Serenity Falls (9 page)

On
my way back to the dressing room, my fingers dig into the knotted fabric,
untying the belt around my waist as I go. As the soft material starts to slip
over the curve of my shoulders, calloused fingers smooth over my skin. Warmth
rushes through me when I hear the unmistakable, husky tone of Wes’ voice. “Let
me.” He slides the arms of the robe the rest of the way down, and sets my skin
ablaze from his touch.

“Thank
you,” I mumble before I step away from his closeness. I plead with my body to
forego the crazy thoughts running through my mind right now. I’d be completely
delusional if I said his touch didn’t shock my system. After several deep
breaths, I slap on a smile, gather my purse, and turn around. “You ready?” I
ask, my eyes meeting his.

“Uh…
Aren’t you gonna get one of those?” He points to the robes hanging on the wall
behind me.

I
shake my head and reach for his hand to pull him away from the dressing rooms.
“There is no way you could get me back into one of those robes. If I have to
drive back to San Antonio to pick mine up from the dorm, then that’s what I’ll
do.”

We
walk out of the store and head toward his truck. I drop his hand from mine and
make a run for it, because I know he’s going to want to drive. I’ve not made it
very far when strong, masculine arms wrap around my waist and haul me off my
feet. My body twists and turns as I try to escape Wes’ hold.

“Keys,
please,” he says in an amused tone. It’s not a question. He wants me to hand
over his keys.

“What?
Why? My driving wasn’t that bad,” I squeal as I try to get away. Fisting the
keys in my palm, I lift them above my head and out of his reach.

A
wicked gleam reflects in the blue pools of his eyes, and one of his hands
attacks my rib cage. I wail in laughter, my arms and legs flailing about, as he
continues his tickling assault on me. “Just give me the keys, Kenleigh, and all
this will be over,” he says over my cackling.

“Never!”
I shout, trying my damnedest to keep the keys out of his reach.

“You
asked for it.” Effortlessly, Wes tosses me over his shoulder as if I weigh
nothing. I know the moment he takes off full speed, running in the direction of
the truck. The arm wrapped over the back of my thighs tightens. My hair, which
I never put back up, whips me in the face, flying in front of me like a veil. My
hips bounce up and down off his shoulder every time his feet hit the pavement.

In-between
my laughter, I yell, “Uncle! Uncle! I call uncle!”

“You
forfeit?” His strides begin to slow.

“Yes.
I forfeit,” I say, still laughing loudly. Not only did I put on a show in
Kris’, but now we’ve put one on in the parking lot, as well.

Gently,
I’m placed on my feet. I take numerous, calming breaths. My smile never falters
when I look up at him. Wes’ blue eyes sparkle with triumph. “Now, how about
those keys?” His hand is open and waiting.

Reluctantly,
I drop the keys in his hand, humphing in defeat. “Thanks, Gorgeous.” Wes
quickly kisses my cheek before he jogs over to the driver’s side of the truck.

Immediately,
my eyes widen in shock. The left side of my face burns where his lips briefly
touched my skin.
Again, deep calming breaths.

After
a few moments, I slide into the passenger seat and choose to act as if that
little scene didn’t have an effect me. Although, it did. It really, really did.
When my seat belts click in place, I look up to find Wes watching me. “What did
you need to get from the store?”

With
his arm stretched out across the back of the seat, he looks out the rear window
while he backs out of the space. “Some Oreos. Mom never keeps any in the
house.”

“Oreos?”
For some reason, I’m not convinced that Oreos is all he needs.

“Yeah.
Oreos
. What can I say? I’m addicted to the cream filling.” He shrugs.

Two
blocks later, we pull into Dale’s, the local grocery store. I hop out of the
truck and slam the door behind me. Right away, Wes is by my side. “So, do you
have any little addictions of your own?” he asks, his tone hopeful, like I
might let him in on a little secret.

“Mmm-hmm.
Snickers ice cream bars.”

“That’s
it?”

“I
like to dip it in peanut butter, first.” Now it’s my turn to shrug.

“No
offense, but that sounds gross.”

“Hey!
Don’t knock it until you try it. And I could say the same thing about you and
your cream filling.” I shove him sideways casually.

His
eyebrows raise and a sly smile plays on his face. “My cream filling huh?”
Mortified. That’s the only way to describe what I feel right now. My face burns
with embarrassment. I refuse to respond to his question. When we reach the
shopping carts, Wes pulls one out of the rack and looks at me expectantly. He nods
his head toward the empty buggy. “Get in.”

Without
hesitation, I hop in and sit cross-legged, while he pushes. I smell him before
I hear him. “Hold on tight, we’re about to fly through this store,” he whispers
in my ear.

My
hands fly to the sides of the buggy and grip the cold metal. A smile blooms on
my face when my hair flies back as we go sailing up and down the aisles.
Mothers with children look at us as though we’re setting a bad example. Young
couples catcall as we coast by them. The elderly give us that look that says
I-remember-what-it-was-like-to-be-young. Just as we turn down an aisle flooded
with boxes of cereal, a man steps directly in our path. His uniform consists of
navy blue dress pants and a red vest with a nametag that I can’t read. He stands
with his arms crossed over his chest, as if daring us to continue towards him.

“Hold
on tight,” Wes calls from behind me. My hands fly up to cover my eyes when I
feel the cart lean. A gasp of shock escapes; my hands spring away from my face,
and grip the edges of the cart as I was instructed to do in the first place. My
eyes pop open when the basket lands with a loud thud, upright, in the front of
the store. Before I know what’s happening, I’m thrown over Wes’ shoulder for
the second time today as he hauls ass out of the store.

“What’s
going on?” I ask, reeling from what just happened.

“That
dude looked like he was about to call the cops.” Wes pants in between breaths.

My
hands dig into his lower back as I try to push myself up to see if the store
attendant is coming after us. When there’s no sign of him, I say, “But we
didn’t get your Oreos.”

A
faint beep sounds from behind me when we come to an abrupt halt. Before I know
it, I’m tossed into the passenger side of the truck, and the door slams beside
me. I reach over and fasten my seatbelt as Wes jumps in and starts the truck.
The tires squeal as we back out and make our hasty escape from Dale’s. Only the
sound of Wes’ heavy breathing fills the cab until I break into uncontrollable
laughter. My eyes water, I can’t catch my breath, my stomach cramps, and this
ridiculous smile won’t leave my face. “Why are you laughing?” he asks.

I’m
laughing so hard that I couldn’t answer him if I tried.

After
a few minutes, my laughter dies down and gives me the reprieve I need. I look
at him.
Really
look at him—at Wes. My eyes are drawn to how the sunlight
beams off his sandy blond hair, giving me a glimpse of the different shades of
reds and browns that mix within the blond, his deep tan that can only be
perfected by good genetics, and those captivating blue eyes that hold me
hostage when he looks at me. “Thank you,” I say whole-heartedly.

“For
what?” He looks between the road and me.

“I
haven’t had that much fun in a long time. Actually, I haven’t laughed this hard
in a long time. So, thank you.” I lean my head back on the headrest facing him.

With
a smile of his own, he replies, “Anytime.”

I
don’t know how it happened, but Wes has gotten to me, and I think I might have
a new addiction soon.

“Do
you mind if I take a quick detour? I still want those damn Oreos.”

I
give a soft chuckle. “No, go ahead. I’m just gonna rest my eyes real quick.” A
yawn escapes me, as my eyelids grow heavy.

My
arms seem heavy, but my body feels warm—content. I snuggle into the warmth beneath
me, only to feel something hard and unyielding. As my eyes flutter open, all I
see is blue, a blue shirt, and blue eyes. That’s when I remember that I fell
asleep in the truck. One arm supports my back, and I can feel the rippled
muscles bulge, while the other stays firmly tucked under my legs. I wiggle and
try to jump out of Wes’ hold. “It’s okay. You fell asleep. I was only carrying
you inside,” he says, holding me tighter to him.

“Why
didn’t you just wake me up?” I give up on my struggle because he’s obviously
not going to put me down.

“I
tried, but you wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t just leave you in the truck.”

The
answer is simple and now I feel like a dumbass.

“Well,
I’m awake now, so you can put me down.”

“Nope.
When I start something, I finish it.” His tone is resolute and leaves no room
for argument. “But you could open the screen door for me.” Wes nods ahead,
taking the steps to the front porch. My hand reaches out for the weathered
door. As I open it, the creaks and moans of the springs blend with his
footsteps as they clatter along the wooden porch.

“If
you drop me, I’m gonna kick your ass,” I say jokingly as he turns sideways,
catching the door with his hip.

He
laughs at my threat. “I would love to see that.”

“You
just wait, I’ll get you when you lea—”

“So,
how was the store?” Sandy asks, cutting my sentence off. At the same time, Wes’
eyes and mine fly to his mom. I feel like a kid with her hand caught in the
cookie jar, but a soft smile plays on her face when she sees that I’m in her
son’s arms.

“Uh…
She fell asleep in the truck,” Wes offers in a way of an explanation, his
playful tone never wavering.

“Put
me down,” I urge, whispering.

“Why?”
he asks, dipping his face to mine. I throw a pointed look toward his mom. My
eyes widen in a silent plea. With an evil smile, he gives me a slight shake of
his head, insinuating that I’m not going anywhere. With a lot of effort, I push
away from his chest, clamber to my feet, and break free from his hold.

“I
didn’t ask you about why Kenleigh was in your arms. I asked how the store was,”
Sandy replies, smirking.
Rip off the Band-Aid.
She turns back to
whatever she was doing in the kitchen before we walked in. “Did y’all get what
you needed?”

“I
got what I needed, but Kenleigh didn’t. She was being picky.” A teasing grin
lights up his face and causes me to throw my head back in laughter.

“Whatever.
You saw those hideous things.” I beam back at him still laughing

“Before
I forget, Jackie called earlier and said she’d be in this Saturday.” Sandy
says. I double over in laughter when Wes’ eyes go as wide as saucers and his
face pales.

Oh,
how the tables have turned yet again. “What’s wrong, Wes?” I ask, cackling with
revenge, revenge that I didn’t have to personally inflict on him. At my
question, Sandy stops what she’s doing and turns around.

“Honey,
you don’t look so well. Maybe you should go lie down,” she says, taking in his
horrified expression.

Slowly,
his head turns in my direction. “You think this is funny?” he asks with a
raised eyebrow.

“Nope.”
I shrug my shoulders and go to head upstairs. “I think it’s cute that she has a
crush on you,” I call over my shoulder.

The
sound of pounding feet behind me pushes me to fake right toward the stairs only
to run left into the living room. I run around the end table tucked tightly
next to the dark brown, leather couch, putting it between Wes and me. My chest
heaves from exertion. I look at his handsome face as he smiles back at me. I
brace my hands on the back of the couch to catch my breath when he says, “I. Will.
Catch. You. Kenleigh.” Every single word spoken seems laced with conviction.

“I’m
not sure about that
Wesley
.” I edge my way to the right of the couch,
and he matches me step for step.

“You
don’t have to be, because I’m positive.” His confidence knows no bounds. I take
off in a full sprint, charging right past him. I barely escape the hand that
flies out as he tries to catch me.

“Sorry,
Mrs. Sandy,” I call out with a squeal when I look back over my shoulder to see
Wes hot on my heels. I shove my way through the screen door, haul ass down the
steps of the porch, down the pathway, and head toward the barn. I’ve barely
made it up the stairs to the loft, when strong arms grab me around my waist
from behind. Laughter consumes every fiber of my being. Just as quickly as my
feet leave the ground, my back makes contact with a bale of hay.

As
I try to catch my breath, my eyes travel slowly up the man who now barely
hovers above me. The moment is no longer funny; it feels intimate. When my eyes
finally reach his, I take in the beads of sweat that have formed on his
forehead. Slowly, they glide down the sides of his face, caressing the contours
of his finely etched cheekbones and strong jaw line. His once piercing blue
eyes are now a deep cobalt. His lips that are normally stuck in a smile now
look full and rich.

“See,
I told you I’d catch you.” Wes’ husky timbre tells me he means more than just
catching me right now.

Butterflies
like I have never felt before take flight in my stomach. My breath catches as I
feel the tips of his calloused fingers graze my collarbone, snaking their way
to the nape of my neck. The thundering of my heartbeat drowns out everything
else around us. I can’t hear, can’t see, can’t feel anything—but him. The heat
from his body and his heady scent wash over me like a tidal wave. My eyes flick
from the endless depths of his eyes to his delectable lips as he arches my
neck. Before my eyes have a chance to make it back to his, the softest of
touches faintly grazes my lips. It’s delicate but demanding, fragile yet
determined. With Wes’ lips lingering on mine, I can tell he’s trying to gauge
whether or not I’m going to push him away. Before either of us has the
opportunity to further pursue what’s going on between us, a man’s voice breaks
through our lust-filled haze.

“Wes?
You in here, man?”

Just
like that, our bubble evaporates and returns me to the here and now. My fire is
now contained and doused. My mind races with reasons why I need to stop this. I
don’t want some summer fling, but I’m not so sure that I can’t resist whatever
this is either. I’m aware that we’ve been flirting like crazy, and I’d be a
damn fool to say that I don’t like it, because I do. But the damn butterflies
have now multiplied and are wreaking havoc on my stomach.

Before
I have the chance to say anything, Wes interrupts my thoughts. “I know what
you’re thinking, but you’re wrong. I’m not that guy who, when the summer is
over, will just up and walk away. If there’s one thing you
will
learn
about me, I’m a very persistent man. I wasn’t raised to be a quitter. And just
so you know, this,” he says, ghosting his hand between us and our compromising
situation, “was just a preview.” His low, deep, husky tone rolls over me,
sending currents of electricity straight to my core, awakening a need so strong
that if I don’t put some distance between us right now, I may combust.

A
chill rushes over me when Wes pushes up and steps away from me. I look at his
hand extended out for me to take. My eyes move between his hand and him. Wes’
words swirl around me, making me dizzy. I like him. I know that we share some
type of connection. Whether it’s purely physical or something deeper is yet to
be determined. Something in me pulls me to him, though. I don’t know what it
is, but I know I want to find out. I know that when I place my hand in his, I’m
silently letting him know that whatever
is
going on between us, I’m okay
with it.

The
soft, smooth skin of my hand meets his warm, strong, calloused one. Within an
instant, my body comes to life when I collide with the hardened muscles of his
chest and stomach. “I was hoping you’d come to me.” Wes tucks a lock of hair
behind my ear with an easy smile.

“We
don’t even know each other,” I whisper, casting my eyes down at the floor
because I know if I look in his eyes, I will not be able to say what I need to
say. I know I’ve changed the subject, but I want to be honest with him.

With
my hand still in his, Wes’ free arm wraps around my waist as he squeezes me
tighter to him. “You may not know me, but I told you before, and I’ll tell you
again, I’ve heard a lot about you, and I intend to get to know you better.”

“It’s
only been a day and a half, Wes. You may have heard
about
me, but you
don’t
know
me.” I lift my eyes to search his, hoping he can see some
reason behind what I’m saying to him.

“What
are you scared of, Kenleigh?” His voice is soft while his eyes search mine.

“Honestly?
You already called me out on it earlier. I’m not scared.
I’m terrified
.
I know we share some kind of connection. I don’t want to get attached to you,
only to have you ripped away from me. What happens when the summer ends, huh? I
go back to San Antonio, you go back to Dallas, and that’s that. We go on with
our lives. I don’t want to be the real life version of some damn Nicholas
Sparks’ book.”

“Did
you just compare us to some book?” he asks with a chuckle.

The
corner of my lips tugs into a grin, as I try to hold back my own bit of
laughter. “Shut up.” I slap his arm playfully. “You know what I mean.”

“I
do. But listen, we are
Kenleigh
and
Wes,
no one else. Let me take
you on the ride of your life. I don’t know what will happen at the end of the
summer. Nobody does. But I can promise you this, our ride will last longer than
eight seconds, and I’ll be the one hanging on for dear life,” he whispers as
his face closes in on mine. I turn into his smooth shaven skin as the tip of
his nose caresses my cheekbone.

“Let
me think about it,” I whisper, my eyes closing when soft, full lips kiss the
shell of my ear.

“I’ll
be waiting,” he murmurs in that deep, husky tone that makes me weak in the
knees.

“Dude,
I know you’re in here!” The man from below shouts again.

“Who
is that?”

“Brantley.
Can’t you tell?”

“Well,
as you know, we were in the middle of something when he came in here shouting.”
I nod my head in the direction of the bale of hay we just vacated.

“That’s
good to know that I make you forget other people, especially men.” There’s a
playful gleam in his eye.

“Don’t
go getting a big head. It’s hard to think when a big, sweaty guy is on top of
me, trying to ravish my face.”

“Big,
huh?” he asks.

“Whatever.
You should see what he needs.” I wiggle out of his hold.

Wes
steps back, but lifts our joined hands and places the sweetest of kisses on the
back of mine. “All right. Wait here for five minutes and then come down.” He
releases my hand and backs away toward the stairs.

“Okay,”
I whisper to his retreating form.

While
I wait, I ponder over what he said. I have no clue what it is that makes me
hold back with him. I’m not this scared, confused person. I take life head on.
If something makes me happy, I go for it. Like him, I’m persistent, too. We
have fun together and he’s so easy to talk to and be around. The passion he
possesses, with everything he does, draws me to him. And I can admit that he’s
right in the fact that no one knows what will happen at the end of the summer,
and I
know
that he’s more than capable of taking me on the ride of my
life.

I
hop off the last step of the ladder onto the barn floor, and two mumbling male
voices draw my attention. I quietly inch my way to the wall next to a stall.
With my back flush against it, I listen.

“She’s
special, man. Don’t go and mess with her head only to let her down.” It’s
Brantley’s voice. Without Wes here to distract me, I can hear his recognizable
Alabama twang, and he sounds pissed.

“It’s
not like that with her. My mom’s been telling me about her since last summer.
About how she captivates everyone and everything around her. That there’s this
light of beauty that surrounds her, and that people just want to be near her to
bask in that same light. And you know what? After a fucking year of listening
to my mom go on and on about her, I’m starting to believe she’s right. I don’t
know, man; you know how I’ve been living life since I’ve been in Dallas. All
I’m saying is that it’s refreshing.”