This Love of Mine (Raine Series #1) (10 page)

A few
moments later, when we finally broke our connection to come up for air, I
realized what I had just done. I didn't have time to stay a couple extra days,
but I had all but just made that promise to her. What was I going to do now?

I
brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, before leaning in and kissing
just below her earlobe. There was nothin' more I wanted then to have this girl
as mine, but given my current predicament, I settled for what she was offering.
I grabbed her small delicate hand in mine and pulled her down next to a nearby
tree. She tried to sit across from me, but I gently pulled her in between my
legs, nestling her body into mine. I brushed her hair back and over her
shoulder, and then placed a chaste kiss to her sun kissed shoulder.

We sat
staring into the horizon, for what felt like forever, when she finally spoke.

"So,
what kind of music does your band play?"

I
chuckled softly, not expecting that to be her question. "We're alternative,
I guess. I think you'll like it."

"Oh
do ya now? I reckon you wouldn't exactly know what I like just yet, cowboy."

I could
hear her labored breathing as I skimmed my hand across her hip. The way she
said my nickname had me trying to catch my breath. I swallowed past the lump in
my throat before I finally mustered up enough reasoning to answer her. "I
suppose I wouldn't, huh? But, I'm hopin' you'll let this cowboy know you're
likings, sooner rather than later."

"Hmm,
I think we might be able to work somethin' out." She turned slightly and
tilted her head back into my neck, placing an open mouthed kiss to my skin,
leavin' it scorching.

"So,
you wanna tell me what happened yet?" I knew I was pushing, but I needed
to know who pushed her all the way to fuckin' nowhere.

"Not
yet, but maybe soon." She smiled. "You wanna tell me about
school?" She teased.

"Do
you really wanna know?" I whispered underneath my breath.

She
turned around in my lap and was now facing me. Her plump, luscious lips mocked
me as I tried to find her eyes. "Of course I do. I wouldn't have asked, if
I didn't want to know. Now spill." Her smile could light up the night sky,
if it was night. I hadn't seen her smile much in the day or two that I had
known her, and it was nice to see.

I straightened
my body and pulled her hands into mine. "Well, I got a full ride
scholarship to Arizona State University. I've been playing baseball for so
long, that I guess it was kind of a no brainer, but leavin' is what is killin'
me." I felt her hands twitch inside of mine, and then my hands went slack
with the empty space where hers had just been.

"What's
wrong?" She was already standing, brushing the small bits of stray grass
from the back of her shorts. I quickly stood, grabbing her arm before she could
take off towards her house. I needed to know what I had said wrong. "What
is it, KJ?"

"It's
nothin' I just need to go. I'll see you tonight, I suppose." Her eyes
landed on mine, but they held no spark. The light had dimmed, just as I gotten
it to come back. What the hell was this girl’s story and why wouldn't she share
it with me?

"Yeah,
um..I'll come grab you around five?" I pushed my hands through my hair as
I removed my ball cap.

"Okay,
I'll be ready and waitin' at the end of the drive." Before I could react,
she was already limping down the hill and headed towards her house. I silently
cursed myself for not going after her, yet again, but there really wasn't much
I could do. She was closed off and obviously, that barrier wasn't coming down
anytime soon. Or at least not soon enough.

Kayla

I had
been elated to see him. When his tall, muscular figure appeared over that hill,
my heart jumped into my throat and practically shot out of my mouth. He looked
even better than he had in town. Maybe it was because he didn't have a skanky
tramp hanging off of him, but either way, I knew I wanted him. And when his
lips pressed softly against mine, I was all but in heaven.

My day
had gone from mundane, to exciting in less than four hours. His scorching
emerald green eyes had me at a loss for words and short of breath. But, as soon
as he mentioned Arizona, my whole world shifted and my mind quickly threw up a
wall and completely shut down. How were we ever supposed to make
anything
work, when he was going back to
the very state I had just left? Granted, he wasn't aware of the situation or
anything that had happened in between then and now, but would it really matter
now?

What was
I even thinking? We weren't anything. We had just met and I was definitely
readin' too far into anything with him. For crying out loud, he was eighteen and
off to college and I had just barely turned seventeen and was starting my
senior year in high school. What type of relationship could we even have?
 

I knew
pushing him away, was the wrong thing to do, but at this point, I needed to
protect myself. Madison's feelings be damned. I still wanted more than anything,
to go see his band play tonight, so I made sure to ask him about it before I
headed home. Part of me was excited that he was bringing me into his world with
the way he was. It was a nice world filled with hope, happiness and somethin'
else I just couldn't quite put my finger on.

As I
walked away from this amazing guy and the blissful hour I could have had with
him, I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed the one person I knew would
always be there.

"Hello."
Her voice rang high and happy. What I wouldn't give to feel that type of
happiness at this moment.

"Hi
love. How's it going?" I tried to make my voice more chipper than I felt,
but she of course saw right through me.

"What's
wrong? And don't you dare lie to me?"

I took
in a deep breath before explaining Madison, his grandparents and everything in
between. I didn't leave out one iota of information and I knew her mind was reeling
with all that I had given her to think about. I waited patiently for her to
respond and after a clear two minutes had passed, I pushed her.

"Well?"
I panted. I hadn't realized where I was going until I had reached the other end
of my grandparent's property. "Cami, you're killing me. Please say
something." I urged.

"Sorry,
I was just trying to digest everything. So, a cowboy huh?"

I moaned
loudly. "Seriously, that's what you narrowed in on?"

"Uh,
duh. Do you know how long I have waited to be able to go out to your
grandparent's farm, just so I could meet me a tall, dark and handsome cowboy.
Mmmhmmm."

I shook
my head and let out a loud laugh that echoed off of the nearby trees. Leave it
to Cami to make me feel better, all by talking about a damn cowboy, when it was
the one thing I didn't want to think about.

"Kay,
the only thing I can tell you is to hold onto your cowboy boots, because I'm
pretty sure he is going to take you for one hell of a ride."

"Ya
know, if I wanted to get sarcasm, I would've just talked to my granddad about
all this. You're so not helpin' the situation, bitch."

"I
love how your accent comes back the minute your tiny little feet hit that Texas
soil. Well, I guess the question is, are you willing to see where it goes and
possibly come back here?"

I knew
she was serious by the intensity in her tone. I didn't want to think about
going back to Arizona,
ever.
I
suppose it was a good question though. "Honestly, I don't know if any guy
would be worth that pain." I hadn't hesitated in my response, because in
all actuality, I wasn't even sure this thing that was happening between me and
Madison, was even the real deal. I still needed to finish high school, he was
headed off to college, and he had a band. I mean what future did we really
have?

"Well
honey, I guess that's what you need to figure out first and foremost. Kay, just
don't hold anything back. I know how hard it is going to be for you to open up
and let someone in, but I think you owe it to yourself to try. Take this move
as a chance to explore the real you, all of you, if you catch my drift."
Her laugh brought a smile to my face and I couldn't help but giggle right along
with her.

"I'll
talk to you soon, Cam. Take care."

"Oh
I will." She laughed. "Love ya, girly."

"Me
too." I closed my phone and sat down under one of the tall oak trees,
swaying in the breeze. I laid back and stared at the afternoon sun through the
sparse branches hovering above me. Why did life have to be so complicated so
early on? Of course I blame my mother, or maybe my father. Oh hell, I'll just
blame everyone else and take no responsibility, that sounded better. I'd rather
be arrogantly oblivious than have to deal with my life.

*****

I
must've dozed off in my hasty state, because when I came to, the sun was no
longer shining brightly above me. I quickly checked the time on my phone and
realized that I barely had a half an hour to get ready. I brushed the stray
pieces of grass and leaves from my hair and hobbled my way to the house. I
hadn't seen my grandmamma since we had gotten back, and I was now starting to
feel a little guilty about it. I had let the day get away from me and I needed
to find her and apologize.

When I
entered through the back door, I was startled when a small hand grasped the
screen door behind me and clutched my arm. I jumped back in full on protection
mode, as my eyes wandered up the frail arm, landing on my grandmamma's weary
eyes.

"I'm
sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to startle ya."

I let
out the small breath I had been holding, pulling my small grandmother into my
chest and closing my arms around her. I hadn't hugged her or my granddad to say
thank you since I had arrived, and now was the prime opportunity to let her
know how grateful I was.

"Thank
you, Grams."

"What
ever for, darlin'?

Her eyes
wandered up to mine and I squeezed mine shut tightly, trying not to let the
tears escape down my face. "For welcoming me into your home. For givin' me
a
home."
I smiled.

She
lightly slapped my upper arm, pulling out of my embrace. "You silly girl.
Ya don't need to thank your granddaddy or me. We love ya more than anything
else. This is your home now."

I
pressed a gentle kiss to the top of her head, before heading for the stairs.
"Oh and Grams, is it okay if I go out for a bit tonight?" I turned
with my foot on the step, waiting for what, I didn't know, but I guess I was
hoping more than anything that she didn't say no.

"Of
course, sweetheart. Ya need to be in by midnight, ya hear."

I nodded
in agreement and made it halfway up the stairs before I heard her small voice
carry. "Oh and tell Madison, I say hello."

I froze
mid-stride and tried to slow my erratic breathing before turning all the way
around to look down at my grandmamma. "How did ya know?" I breathed.

"Oh
honey, I know the effect of the Raine men, and I would recognize it anywhere.
Now hurry up and get yourself ready to leave before your granddaddy gets home.
I don't reckon he'll like this a whole lot."

There
were a million and one questions blazing through my mind, but I thought better
of it and finished my hike upstairs. What did she mean by that? The Raine
effect? I laughed at myself.

Ridiculous.

I
rummaged through my new clothes, trying to find the perfect outfit for tonight,
but found myself coming up empty handed. I threw myself onto the small bed,
covering my eyes with my arm. It didn't matter what I wore, I'm pretty sure
there would be enough girls there trying to get his attention, that he wouldn't
even notice me.

I sat up
and glanced down at the pile of clothing in front of me, when it all but jumped
out at me. A short white and yellow striped sundress lay there staring back at
me. I reached for it and smiled knowing that this, paired with my boots were a
deadly combination. I quickly threw my shorts and tank onto the floor in the
corner of my room.

I pulled
the off the shoulder sundress over my head, and pulled my hair out from under
it. I let the half naturally curly mane flow down my back, even though the heat
had me wanting to pull it up. I brushed on more than a normal amount of mascara
for me. I knew it was going to be dark at the bar, but I needed to stand out a
little bit more than normal.

I swiped
a bronze colored eye shadow across my lids and then dabbed a small amount of lip-gloss
on. I stood back staring at my look, nodding. I tugged my boots on and made my
way down the stairs. My grandmamma stared up at me with an adoring smile
splayed across her face. I smiled in return and quickly grabbed my phone from
where I had left it earlier and my small brown purse that was sitting on the table.
I turned to glance at my grams one last time, before I headed out the front
door.

I walked
a little ways down to the main road, just so Madison didn't have to come all
the way up the long drive. When I saw his truck appear, I had to hold myself
together. I immediately wanted to jump up, throwing my legs and arms around
him, but I couldn't. Not only due to my injury, but because what would that say
about me?