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“Yeah. You too.”
“I have to tell you. I was thrilled when I saw you. You’re the most beautiful woman in our class.”
“You’ve actually seen all the girls in our class?”
“I’ve seen enough to know I hit the jackpot tonight. At least I thought I did.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve already met someone.”
“I kind of got that impression. He’s who you’re meeting at ten?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded. “Lucky guy. I’m…er…sorry about the shit we gave you about…”
“My virginity?”
“Yeah. That was immature. I don’t even know Rex.”
“Probably not a bad thing.”
He gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek. “If things don’t work out with your other guy, give me a call. At any rate, I’m really glad we met.”
Okay, back to first impression. Jason was a nice guy. He just acted like a jerk around Rex because that was what guys did. I still wasn’t thrilled that Patty had broadcast my virginity to our dates. Most likely she’d be out late or all night again, so our words would have to wait until tomorrow.
“Deal,” I said.
He smiled and walked away as I entered the building. It was nearly ten. I had to change into jeans before Brad arrived.
I was surprised to find him standing outside the door of my room.
He looked at his watch. “There you are. I was getting worried.”
“I still have a few minutes,” I said.
He grabbed me and planted a quick kiss on my lips. Sparks shot through me.
“Change of plans,” he said. “I have to go home to the ranch tonight.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. It’s important. Shit I have to do.”
“Oh.” I tried not to sound too disappointed, but inside I was devastated. I’d so been looking forward to more time with him.
“Hey,” he said. “Come with me.”
I widened my eyes. Had I heard him correctly?
“Yeah. Our house is huge. Plenty of room. You can meet my parents.”
“Don’t you live on…”
“The western slope, yeah. It’s a five-hour drive from here, and I have to leave now so I’m not driving all night.”
“Classes start next week.”
“It’s Friday. We’ll be back Sunday evening.”
“But there’s—”
“More orientation?”
No. Orientation was basically over. Now we had the weekend to get settled before classes began on Monday. “Not exactly.”
“Then come. Please.”
“What will I do while you’re doing whatever it is you need to go home to do?”
“You can hang out with my mom. You’ll love her.”
“Brad, no. This is too soon. It’s…weird.”
“I don’t want to be away from you.”
“It’s only two days.”
“I know.” His eyes got a far-off look. “Seems like years. But I understand. How was your evening?”
“It was okay.”
“Just okay?”
“Yeah. My date was a nice enough guy, he just wasn’t…”
“Me?”
I laughed. “Well…yeah.”
He stroked my hair. “Come with me, Daphne. I know it sounds crazy. It probably is. But I really want you to come.”
Drive off in the middle of the night with a guy I hadn’t yet known a week? Crazy. Completely crazy. I was batty to even be considering it.
But one look into his dark eyes, and I knew my answer.
“Okay.”
Chapter Thirty
Brad
Daphne fell asleep around midnight. We hadn’t talked a lot, just mundane conversation, except that nothing was mundane with Daphne. She looked like a dream in her first nighter dress. I almost begged her to keep it on, but it probably wasn’t the most comfortable thing to wear for a late-night road trip.
She wore jeans, flip-flops, and a Styx T-shirt, and she was sleeping peacefully in the reclined passenger seat of my truck.
She looked so peaceful and serene.
Had I made the right decision, asking her to join me? I had shit to do that I wasn’t looking forward to, but I’d still have time to spend with her, show her my home, let her see the beauty of the western slope. Peaches and apples were in season, fresh off the trees from our orchard. It was perfect timing all around.
Except for the stuff I wasn’t particularly looking forward to.
But that wouldn’t take long. Wendy had an Achilles’ heel other than me, and I had to take advantage of it.
Larry and Tom were already at school. As for Theo, I never knew when he’d show up. He might be around. Rodney Cates might be around. He and Theo’s sister were a couple that started all the way back in high school, and they spent time in Snow Creek sometimes.
Those days seemed like another lifetime, but when I returned to Snow Creek, it all came back to me like it was yesterday.
That wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
I’d had some amazing times in my hometown and on my ranch. I’d also had some dark times—times I wished I could take back, remove from my life.
Most of those times took place during my high school years as a member of the Future Lawmakers Club at Tejon Prep School in Grand Junction, a half-hour drive from Snow Creek.
The Future Lawmakers.
Not Future Lawyers, even though two of our members—Tom and Larry—had aspirations to attend law school. Future Lawmakers. At the time, I figured that meant helping to make laws, becoming legislators, or even judges, helping to interpret existing laws.
