“No one said life was fair.”
She glared at him.
He raised his hands in defense. “Just saying. And you know, it goes both ways. They’ll be reminded of your birthday every year on their anniversary.”
“We both know that’s not true.” Her self-centered sister cared about one thing: herself. She probably didn’t even realize February twenty-fifth was Kennedy’s birthday. Kennedy wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse. “And what happened to getting married next summer?”
Andrew shrugged, sympathy written all over his face.
Kennedy stared off toward the mountains and the setting sun. “My mom could have at least called me rather than texted. I love how she gives me news like this as if it’s no big deal, an afterthought, even. She still resents me for living with my dad a million years ago, and that’s never going to change.” Blowing out a big breath, she sank deeper into the chair and finished her cookie. “This is why Reed shouldn’t get married unless he’s one hundred percent sure. Divorce sucks.”
“Agreed.” Andrew stretched out his long legs. “How about we stay in tonight and play cards?”
“That’s nice of you, but I know you want to go to the hoedown. I think I’ll take a walk instead and then a hot bath. You have fun and when you get back, you can fill me in.”
“Are you sure?”
“You look too handsome to miss it.”
He jumped to his feet. “I do. Don’t I?”
Jeans, a light green collared shirt, his dirty blond hair combed to the side, he could definitely pass for a Hemsworth.
“I’ll see you later,” she said.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind him, she exchanged her heels for sneakers and slipped out the small patio gate. She had maybe an hour of sunlight left, so she took a walk across the neatly manicured grass, the sound of country music in the distance. She wandered in the opposite direction, toward the stable, then strolled inside the dimly lit building, the air cool with both the front and back doors open. She admired the animals from afar, then resumed walking. Down the private well-packed dirt road lined with evergreens, toward Maverick’s house. She told herself it was because she wanted to see the puppies.
His truck was parked near the horse fence and lights were on inside. She had no idea what she was doing until she bypassed the front door and tiptoed around the house and through the sloped flowerbed to peek through the living room window. Apparently she’d turned into a weirdo who couldn’t muster up the courage—or maybe it was strength—to talk to the owner of the puppies. It made her mad, yet she didn’t backtrack. Instead she bumped her forehead on the glass as she tried to see Barley and her babies.
There they were, cuddled together without a care in the world. Must be nice.
She stood there like a peeping Tom as guilt and embarrassment wormed their way inside her head. She was being ridiculous.
At the sound of a twig breaking, she whirled around. And bumped right into a hard body. Just like the other day, she lost her balance, and Maverick caught her to keep her steady. This time, though, they were chest to chest, his arms around her waist. On the sloped ground, his handsome face was right there.
Neither of them spoke. Their cheeks brushed. Kennedy turned her head slightly, grazed her nose against his. His breath mingled with hers. She swallowed the thick bundle of nerves coating the back of her throat.
Their eyes held, his a stormier blue than she’d ever seen before. She didn’t know what kind of storm, only that she didn’t mind it. Not one bit. She enjoyed every reaction she got out of him.
One centimeter farther and their mouths would meet. She’d get to feel his lips on hers, discover if he’d kiss her in frustration or because he wondered what she tasted like, too. Her heart hammered and she was curious if he felt it. Maybe if she didn’t say how much she wanted to explore this connection between them, he wouldn’t deny her. Although words had never seemed to sway Maverick Owens, one way or the other.
“Um…” she muttered, figuring she should at least acknowledge she’d been caught snooping.
Maverick looked into her eyes, that storm she saw in his baby blues waging a battle. She held her ground. Willed her muscles to relax. Not a hard thing to do when she wanted to melt against him.
“What are you doing here, Shortcake?” His voice, deep and low, resonated with more than one meaning. He knew. He knew, even if she didn’t, that she was here for more than one reason.
“I, uh…” she breathed out. Speaking when they were nose to nose proved difficult. Just kiss me and put us both out of our misery. He read minds, right?
“You, uh…?” He intended to make her say it, damn him.
Or she could just kiss him.
Yeah, that sounded like a much better idea than answering his question.
Slowly, carefully, purposefully, she brushed her lips against his. His piercing gaze made her shiver, but she’d started this expedition and she planned to finish it. Whether he liked it or not.
And he’d like it.
She pressed her mouth more firmly to his, testing the waters. Ready to drown if he’d just give her the sign. And then he did. He moved his mouth against hers. Eyes wide open, he kissed her. Watched her. Kissed and watched her as their lips connected in a slow dance of getting-to-know-this-part-of-you. Her hips moved of their own accord, rubbing against his body. Closer. She wanted to be closer, to crawl inside him and stay there until all his walls came crashing down.
He kissed her like she was something new, something breakable, and she was both those things. Because the last forty-eight hours had been unexpectedly welcome in a way she’d never known. Or anticipated.
But just as they were about to get to the good stuff and part their lips, he pulled back with a pained expression on his face. “What are you doing here?” he asked again.
They disengaged farther, space swelling between them. He took a step to the left and she took a step to the right. She guessed they were going to pretend the kiss never happened. She guessed, sadly, he might already regret it.
“I wanted to see the puppies.”
“And you decided to sneak around because…?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose I wanted to get a peek at them and then leave without having to see you, too.” Which did nothing to explain why she also wanted to kiss him. This situation confused the crap out of her.
“Okay, you good to go, then?”
No. She wasn’t good to go, and she most definitely wasn’t good to go and let him win this tug-of-war. “Well, since I’ve been caught, mind if I come in for a better look?”
He combed his fingers through his hair like he wanted to pull the thick locks out. “Next time just knock, okay?”