Loving Skye: Book Three (The Texas Star Series 3)

by Kelsie Stelting

  I walked along the haybales, thankful for the darkness that hid at least some of the distance from here to the ground.

  The others waited at the end of the row, and when we reached them, Harleigh jumped.

  I screamed. “Harleigh!”

  She laughed from the ground. “I’m fine!”

  Carefully, I stepped closer to the others. Closer to the edge. Harleigh lay back in a massive pile of loose hay, giggling, her hands over her stomach.

  She rolled to the side. “Come on, Chey!”

  Cheyenne acted like she was plugging her nose and jumped down next to Harleigh. She bounced a little in the hay pile but started laughing too.

  Rhett and Vox went next, and then it was just Damon and me standing at the top.

  I looked from him to the ground. “This is really high.”

  He stared back. “It is.”

  “We could get hurt.”

  “We could.”

  “Well…” I struggled to come up with a way to get out of this. To explain the terrified feeling that made even my ankles shake. “I could hurt my knee.”

  “Tuck your legs into your chest.” He stepped closer, took my hand. “I’ll be right here.”

  Fear crept up my throat and squeezed. What now?

  “One,” he said and waited.

  I looked over my shoulder, back to where we came from, and let out a nervous laugh. I had a feeling once I jumped, I’d never be able to turn back.

  He squeezed my hand.

  Was I seriously doing this? “Two.”

  He stepped to the edge, and I followed. At the same time, we yelled, “Three!”

  And we were falling, down, down, down, my heart racing, my stomach soaring, and the ground rushing toward us. The only steady thing was his fingers hooked through mine, his hand that stayed strong no matter how hard I squeezed.

  I tucked my knees, and we landed, soft and sweet in a puff of shredded grass and dust.

  Breathing heavy, half laughing, I looked around. I wanted to see the look on Rhett’s face—did my fall look as impressive as it felt?

  But no one stood around us.

  I looked back at Damon, and his eyes met mine.

  Had they planned this?

  Did it matter?

  He tugged my hand until I came closer, landing on his chest. Through the thin material of my blouse, I felt his heartbeat, the rising and falling of his breath. And I saw his eyes, black and gray in the moonlight.

  My lips burned, itched, begged to touch his.

  “Ready to jump?” he breathed, his voice husky.

  I closed the distance and pressed my lips to his, acting brave even though everything inside me screamed that I was being crazy. Kissing Damon felt wild and exciting, and suddenly, I understood why people rode bulls and clung to bucking broncs.

  No, I’d never be ready for the fall. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to fly.

  Chapter Four

  I hadn’t texted Andrew since he’d told me we should date, but he texted me. Every day for seven days. Just a message or two, saying how he cared about me. How the biggest mistake of his life was a fake relationship. That he never would have done it if he’d known what it would cost him.

  And I wanted to believe him, but that was one risk I wasn’t ready for. I’d chance my knee, my arms, my body, but not my heart. Not with Andrew. Not again.

  My phone chirped, and I stood up from the couch so I could get it out of my pocket.

  Damon: Redy 4 2day?

  Damon had to feed animals before date number two. We were going tubing, and then he was coming over for supper to meet my parents. Dad had even set out some minute steaks to have chicken fried steak. It surprised me, but I wasn’t going to argue.

  Me: I’m definitely ready. You?

  Damon: Feeling pretty soar.

  What? I scrunched my eyebrows. Was that some phrase for fly or cool that I didn’t know?

  Me: Soar?

  Damon: Ya, work was tuf yesterday.

  Sore. I sighed.

  Me: LOL I’ve got some extra lactic acid too.

  Damon: Wuts that?

  It wasn’t the first time I’d said a word he didn’t know, but constantly having to explain myself or think of simpler words was getting a little old. I never had to do that with Andrew.

  I put my hand over my mouth and bit down on my bent index finger. Stop. Stop thinking about him.

  Me: It’s the stuff that makes your muscles sore.

  Damon: Oh. Haha ur 2 smart. u have to dumb it down 4 me. dont no all those words.

  Damon didn’t need to know big words or things like that for his job. It wasn’t like the cattle and horses he worked with understood what lactic acid was either. Or the meaning of the word “arbitrary.” But he knew so many other things, like when to give antibiotics to a sick animal or how to get a horse to trust a new rider.

  Me: That’s okay. Hopefully tubing will be relaxing. :)

  Damon: I hope not. ;)

  My stomach swooped. What did that mean? From the way Damon kissed me on our first date, he knew what he was doing. More than Kellum or Andrew had. If Damon was batting in the major leagues, I still needed a tee.

  But I wouldn’t mind some practice.

  Me: Almost done feeding?

  Damon: Yep. Changing. C u soon.

  I went to my room and put on my swimsuit, shorts, and a T-shirt, then slipped on some flipflops and waited on the porch. The summer sun already felt hot, and I let it heat my skin, enjoyed the warmth while relaxing. Working with Rhett’s family gave me an entirely new perspective on summer. Jeans, leather gloves, and boots didn’t exactly go well with ninety-degree days. But shorts and tank tops were perfect.

  Damon’s pickup eventually pulled up the drive, and I started toward it. He jumped out and walked around, wearing cowboy boots, swim trunks, and a ball cap.

  I barely suppressed a giggle.

  His farmer’s tan was so deep it almost looked like he was wearing a white T-shirt. Almost. The muscles over his chest and stomach said otherwise.

  “There’s my girl,” he said, wrapping his arms around me.

  His girl. I fell into his chest, feeling his smooth skin and hard muscles. It sent chills to my core. I leaned my head back, waiting for those lips that knew just what to do.

  He pressed his mouth to mine and pulled my waist closer to his hips.

  My heart beat at that jaunty pace, and I would have happily stood there all day, letting him show me how a real man kissed, but he let me go. “Let’s get on the road.”

  I sighed. “You sure? My parents won’t be home ’til at least three.”

  He gave me a knowing chuckle. “We’ll make more time for that later.”

  I widened my eyes like I had on our first date. “Promise?”

  His lips met mine again, longer this time, and he didn’t pull apart to talk. “Promise.”

  A breathy giggle left my lips. It sounded totally foreign to me.

  I cleared my throat. “Good.”

  We both got in on the driver’s side, and I scooted to the middle. He started the truck and put his arm around me. Although this was only our second date, we fit together naturally—his arm around me, fingers brushing my skin, my head resting on his shoulder, listening to whatever songs played on the country station.

  He drove down a long road toward his house. My eyes roved over the ranch-style home, imagining what it looked like inside.

  When we got there, he parked next to a beat-up old Bronco. “I’m going to get in that so we’ll have something to take home when we get farther down the river. You good driving this?”

  Eagerly, I nodded. I wouldn’t mind driving this beast down the road.

  “Okay, follow me.”

  I scooted to the driver’s seat and adjusted it so I could reach the gas. Then I rolled down the window and hung my arm out the side, letting the warm summer wind play over my skin.

  He nimbly hopped over the Bronco door and fired it up. Its engine rumbl
ed loudly, like it was missing a muffler, and he pulled out onto the main dirt road. Dust billowed behind him, and I followed the trail, enjoying the smells of a country summer—grass, dirt, and Texas sunshine.

  He drove into a field, and we bounced a quarter of a mile down a rutted trail until he came to a stand of trees along the creek.

  After parking the Bronco, he got back in the pickup and gave me directions to the spot where we’d start.

  Halfway down the path, I glanced over to see him staring. “What?”

  “I like a girl who can drive a truck.”

  My stomach danced. “Well, you’ve got one.”

  He scooted closer, kissed my cheek.

  I closed my eyes for the briefest second, thankful we were in the middle of a pasture and not on the road. “You’re distracting me.”

  He chuckled low. “And?”

  I bit my lip and kept my eyes forward. “Say something not hot.”

  His laugh sent little puffs of air over my ear. “Okay. Tubing.”

  He bit my earlobe, and my insides went wild. What was this sorcery?

  “Yeah?” I breathed.

  “It should take about three hours once we get going,” he said. “And we’re here.”

  I had to shake my head to force blood back where it belonged before I could put the pickup in park. I followed him outside, trying not to be a total fangirl about his bare back and the way his muscles moved as he brought the innertubes out of the bed of his pickup. I was only human, after all.

  We shucked our shoes, and I tossed my shorts and T-shirt through the open pickup window.

  Damon looked me up and down, starting at my toes and finally landing on my eyes. “Damn.”

  I laughed, even though goosebumps were rising on my skin. “You’re kidding.”

  All serious, he shook his head. “No way could I joke about a girl like you.”

  My cheeks heated, and I folded my arms across my stomach. “Really?” Ever since I’d gained weight from surgery, I’d felt anything but sexy, but Damon was staring at me like a lost man in the desert would look at water, and I wanted him to drink every last drop of me.

  “Don’t hide it.” He came closer and pulled my arms away. “You are so hot.”

  Hot? When had anyone ever called me hot? I could get used to that.

  “You’re not so bad yourself.” Feeling gutsy, I put my hand on his chest, and he covered it with his own.

  He took a deep breath. “If you start this, we’re never gonna get in the creek.”

  “And?” I echoed him from earlier.

  He chuckled, a low, husky sound and gazed at me so intensely I thought I’d turn into a pile of ash under his stare.

  What was happening with my body right now? My insides were on fire, and my skin was blazing but somehow had goosebumps.

  “Kiss me,” I breathed.

  He took my hands and lifted them until my palms rested on his shoulders, and I reached up to grip the curly ends of his hair at his neck.

  He groaned and pressed his lips to mine. His skin felt hot against me, even in the shade. He wrapped both of his arms around my waist and lifted until he was holding me. I got lost in the moment, in having a guy strong enough to pick me up and kiss me like a man.

  But that was the problem. He was kissing me like a man and making me feel things I hadn’t felt before.

  We broke apart, gasping, his breath tickling my lips.

  “Ready now?” he asked, breathless.

  I was asking myself the same thing. Was I ready for where this would lead? Still not sure, I nodded.

  He let me down, slowly, and we walked hand in hand to the water. He waded in first, and then we settled in the tubes. Just like when Kellum and I relaxed in the lazy river, Damon kept my feet in his lap so we could float together.

  We didn’t talk, not really. Damon wasn’t a talker. Every now and then, he’d tell me about a breed of plant or point out a rabbit ducking through the trees or compliment me. I liked that part the best.

  He told me I had nice legs, that my skin was smooth, that my smile was beautiful. I was eating it up like a starving woman, and he fed me spoonful after spoonful.

  I gazed toward the sky, at the wispy clouds I could see through the cover of tree branches.

  Damon broke the silence. “This might sound crazy, but I feel like I know you.”

  I rolled my head to the side and smiled at him. “What do you mean?”

  His eyes had a thoughtful look about them. “Like from the moment I saw you at the party, I felt like we’d met before.”

  That wasn’t really anything new. Everyone knew everyone around here. “Maybe you saw me at a game or something?”

  He leaned his head back too. “Maybe.” Then he rubbed my calves, sending trails of smoke where his fingers touched. “Either way, I’m glad you came to that party.”

  I smiled. “Me too.” He’d definitely started out my summer with a bang—fireworks, sparks, and all.

  In the distance, I saw the Bronco parked in the trees. I was ready to be out of the water, but not ready for this to end. Tubing had been relaxing, and it felt like we were in a different world in the stream. When this was over, we’d have to get back to reality. I’d have to sort out what all this chemistry meant. Where I’d want to draw the line. If it even came to that. He’d be meeting my parents soon, and historically, we had about a fifty-fifty chance of it going well or ending in a fight.

  Our tubes drifted past the Bronco, and we got out. My hair laid in wet tangles down my back, and my thighs rubbed together when I walked.

  I sat in the cracked leather seat of the Bronco, already wanting to get back so the hard edges wouldn’t keep poking into my legs. The scent of the stream hit my nose. A shower wouldn’t be bad either.

  Damon twisted the key in the ignition, and the engine tried to turn over a few times. He relaxed his hand, then tried again, this time giving it gas too. But the Bronco didn’t start.

  Damon dropped his forehead on the steering wheel. “Shit.”

  “What?” Please don’t tell me the car won’t start. Please, anything but that.

  “It won’t start.”

  I stared at the creek, swallowing my panic. We’d been dating a couple weeks. Not long enough for me to go into a full-blown freak-out about having to hitch a ride home in my swimsuit.

  “Did you leave your phone in here?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

  His eyes trained on the sky. “Left it in the pickup.”

  “How far are we from the pickup?”

  “Five miles.”

  “And from your house?”

  “Four miles.”

  I leaned my head back, and some hot, cracked leather burned my back. I jumped forward.

  Sitting here baking wasn’t going to do any good. I hopped out and shut the door behind me. Hard. Harder than I should have. “Let’s walk.”

  Never mind that I was barefoot, half naked, and we had half a mile to go before we even hit a dirt road that practically no one drove down. Whatever. I could walk four miles if I needed to.

  Damon caught up to me. “Babe, I don’t know if I can walk barefoot.”

  I stopped and raised an eyebrow. “Fine. I’ll go and see if I can flag someone down.”

  I didn’t wait for his reaction, just kept walking, my frustration growing. Him calling me babe right then was just about as ridiculous as him complaining about being barefoot.

  The more logical side of me remembered it wasn’t his fault the car wouldn’t start, but the broken part of myself felt humiliated, like I had so many times before.

  His quick footsteps, accompanied by a few exclamations of pain, came behind me. Despite myself, I smiled. Stubborn. He had that going for him.

  We walked in silence only broken by occasional cursing at his tender feet until we reached the road. He started toward the house, and I walked beside him, hot, tired, feet already sore, and now worried we wouldn’t make it to my house in time for supper. My parents would neve
r forgive him if we were late.

  But I couldn’t tell him that.

  He was a nineteen, almost twenty-year-old living on his own—no rules, no helicopter parents, nothing to do but work and play, and reminding him of the fact that my life was entirely different spelled the death of all this adventure.

  An engine rumbled behind us, and I turned, excited. A pickup came down the road, dust flying. I waved my arm to stop them, but they weren’t slowing down. Instead, they sped by, swallowing us in a cloud of dirt. It clung to my bathing suit, my hair, my nose.

  I coughed and spat out a few choice words I’d heard from my dad in his outbursts.

  Damon chuckled. “Potty mouth.”

  I glared at him.

  He laughed. Kept laughing.

  And I laughed too. “You’re stupid.”

  He shrugged, then pulled me into a hug. “That’s what you love about me, right?”

  My brain fired the warning. Alert. Alert. L-word. L-word.

  Calm down. He didn’t say he loved you.

  But was it on the way?

  I didn’t want to worry about that when I knew it could all come crumbling down at any minute anyway.

  I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him. His lips had this magic in them that made my brain stop working, and I wouldn’t mind that side effect right about now.

  Chapter Five

  “Ahem.”

  My eyes flew open, registering all that I’d heard. Damon’s kiss had worked, and I’d barely caught the sound of a vehicle.

  A woman sat in a shiny black pickup, her perfectly groomed poodle panting in the passenger seat. “Hello?”

  “Hey.” I stepped closer to the pickup and put my hands on the window. The dog growled at me, and I took my fingers back. “Sorry, sorry. My…friend and I, well, our vehicle broke down. Any chance you can give us a ride?”

  The woman looked from me to Damon, disapproval plain on her face. Finally, she gave in. “Fine. But you’ll have to get in the back. Pookie’s still recovering from a snake bite, and he’s not feeling too well. Strange smells in the cab might upset his stomach.”

  I swallowed my indignation. Pride wasn’t really something I could afford right now. “Thank you so much.”