By the time we leave, Sophie, Violet, and Aubrey have convinced her to join them for their next girls’ night out. Kate is practically glowing after that.
I drive her and Charlie home and walk her to the front door.
She lets Charlie in, then smiling softly, turns to me. “Thank you for the incredible night, Noah. I can’t remember the last time I’ve had so much fun. Your brothers and friends are great.”
“They like you a lot, too.”I run my thumb along her lower lip, starving for a taste of her again.
But it’s getting late, and I have to get up early if I plan to spend the day here, helping her clean out the house after my morning chores.
Which won’t happen if I kiss her the way I want to.
So I just brush my lips against hers and pull away before my willpower falls down a well.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” I tell her. “I’ll be over as soon as I can get away from the ranch.”
Disappointment plays briefly in her eyes, but it’s gone as quickly as it came. She smiles. “I’ll see you then.”
With that, she disappears into the house.
And I drive home to have a long, cold shower.
15
Kate
“Kate, sweetheart,”my stepmother says the next morning via Skype. Her hair and makeup are perfectly in place. Like it is every time we Skype.
I, on the other hand, am far less put-together. My yoga pants, which she can’t see, are dusty. My hair is up in a messy ponytail and I have a minimal amount of makeup on: light foundation, lip gloss, mascara. Anything more will be ridiculous for what I have planned today.
“How are things going?” Pity is her go-to tone for this session. Either because of how I look or because I’m in a small town without the amenities of Beverly Hills or a combination of the two.
“So far, so good.” If we don’t count the part where I’m still cleaning the stable every morning. But there are definitely worse things I could be doing.
Have I ridden Lady or Scoundrel yet? Not on your life.
Or my life—which I happen to value.
“How much longer before you return to Beverly Hills? Everyone misses you. Your friends miss you.”
These would be the same friends who have texted me every day with pictures of the latest purses, shoes, or outfits they’ve bought.
Or updated me on the current gossip.
Or told me about the newest and hottest club they went to last night.
“I’m not sure. I’m getting there, but Charlotte had a lot of stuff in the house that I have to deal with before I can put it on the market.” And there’s still the issue of finding Lady and Scoundrel new homes.
Loving homes, not the glue factory as one of my stepbrothers suggested.
“But as soon as I know, I’ll call you,” I tell her.
Lucinda then shares about the tea party she’s organizing, renovations she’s thinking of doing to one of the guest houses, the shocking gossip she just heard this morning about one of her neighbors.
None of what she’s saying I pay much attention to. I’m too busy reminiscing about Noah’s kisses last night. My body lights up like a rogue firework just thinking about them.
“Kate, are you listening to me?”
My stepmother’s annoyed voice snaps me from my thoughts about Noah’s earthquake-worthy kisses.
