, letting the door shut. We clasped hands and bumped shoulders.
“Everyone is outside, man,” Rannon said. “The cooler’s full. Make sure you grab yourself a beer.”
I just nodded, my thoughts too mixed up to reply, especially since I was concentrating extra hard on keeping myself from looking at Chloe again. I wanted to so badly. I felt like a man starved.
Forcing my feet to move, I headed out to a cheer of greetings. Grabbing a much needed drink, I dropped down into a seat and did my best to immerse myself with my friends.
“Where’s Ella?” I asked Olivia. Usually the two best friends were always together at parties.
“She’s still at the farm,” she said with a frown. “Her little one is sick, so they couldn’t get away.”
“That’s too bad.”
She nodded. “Yeah. But Colt and I are going to go up for a visit next weekend.”
The back door slid open, and my entire body stiffened. I didn’t have to look to know Chloe had come out.
Why hadn’t I assumed she’d be here? It made sense Colt would have invited her, and yet it hadn’t occurred to me on the way over. Trying my best to keep from gawking at her, I kept my head turned away, pretending to listen to whatever Colt and Rannon were talking about.
Her scent suddenly washed over me. Closing my eyes briefly, I inhaled the sweetness that drove me crazy. Blinking, I caught the sway of brown tresses beside me, and finally gave in, looking at her as she leaned over the table to place a tray of food down.
The back of her dress rode up slightly, showing off more of her perfectly toned thighs. I wiped a hand over my mouth, biting back a groan.
“Chloe, you don’t need to do that,” Olivia said.
Chloe smiled. “I don’t mind.”
Olivia slapped Colt on the chest. “Stop your sister from doing all the work. You should be helping.”
Colt rubbed at his chest. “Okay, okay,” he said.
“I’ll help her,” I said standing up before Colt could. What the fuck was I doing? I didn’t know, but I was beginning to think I had a masochistic side to me I didn’t know about.
Chloe hid her face behind the curtain of her hair, but not before I saw that telltale blush. She didn’t look at me as she turned and walked back inside.
“You sure?” Colt asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.
“Yeah, man. Just hang out,” I said, trying to make it sound like it was
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