Finding Kylie (30 page)

             
“Well, you seem to be on a first name basis pretty quickly.  So it’s Jesse now, huh? You like him,” she stated before asking, “Did you talk about John?”

             
“Yes, I think so, and a little,” Chastity said and smiled. “You know, going over there … I thought I was going to battle, but it turned out completely different than expected.  And his son, Alex, is so cute.  Cheryl, I have a cousin!” 

             
Chastity’s heart swelled when she thought about his cute little face.  “I can’t believe I have some family out there.  I feel so … normal is the only way I can think to describe it.”

             
Cheryl sagged with relief.  “Good sweetie.  I am so happy for you.  You have no idea how much.  I was so afraid you were in for some major disappointment.  I just knew you were going to come home broken, and I couldn’t stand it if that had happened.”  Cheryl started to tear up.  “I was so worried.”

             
“Okay, stop that.  I have to get ready for a date and you can’t tear up on me.  You’ll make my mascara run.”  She reached for a tissue.  “Take this.”

             
“I’m a mess.” Cheryl laughed, and then changed the subject.  “Hey, how is it going with Timothy?  I got a phone call from his mom, and she was telling me that her son came in for a mysterious trip.  She’s bound to find out why he’s really here.” 

             
Chastity’s brow went up. Cheryl waved her hand and continued, “No, she didn’t hear anything from me.  I never hear from the woman until she wants to brag about something, so I’m not telling her.  I can’t wait for her find out the real reason he’s in town is staying at my house.”  Cheryl laughed out loud.  “How foolish will she feel then?”

             
“You’re evil!”  Chastity laughed when she saw the sparkle in her friend’s eye.

             
“I know, but it’s fun sometimes.  Real quick before you go, have you read anymore of your mom’s journals?”

             
“Yeah, I have.  At this point it is strictly letters to me from mother to daughter.  It’s sweet actually.  They mostly catalogue my daily activity.  It’s almost like a baby book.  It’s nice to have these weekly accounts of what she’s experiencing.  My first crawl … my first word … and so on,” she explained.  “But there’s not many more pages left, so I’ve been taking my time.  I’m not ready to be finished yet.”

             
“Yeah, I remember her saying when you were young that she was going to try to write something to you every week.” Cheryl sighed and stood up to brush the back of Chastity’s hair.  “But babies are so busy and the older they get – the harder it is to find the time write everything all down.  Especially if you have job, like she did.”

             
“Well, it’s been good for me to see this other side of her.  I’m not ready to let go yet.  I’m going to miss it … her so much.”

             
“I know honey, but what a precious gift you have with those letters.”

             
Chastity nodded as the doorbell rang from the hallway.  She heard Whitney call her name from downstairs, and stood to give herself a final once-over. 

             
Cheryl smiled from behind and said, “You look like a knock-out.  Have a good time and come home late!” 

             
Chastity winked on her way out the door.

Chapter 40

             
Timothy admired her long legs, as she sat next to him on the tailgate bench.   He found it hard to take his eyes off them, especially as she was swinging them back and forth next to his. 

             
Only twenty more minutes till we eat
, he thought, trying to keep his mind off of what kind of trouble they could get into if this were a real truck bed they were sitting in.

             
Twenty more minutes …  Twenty more minutes ... 
The mantra was useful in trying to clear his mind.

             
“You think this used to be a real truck?” She looked down to the FORD tailgate, which was repurposed as a seat.  It sat at the same height that a pickup would be, which is why she couldn’t reach the ground.

              “Yep.” He dragged his eyes from her legs, grateful for something to talk about.  “Bet you’ve never seen one of these before?” 

             
“Only in Oklahoma, and I say that with utmost respect.”  Her eyes twinkled.

             
“So you’re a fan then?” He asked, scooting a little closer.

             
“I wasn’t sure what to think about it when I flew in a couple of weeks ago, but it’s really nice.”

             
“You say that like you’re surprised.” He laughed at her.

             
She looked around the restaurant and surprised herself with her response.

             
“This city is a complete surprise.  Before coming here, all I knew of Oklahoma is what I learned on the news.” 

             
She looked at his grin and explained; “You know the typical toothless wonder, marveling at why the tornado blew away their mobile house.  I just assumed there wasn’t much else to see.”

             
“And now?”

             
“Well now, I’ve seen the closeness of this place.  The heart of these people is bigger than I’ve ever seen, and the cost of living really blows me away.  I could buy a four bedroom house here for what I pay rent for my tiny apartment back home.  Not to mention the art community here … it’s amazing.  And, the downtown area is awesome … zip-lines, rock climbing, water taxis, kayaking …” Chastity stopped when she realized how fast she was talking.  “I’m babbling.  I’m sorry.” 

             
She shook her head and added, “Although, most of the people here can’t drive to save their lives!” 

             
She laughed, as she thought of how most would handle California traffic.

             
“Yeah, I would agree there too.”

             
“So why didn’t you move back here?”

             
“Oh, I love it here, but you haven’t met my mom yet!” 

             
On that note, Chastity was thankful that their buzzer started vibrating. 

             
“Our table’s ready!”  She jumped up and was glad to leave that conversation where it was.  The hostess led them to their table.

             
The restaurant was pure country.  Large four tops, which were big enough for giants, were scattered throughout.  Anyone ready to dig in for home cooking’ would have plenty of elbowroom. 

             
A looming stage, set to the side, was already set for a live band, and was draped with the largest American flag she’d ever seen. Her heart warmed at the sight of posters, which promoted America and the military, which hung on the walls around them.   Pure American pride was infused in everything they displayed. 

             
When they sat down, she looked up to a glass balcony, where there was a separate dining area. 

             
“Who sits up there?”  She pointed up the stairs.

             
“That’s where the owner eat, with his friends and family.  It gives him the privacy he needs away from his fans.  When he’s not here, it’s open to the public.”

             
“I’ve never listened to country much, but he seems decent.” She nodded her head, listening to the music, which blared from the sound system throughout the restaurant.

             
High above her, she saw a horse’s saddle, covered in rhinestones, hanging from a heavy cable.  Light bounced in all directions, as it spun from above.             

             
She smiled in thought. 
A disco saddle … it reflects this place well.  It’s country, but with style. 

             
Timothy watched her take in her surroundings and wondered how he got so lucky.
She was stunning, and he couldn’t believe she was here with him. 

             
“I like it here.  This is perfect.” She smiled at him from across the table.   

             
He said nothing in return.  He couldn’t take his eyes off her.  She had no idea of the effect she had on him.  
Does she even know how beautiful she is?

             
Chastity broke eye contact to look toward the patio.  Her heart raced as his dark stare was still trained on her. 

             
“Look at the view of the riverwalk.”  Her eyes lit up.

             
“Mm, hmm. We can take a spin out there later - if you want to.”

             
Chastity wanted a lot of things, and the only way to get past this awkward stage was to tackle her emotions head on.

             
No more pretending.

             
She returned his gaze, wondering who would look away first.  She could see the desire mounting is his eyes with every second that passed. 

             
Timothy was about to tell her how beautiful she was, when the waitress arrived, with glasses in hand.  They were still locked in a heated stare, but withdrew long enough to order. 

             
Chastity hoped she got to him, because she wanted to be under his skin, as much as he was hers.  She also wanted to send a silent promise that left no room for interpretation.

             
After that, both were feeling the effects of one another’s company and couldn’t wait to get closer than sitting across the table.  They finished their food as fast as possible.

             
“How about a walk outside?”  He asked, while paying for dinner.  She nodded in return, not trusting herself to say anything at the moment. 

             
Like the gentlemen he was, he helped her from her chair.  Letting go of formalities, he temporarily put an arm around her waist, as she sank into his side on the way out.

             
It was an easy transition to fall into step with Timothy.  Once outside, she slipped her hand into his to find their rhythm. As they strolled across the bridge, she couldn’t get over how fast this was happening.

             
He’s easy to be around, to look at, and to imagine spending long term with. 
She shook her at the last thought. 
Take it easy - Chaz.  Don’t start taking this somewhere that’s not in the plan.  Let it come and be okay with today.

             
Her whole life was about packing up and moving on.  It was hard to think past the here and now, but with Timothy that’s all she wanted to do was to think of the future that might be there.

             
“A penny for your thoughts.  Is what happened at the park still upsetting you?” He didn’t want to bring anything unpleasant up on their date, but he didn’t want to avoid what was bothering her either.

             
“No, that worked out.  I actually was thinking …” She paused long enough to send him a dazzling smile. “How easy it was being with you, here…tonight.”  She stuck to her guns and kept it in the present. 

             
Her words were intoxicating.  He couldn’t get over how one simple sentence made him feel under the influence of her charms.

             
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.  You’re one in a million Ms. Chastity Wayne, and I mean that with no pun intended.” 

             
She laughed at his joke. “So you don’t want me for my money?”

             
“No, I want you because you’re you.” His voice was soft and slow, and it made her dizzy.  She couldn’t retort if she tried, so she did the next best thing. 

             
Chastity pulled him close to run her fingers through his thick black hair.  She lifted to her tiptoes, and kissed him with enough intensity to show him that she wanted him just as much. 

             
Timothy moaned and slowly pulled back. “You’re going to have to hold me back if you don’t stop that.”

             
“Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” she teased, looking up through her eyelashes to taunt him further.