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When I hear the water running, I imagine her naked body under the stream. But then I hurry and push the thoughts away because the last thing I need is to be rock hard when she comes back.
I change into some joggers and a T-shirt, then text my mom to let her know I made it to town. She immediately responds, letting me know how happy she is that she’ll see me tomorrow. The only reason I even considered coming to the reunion is because of her. There are too many bad memories here, which makes it stressful to be home after all this time.
When Kenzie walks back into the room, I can smell the floral scent of her shampoo and body soap.
She plops down on the bed, grabs one of the fluffy pillows, and wedges it in the middle underneath the comforter. “There. Just in case you get handsy in your sleep.”
I want to laugh at how adorable she is but keep it inside. Kenzie grabs the remote and flips through until she lands on the Hallmark Mystery Channel. “Oh God no,” I groan.
“What? I love this stuff. The whole whodunnit aspect keeps me interested. Don’t knock it till you’ve watched it.”
“It’s like a toned-down mystery where the couple only kisses at the end, right?”
She shakes her head. “No. Well, kinda, but still. I like it, so shut up.”
I snort, then get under the blankets. Kenzie grabs her laptop from her bag along with a stack of papers.
Instead of asking her to change the channel, I watch it. For fifteen minutes, I’m bored out of my mind, but she doesn’t notice. After thirty minutes have passed, she closes her laptop and puts everything away.
When she climbs back in bed, Kenzie turns to me. “Tell me about your family. I wanna know who I’ll be meeting tomorrow.”
“You’ll meet my mom who I love very much even though things have been complicated and I haven’t been home in years.”
“Complicated, how come?” Kenzie snuggles in and lays her head against her pillow, keeping her gaze on me.
“When she remarried about eight years ago, my stepdad moved in with us. Then a bit after, things were strained between my brother and me.”
The room grows quiet. I haven’t told anyone from Eldorado about my past because I moved there for a fresh start.
“What happened between you and your brother?”
I lie down and meet her big blue eyes. “What are a few reasons brothers would fight?”
“If I had to guess, I’d say probably because of a girl.”
“Yep.” The word lingers in the air as all memories come to the forefront. At times like this, I wish I could open up and tell her about my issues, but I keep it to myself. The last thing I want to do is burden Kenzie with my shit before she meets everyone.
Her face softens. “I’m sorry, Grayson. I can’t imagine how hard it is for you not to have a close relationship. I’d be devastated if Maize wasn’t in my life. She’s my best friend.”
I inhale in a deep breath. “We were close growing up, but some things happened, and it changed everything. Certain situations show a person’s true colors, and you realize they don’t care about you. All I know is when I have kids, I’m gonna teach them the importance of family. Being around the Bishops all these years has shown me that.”
Kenzie props herself up on her elbow and gives me a small smile. “Sometimes family is chosen too, Grayson.”
“I agree. It’s not always the easiest to deal with, but I try. Moving away was one of the best decisions I made for myself because the ranch changed my life. I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity your uncle Alex gave me all those years ago.”
As she studies me, that familiar stream of electricity returns. By the way Kenzie’s chewing on her bottom lip, I think she feels it too. I wish I were kissing her and contemplate making a move. We’re close, other than the pillow between us, and I swear I see her lean in. Her eyes flutter closed, and right before I can, my phone buzzes, successfully pulling me away.
I clear my throat and grab it. Why the hell do we always get interrupted when we’re about to kiss?
Mom: Don’t forget it starts at 10 at the park by the house. Love you.
Grayson: I remembered. Love you too.
After I set the alarm, I lock my phone and lie back down. The moment between Kenzie and I pass as quickly as it arrived. When she turns off the bedside lamp, I know it was another missed opportunity—one of a thousand I’ve encountered with her over the years. At least now we’re kinda friends and not at each other’s throats.
“Night,” she says, rolling over and putting her back toward me.
