AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Sixteen
“How do I look?” Kaylee asked Gladys, who was sprawled across her bed. She wore the cute sundress she’d bought at Milligan’s the day she and Luke had covered for Pearl, and she’d paired it tonight with flats and a black cardigan.
The dress was a soft pink with lace accents and came to right above her knee. It was shorter than she normally wore, and she didn’t often bare her shoulders, but the style seemed to be a popular one in the store, and Emma had assured her it was perfect.
Gladys barely lifted her head but offered a groan as her opinion. The dog had been crashed out on her bed since they got home.
“You’re right,” Kaylee said, looking down at herself. “Too boring.” It was funny how she’d started noticing more things about her clothes and personality as she compared herself to her fictional character. She would never write Sassy into such a plain outfit, so why was she dressing herself in one?
Kicking off the flats and shucking the stuffy cardigan, she pulled on her new cowboy boots and the little jean jacket Emma had also convinced her to buy. She’d taken extra time with her makeup and curled her hair and it fell in soft waves on her shoulders. Gazing at herself in the full-length mirror, she was surprised at the subtle changes she saw.
After spending most of the last week outside, her arms and legs had started to tan and her cheeks were a rosy pink from the day of walking around in the sun. Instead of her normal ponytail or messy bun, she’d been wearing her hair down more often and letting it dry into its naturally curly waves. She even thought her clothes felt just a tad looser and wondered if all the walking around the farm had possibly shed a few pounds.
Whether she’d actually dropped weight or not, she somehow felt lighter. Happier. And it seemed to show.
Tucking her ID, some cash, and a mint-infused lip gloss into the pockets of her jean jacket, she dropped a kiss on Gladys’s nose and headed out.
Luke was waiting for her on the front porch, Cooper sacked out on the floor next to him. He stood as she pushed through the front door. “Wow. You look amazing.”
“Thanks. So do you.”
He wore a light blue button-up shirt, jeans, boots, and a soft grey felt Stetson instead of his normal black one. The color of his shirt brought out the ice-blue shade of his eyes, and Kaylee had a hard time dragging her gaze away from them. He’d taken a shower and the ends of his hair were still damp. The scent of his aftershave and shampoo filled the air as he walked beside her to the truck and opened the door for her.
They were leaving the dogs at home tonight, so she had no excuse for scooting into the center of the bench seat. Which meant the chances of Luke holding her hand again were slim.Dang it. But she still loved riding into town with him and listening to him talk about the night’s festivities. The barbeque was first on the agenda then the concert and street dance. She was intrigued by the idea of a dance happening on Main Street and couldn’t wait to see Chase Dalton in person.
“I’m so excited,” she told Luke as he maneuvered the truck into a parking spot and cut the engine.
“I kind of am too,” he said, offering her a shy smile. “I haven’t cared about this festival in a long time, but I’m looking forward to attending tonight. You have a way of making everything seem more fun.”
“Me? I don’t think I’ve ever been accused of makinganythingmore fun.”
“Come on now,” he said, his brow furrowing. “You’re too hard on yourself. I’ve had a lot of fun with you this week, even when we were doing ordinary things that normally seem boring.”
She didn’t know what to say. And apparently he wasn’t expecting an answer since he was already out of the truck and walking around to open her door.
“The barbeque is down by those stands.” He pointed toward several rows of bleachers set up in the street. A large band stand had been erected on the lawn in front of city hall so the concert-goers could see the stage and still have a great view of the river in the background. The street between the stage and the bleachers had been closed off for the entire city block and tables and chairs filled the space.
The smoky scent of grilled meat and tangy barbeque spice filled the air, and Kaylee inhaled a deep breath as she kept pace with Luke. “It smells amazing. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it smells so good, I think I’m hungry again.”
“Wait ‘til you taste it.” The back of Luke’s hand brushed hers as they walked, his touch distracting her from the barbeque.
There were a lot of people around, and she recognized several community members as they walked toward the tables. Everyone knew Luke, and several folks waved or hollered greetings as they passed. Her hopes at him taking her hand faltered. It was one thing to do it in the truck when they were alone but holding hands in front of the whole town was much more of a statement than a simple show of affection.
“Luke! Kaylee!”
She heard someone calling their names and spotted Emma standing on a chair waving them over to the table where she, Dean, and Marnie were sitting. They zig-zagged through the crowd as they made their way toward them.
“Hey guys,” Luke said, pulling out the chair next to Emma for Kaylee. “I hope you didn’t already eat all the pulled pork.”
Emma hugged Kaylee as she sank into the chair. “I didn’t, but Dad’s already had two sandwiches, so you’d better go get in line.”
Kaylee started to stand back up, but Luke waved her down. “You stay and visit. I’ll go grab us some sandwiches and fries. If you’re good with that?”
“Yeah, sounds great. And if you can find one, I’d love a—”
He cut her off before she could finish her sentence. “Diet Coke. I know. Already on it.”
“Thanks.” She settled back in her seat, noting the small smile Marnie offered her. “I’m so excited for tonight. I can’t believe I’m going to get to see Chase Dalton in person.”
