“After we didn’t kiss the other night, I immediately went to her place to talk with her. I told her about how I was getting in my own head, and she helped me see that I could either keep denying love and be miserable or go after what I want and maybefind happiness. She encouraged me to be open with you about what happened. She said you’d be supportive.”
Realization hits me as I connect the dots. Lauren said she heard Rhett was at Callie’s late the other night.That’swhy.
I roll over to lie flat on my back again, looking up at the sky. The clouds have been slowly rolling in, and it’s growing darker and darker out here.
“I’m sorry the stars aren’t better tonight.”
“It’s okay. The company is all I need.”
A droplet of water splashes down on my skin. I brush it from my cheek, giggling. Another droplet falls, this time on my arm, followed by one on my lip. Rhett leans in to brush it off with his thumb. It’s crazy how natural this already feels, even though this is all new to us.
“Were you afraid of me before?”
“What? You mean when you answered the door with a frying pan? Yeah.”
I shake my head, laughing. “No! I just got the sense you were trying to avoid me when we first met. Things didn’t feel this natural at first.”
“Of course I was afraid. The slightest brush of your skin against mine was enough to power the entire state of Texas. I was terrified of what you’d do to me. I thought if I let you in too much I’d lose control, that I’d wind up letting you in and falling in love. I was right.”
I blush, feeling a little guilty. “I’m?—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence. I don’t want an apology. You are exactly what I needed.”
Now I’m blushing for other reasons, and I don’t know what to say, but I’m saved as the gentle rain quickly turns into a downpour. My clothes soak through in seconds, and my hair turns into a sopping mop.
As I leap up, shrieking, Rhett swipes the blanket from the ground and wraps an arm around me, sheltering me from the rain as we quickly wind our way down the path back to the house.
The rain continues to soak us to the point that I can feel it in my bones. I’ve never been in such an intense downpour. The path quickly turns into a muddy mess, and as I try to shuffle through it, my foot slips. Rhett has to grab me to keep me upright. Thunder claps overhead, shaking the ground. I’ve never heard, or felt, thunder like this before. I guess the saying is true. Everything truly is bigger in Texas.
As I cower, Rhett pulls me in closer. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. We’re almost back.”
“I’m so glad we left Maverick at home.”
“Me too.”
The wind begins to pick up, swirling and howling.
“Did you know it was going to storm tonight?” I have to shout and still don’t know if he can hear me.
“I had no idea. I wouldn’t have brought you out here if I did.”
The dim light of the house comes into sight.Thank God.
We hurriedly shuffle into the house, leaving a trail of mud across the back patio and into the kitchen. I close the door with a little extra effort, and Rhett flicks the locks behind me, trapping me between his broad chest and the door.
We both take a deep breath, assessing the messes that we have become from being exposed to the elements.
I finally break the silence, swiping a bit of mud off his cheek and murmuring, “You look like a monster.”
Instantly, the look of concern on his face is wiped clean, and we burst into a fit of laughter.
ChapterForty-Two
Olivia
“She’s alive!”I rush over to Callie’s booth, clipboard in hand. “You are so lucky I’ve been so busy over the last week. Between my parent’s Fourth of July dinner, the annual firework show in the park yesterday, and then planning the fundraiser, I haven’t even had time to breathe. Otherwise, I would’ve been busting yours and Lauren’s doors down to find out what happened the other night.”
The smile on her face is quickly erased. “I’m sorry! I?—”
