The sound of the quad bike’s engine reaches us, and then Rebel appears in the distance. A few minutes later he pulls upnext to us. “No one saw me. The brothers are all still looking for the goat.”
West and Rebel load the goat onto the tray and secure it with rope.
“The pit is on the other side of those trees,” Rebel points out the opening for West as he straddles the quad bike.
“If my sister asks, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” Dizzy climbs on behind him and loops her arms around his middle. “Hey, West. Do sheriffs in small towns bother themselves with missing livestock?”
“Hold on,” West growls, ignoring her question, as he sends the quad bike rocketing toward the trees.
“We should get back to searching for the goat.” Rebel heads in the opposite direction. “Run interference. The last thing we need is Summer’s brothers stumbling on us out here.”
“Yeah.” I stride after him.
All I want to do is promise my life to the woman I love in a nice, quiet, and intimate setting. Nothing and no one is going to stand in my way.
26
Summer
“Idon’t know about this.” I tug at the tight material stretching over every curve, including my baby bump. When I let it go, it snaps back into place, clinging to the rolls and dimples on my ample body. I like tight clothes. I like to show off my boobs and look good. And I love how Rebel loves my boobs and all my curves.
But I let my insecurity take that from me these past few months. And then I came home and all the horrible things people in town used to call me rang in my ears like those people were right in front of my face.
Hearing him tell me how hot my curves still are... how much he wants me... and how much he loves my growing belly... reminded me I’m a sexual being.
But the idea of wearing this in front of people makes those voices from my past louder than they should be. A creeping sensation runs over my skin, and I scoop my red curls over oneshoulder and run my fingers through them. My breathing has shallowed. I focus on a single cleansing breath. “This isn’t me.”
“What?” Kelsey’s perched on a pink heart shaped chair. She cradles a zebra patterned cushion over her stomach, a still full glass of champagne in her hand.
She hasn’t touched it, which I notice because it wasn’t that long ago that I was hiding my own not drinking. Is that why she’s been weird all day? Or am I projecting? Riot never mentioned her dating someone. Possibly because he’s been busy with his own secret affair. Despite his denial over anything going on, those photos with the pop princess weren’t fake.
“It’s practically scandalous.” A blush creeps up my neck and face and my skin grows clammy the longer I peruse my image in the huge, ornate mirror.
“What are you talking about?” Adira asks. “You’ve worn hotter things than that.”
“Yes. But that’s L.A. It’s not here. In Devil’s Bend.” Where time stopped somewhere in the 1950s. And everyone already thinks I’m a slut.
“Honey. Who cares what some podunk town folk think? These narrow-minded fools aren’t invited, and their opinions certainly don’t count. Outside of your brothers and that lovely florist anyway. And even then, their opinions don’t count when it comes to what you’re wearing. Stop letting them live rent free in your head and shame you.” Adira lifts his chin to haughty levels and stares me down as he rises from another heart shaped chair to his full high-heeled height. “Honey, it’s dulling your awesomeness. And we don’t do dull around here, do we, girls?”
One of the queens who are chatting at the other end of the tent stops his conversation to reply, “We do theatrical, dramatic. Never dull, darling.”
“Amen, sister.” Yvanna Bey Yaluva raises his champagne glass.
“Exactly,” Adira says. Raise your glasses, ladies. Fuck them.”
They all raise their glasses with a resounding chorus of‘fuck them’.
I study myself in the mirror again. Adira is right. I have worn sexier numbers in the city and haven’t second guessed myself like this. “I know you’re right, but I’m still not sure…”
“You’re fabulous and you should flaunt it. Don’t you want that man of yours to drool buckets over you? Although, it’s not drool we want in those buckets, is it?”
He mimics jerking off and then ejaculating through a fire hose. Sweeping around in a circle, he pretends to cover the entire tent.
Ivy laughs until she snorts. “That’s gross.”
“We finally had sex. I’m back on the horse.” I spin back to the mirror. The entire top of the bodysuit is see-through. The black lace bra I’m wearing underneath peeks out, teasing as it provides coverage. Anywhere else and I would be tempted to wear this. Rebel’s gaze glued to me all night, his hands on me constantly, his voice whispering dirty things in my ear is incredibly tempting.
But the words in the card I opened are still there underneath.Leave, Slut. Or I’ll make you.
