When she put it that way, he could see why she was concerned. “At least we’re doing it together.”
She turned and looked at him, and her expression softened. “That is a huge bonus.”
Together. He hadn’t realized how much he missed being a part of together until this moment. He squeezed her hand and they were silent until he pulled into the Timbermine at the base of the canyon.
Colt parked the truck and escorted her inside, realizing that he shouldn’t have suggested they dress up. The Timbermine was a favorite of his and had amazing steak and shrimp, but wouldn’t be classified as a fancy atmosphere. The walls were dark and the lighting didn’t help much. There was mining paraphernalia on the walls and the wooden benches and tables were plain and unadorned. They could’ve shown up in T-shirts and jeans and felt comfortable.
He’d called in a reservation, so they were seated quickly. Their waitress was friendly and quick with a strawberry lemonade for Bri and a Mountain Dew for him. She took their orders. That they both ordered steak and shrimp made Colt strangely happy.
Their mozzarella stick appetizer came and he savored the steaming, deep-fried cheese and robust marinara sauce.
“Do you think we’re going to be able to pull it off this weekend?” Brikelle asked.
“I have my doubts, but Joshua will be there to help us.”
“No, he won’t. Remember, he didn’t get invited because he’s single.”
“He told me he’d come on Saturday and he has some surprise for me.” He shrugged and took a swallow of Mountain Dew, liking the tangy flavor and the bite of it.
“What if it all comes crashing down and we lose more business than we’d ever hoped to gain?”
Colt looked at her until she was completely focused on him. “You’re going to do a great job decorating. Our work will sell itself to these people. If they don’t want to work with us, that’s their loss.” Colt was caring less and less about the work and more and more about Brikelle.
Brikelle relished every bite of her well-done steak and the deep-fried shrimp. She pushed worries about next weekend to the back of her mind and just concentrated on Colt. The more she was around him, the more she liked him. She knew his whole ploy to go shopping together was all about helping her fit in rather than him needing the right look like he’d claimed. He looked great, even when he was dusty and working on cabinets.
They talked a lot about college experiences. He’d gone to Utah State as well and gotten a degree in marketing and business. No wonder he was so successful. They reminisced about Aggie basketball games in the Spectrum with the thunderous screams from the student body shaking the stadium. They’d both loved ice skating in the crisp night air on the flooded and frozen grass of Merlin Olsen Park, and hiking amidst the pine trees and wild flowers up Logan Canyon in the spring.
As they finished their dinner and loaded back into his truck, she felt nervous. He’d said he wouldn’t kiss her until they’d gotten to know each other better and she had learned to trust him. But she did trust him and she really, really wanted him to kiss her. Wasn’t that a logical end to a nice date? She smiled to herself.
“What are you grinning about?” he asked.
“Oh, you saw that?”
“I notice your face quite a bit.”
“The truck’s dark. You must have x-ray vision.”
“Yep. Superman and I share a lot of impressive qualities.”
Brikelle laughed. “Lucky Superman.”
“That’s right.” He cleared his throat. “Would you be interested in coming back to my house and sitting in the hot tub?”
Brikelle’s stomach flip-flopped. Alone in his house, in swimming suits? “As long as you remember that we aren’t really married.”
Colt’s warm chuckle filled the cab of the truck. “I’ll give it a shot.”
They swung by her apartment to get her suit, then drove up the hill to his house. He parked his truck in his nicely organized garage and got her door. Ike rushed up to greet them with a flurry of barks and tail-wagging. Brikelle predictably jumped, but she withheld the scream and tried to think positive thoughts toward the dog. It wasn’t Ike’s fault that other dogs had hurt her. That was like trying to say all humans were bad because some committed crimes, right? She took deep breaths to slow her racing heart and tried to believe her own pep talk.
Colt stepped in front of her and she really appreciated the barrier, but she wanted to try to like his dog. Ike was a big part of Colt.
“Hi, Ike,” she managed to say.
Colt looked at her over his shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. “Good job.”
“I, um, want to try to pet him.”
Colt’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? It’s fine, Bri. You don’t have to be best friends with my dog.”
She swallowed, grateful he understood, but maybe she could do this and overcome her fears. She used to be afraid of heights until her brothers rigged a zip line and helped her ride it. Soaring through the air was exhilarating and they’d had to fight her for turns after that first ride. Maybe Ike could be like that. He could be her zip line to a world where every dog wasn’t out to bite her. “I think it would be good for me.”
Colt studied her for a few seconds, then gently took her hand in his. He stayed between her and Ike, but slowly stretched their hands until they were joined on top of Ike’s head. Ike barked and Brikelle pulled in a quick breath, but didn’t jump, scream, or pull her hand away. Ike shifted his head up, pressing into their hands. Brikelle’s hand was flat on his head with Colt’s on top of hers. She moved her hand back and forth a few times, and Ike stood still and let her.
Colt lifted his hand off of hers and scratched at Ike’s ears for a few seconds. Brikelle continued to move her hand slowly. Ike’s fur was smooth, and though her heart was beating faster than normal, she thought she was doing okay. Finally, she lifted her hand. Colt bent down and said, “Go play, boy.”
Ike barked happily and ran outside.
Colt turned to her. His eyes lit up. “You did great. Thank you.”
“I want to try to like him.”
“I appreciate you trying, but the most important thing is you like his owner.”
“Now that’s asking a lot.”
He chuckled, and she grinned.
“Is Ike more of an outside dog?”
“Yeah. He sleeps in the garage.” He indicated a corner with a huge dog bed. “I don’t usually let him inside. He gets a little rambunctious and he isn’t trained. I don’t like cleaning up after him.”
Brikelle walked into the laundry room. She was proud of how she’d done with Ike, but still relieved to be inside where she didn’t need to worry about being surprised by a bark or the large dog brushing against her. Kind of like how she could zip line but wouldn’t be jumping out of an airplane anytime soon.
She admired the black-painted cabinets and the red-and-gray-swirled granite of the large laundry room. “I would think a cabinet maker would frown on paint on his cabinets.”
“I’m not that big of a purist. Would you like to change in the bathroom?”
She’d like a tour of this house, but she nodded and went into the bathroom to slip into her suit, which was still damp from boating last night. It remained her best option for swimwear. She eyed herself critically in the mirror, noting the suit was getting stretched out. What did she expect? It was from high school.
She exited the bathroom and sauntered into the kitchen. Her eyes were drawn to the knotty hickory cabinets and the dark brown, gray, and black granite countertop. She ran her hand along the rough-finished edge of the granite. The decorations were nonexistent, but the house could stand on its own. Two-story windows opened up to a back deck and the green canyon wall. The woodwork throughout was amazing with different grains and types. She was marveling over the entertainment center and fireplace, both made of a deep walnut, when she heard footsteps on the stairs. Turning, she caught sight of Colt descending the stairs in just a swimsuit, his calves
flexing with every step. Sheesh, that man wore swimming apparel rather well.
“Is the master suite upstairs?”
“Yeah. It’s kind of a different style, and my mom tells me I’ll regret it when I’m old and my knees hurt.” He grinned. “But the entire upstairs is the master suite. The rest of the bedrooms are in the basement and the main level is just the great room, office, formal room, and laundry.”
“I like it.”
“Thanks. My sisters keep claiming it needs a woman’s touch and they’re always offering to spruce it up. Could I hire you to decorate it for me?”
Brikelle tilted her head to the side. “I don’t come cheap.”
He finished crossing the distance to her. “But I’m sure you’re worth it.”
“Definitely.”
He was in her space, within kissing distance. Brikelle met his gaze, and then her eyes dipped to his lips and back up. He took a long breath that came out a little ragged on the exhale. “Bri?”
“Yes?” She moistened her lips and leaned in.
“I told you I’d wait to kiss you.”
Brikelle’s stomach took flight and her throat was suddenly dry. “What if I’m the one who initiates the kiss?”
He inched closer to her. “Would you do that … for me?”
“It is asking a lot.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “But you’ve been pretty good to me. I think I could return the favor.”
Colt grinned, wrapped his hands around her waist, and bent down. He came within centimeters of her lips, but then he stopped and pulled back slightly. Brikelle’s breath was coming hard and fast, and her hands tightened around his neck. Colt just stood there staring at her.
“What?” she finally pushed out.
“You have to kiss me,” he murmured.
Brikelle smiled. “Oh, yeah. I’ve never initiated a kiss. Any tips?”
Colt massaged her lower back, sending her stomach tumbling with anticipation. “I think you’re pretty much a natural. I’ll take whatever you’re willing to give.”
Brikelle wondered once again what his boundaries were. “We draw the line at kissing. Hope you’re okay with that?”
“I’m okay with anything, but could we please stop wasting time talking and get to the kissing?”
She laughed, lifted up on tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his. He didn’t need another invitation, pulling her snug against his warm chest and deepening the kiss until she was certain she’d never felt passion or excitement like this in her life.
Chapter Six
Brikelle was an interesting mix of excited and nervous for their shopping trip Monday night. She had no clue what clothing or styles would impress a bunch of wealthy people, and she felt really awkward about Colt buying them for her. It was obvious he wasn’t hurting for money, but still it didn’t feel right for her to be a charity case for him. Her dad wouldn’t like it. No matter how tight things had gotten on the farm, her family had never taken a handout. She could remember winters surviving on milk, meat, cheese, homemade wheat bread, and the fruits and veggies they’d canned from their garden, but survive they did.
Her phone rang as she was driving back from Emma’s house to her apartment to get ready to go tonight. If she wore the same pencil skirt with a different top, would that just scream to him that he definitely needed to buy her clothes? He might think she would wear this same outfit to Emma’s party this weekend and really embarrass herself. The skirt was a great one that she’d found on the clearance rack at Macy’s. It fit her well and it was Anne Klein. Wasn’t that a nice brand?
She fumbled for her phone as it rang again and hurried to swipe it to accept the call. “Hello?”
“Girl! Where have you disappeared to? I go away for my graduation trip and you just up and leave the valley without my permission.”
“Kaimbrey. How was Europe?” She’d missed her friend these past few weeks.
“Oh, friend. I can’t even describe how fabulous it was. The castles, the scenery, the food, the men.” She sighed dramatically. Everything with Kaimbrey was dramatic, but Brikelle absolutely loved her. They’d roomed together their freshman year because neither of them started school with someone they knew, and they’d been inseparable their entire college experience. Except for summers, when Brikelle would go home to work on the farm and save up money, and Kaimbrey would travel the world with her ultra-wealthy parents. Some might see their difference in economic status as unfair but Brikelle would take her genuine, hard-working parents over Kaimbrey’s snotty family any day. Kaimbrey’s parents were demanding and not supportive of her dreams. Kaimbrey kept trying to have a relationship with them by going on their elaborate trips but her friend had huge dreams of starting her own charity and her parents treated her like an idealistic child.
“Where are you?” Kaimbrey demanded. “Did you go home? I thought you were working for that design company that you were so excited about.”
“I am. There was a lot of work up Ogden Canyon in Eden and Huntsville, so I got an apartment up here to work for the summer, maybe longer.” She looked around at the picturesque valley. It wasn’t Europe, but the lush greenery and scenic lake made her feel like she was on a vacation and she was really enjoying her summer, especially a certain cabinet maker’s company.
“Good for you! Any hot men?”
“Um, yum—I mean, yes.”
“Yum? Oh, this I have to hear about.”
“Yeah, he’s definitely yum. Colt is doing the cabinets for the house I’m decorating. That man is the epitome of hot construction worker.”
Kaimbrey giggled.
“He owns the business and he’s pretty amazing.”
“You like this Colt, I take it?”
“I like him a lot.”
“Yeah, baby!”
“Hey.” Brikelle pulled into her driveway and popped out of her old car, standing in the sun for a minute. “I need to look fabulous this weekend for a party I’m going to.”
“A nighttime party or what?”
“Like an all-weekend party with a bunch of richies. If I impress them I’ll get a bunch more work and it’d be amazing.”
“Oh, gotcha. So not a party-party. A weekend house, stuffy people party?”
“Yeah. At Emmaline Jensen’s new house. That’s who I’m decorating for right now.”
Kaimbrey gave a low whistle. “Whoa. Good job, girl. Emma’s a sweetie. She runs in my parents’ circles sometimes.”
“She’s really fun to work for and she’s kind of promised more work if this weekend goes well.” She paused and knew she’d regret it, but then she had to spit it out to her best friend. “I also have to pretend I’m married to Colt.”
“What?”
“Yeah. Everything got kind of twisted.”
“Oh, my. Sounds like this is going to be a really fun weekend.”
“For sure.” The sound of a motor tugged at her attention. Colt’s white truck rolled into the driveway. “I’ve got to go. He’s here.”
“Okay, good luck! Oh, and go to White House, Black Market. Classy and great quality. You’ll look fabulous, but won’t look like you’re trying too hard.”
“Thanks. Love you.”
“Love you too!”
Colt hopped down from the truck and grinned at her as she pocketed her phone. “Let’s shop!”
Brikelle laughed. “Didn’t figure the tough construction man would like shopping.”
“Oh, I don’t, but I get to be with you.”
Brikelle strode up to him and planted a kiss on his lips. “Thank you! This is so nice of you.”
Colt kissed her again. “If you’ll promise to model, then I think it’ll ease the pain a little bit.”
She kind of loved that he was so attracted to her. The thought of modeling for him warmed her cheeks. They were getting really good at this fake-married act.
Colt was relieved Brikelle requested White House, Black Market. His sisters had told him that was the best spot for really high-quality wome
n’s clothing.
They drove to Salt Lake City and into the City Creek shopping district, situated in the middle of downtown. Brikelle seemed a bit uncomfortable at first, but she explained that her friend had told her this was the store to go to and the saleswomen were fabulous with her. Colt sat in a comfy chair by the changing room and watched as they brought her armloads of clothes and she kept coming out to model. When she walked out with a blousy black shirt and some floral print shorts that showcased her legs very nicely, helped out by strappy black-heeled sandals, he couldn’t hold in a whistle of appreciation. She shimmied her hips and did a little dance, and Colt lost the ability to breathe for a few seconds.
“I don’t care what you say,” he finally muttered. “We’re buying everything you have on.”
The saleswoman beamed. “Your husband is a keeper.”
Brikelle blushed. Colt wondered why everyone assumed that they were married, especially since neither of them wore a ring. He should buy her a ring of some sort. He liked that people assumed they were married. Hopefully that meant they really did have sparks between them. Crazy that he’d only known her for a week and not liked her at all when he first met her.
She strode back to the dressing room. Colt lifted out of his seat and pivoted to watch her go. Those legs were great.
“Your wife is a beauty,” the saleswoman said.
“She is.”
“And so sweet. I love working with women like her.”
Colt nodded. He decided shopping was a great pastime as he watched her model dresses, skirts, shorts, and loved every minute of it. “What about a swimsuit?” he asked the saleslady.
“Oh, we don’t carry suits. I’d suggest Athleta.”
“Thanks.” The saleslady had kept everything that he’d said he liked and there was quite a pile by the checkout desk.
“Did you get a bunch that you liked too?” Colt asked Bri. Everything in the pile looked like the clothes he’d preferred on her. He didn’t care which clothes he bought for her; they’d all looked great and he just wanted her to be secure in the way she looked.
How to Design Love Page 7