Georgia Clay

by KG Fletcher

  Georgia Clay

  Southern Promises – Book One

  KG FLETCHER

  Copyright © 2018 Kelly Genelle Fletcher

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-7320240-0-7

  Printed in the United States of America.

  **FAIR WARNING: This book contains scenes of detailed intimacy and liberal use of profanity. It is intended for readers 18+**

  Georgia Clay

  Southern Promises – Book One

  Georgia Clay is part of the ~Southern Promises~ collection.

  Each book in the series is STANDALONE

  * Georgia Clay

  * Georgia On My Mind

  * Georgia Pine

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, places, or events is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  If you purchase this book without a cover you should be aware that this book may have been stolen property and reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the publisher. In such case the author has not received any payment for this “stripped book.”

  Please visit my website at www.kgfletcherauthor.com

  Edited by Vicky Burkholder

  Cover art by Eva Talia Designs

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission. The copying, scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic or print editions, and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  DEDICATION

  For my husband Ladd, the ultimate cabana-cowboy.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Katie Parker walked briskly across the asphalt parking lot toward the hotel as her phone buzzed in her purse for the umpteenth time. Her best friend, Stacey had been dinging and pinging her nonstop for the past hour. Their ten-year high school reunion was in full swing in the outdated hotel near the Interstate, and she could hear the distinct sounds of music thumping through the walls and wafting into the humid night air. A meeting that ran way over and the Atlanta traffic made it impossible for her to get there on time, causing her to curse under her breath. Lateness was one of her biggest pet peeves.

  Her heels clicked with purpose as she smoothed her dark hair back, hoping Stacey wouldn’t laugh that she hadn’t had time to change. She was still in her business suit—navy pencil skirt, white blouse and matching blazer looking like the quintessential insurance professional she was.

  Folks milled about in the lobby, holding various cocktails while the Nelly track, Hot in Herre could be heard loudly pulsing from the ballroom down the hall. She was sure some of her classmates would be bumping and grinding to that one. Recognizing several people offering nods, small smiles and waves, Katie approached the registration table and immediately recognized former prom queen, Jessica Southers who sat at the helm. She was now Jessica-Southers-Kaufman, having married an Atlanta real estate mogul and living the high life somewhere in Alpharetta. She was gorgeous as ever and appeared to be hugely pregnant.

  “Katie Parker!” She squealed with delight, holding out her manicured hand that jingled with a very expensive David Yurman charm bracelet.

  “Jessica… Good to see you. How are you?” Katie shook her fingers limply.

  She giggled, pulling her hand back and patting her large, protruding tummy. “I’m about to bust! Another girl on the way,” she replied, her voice tinged with sarcasm. Her pink and white maternity dress was a designer, no doubt—the beauty queen’s obvious homage to her sorority at her alma mater, UGA. All the girls wore pink, pink and pinker. Katie couldn’t imagine being addicted to one color. She had heard that Jessica was on baby number four, trying desperately to give her wealthy husband an heir. Instead, he was surrounded by beautiful, towheaded girls dressed in pink.

  “Here’s your nametag and your drink tickets. I’m so glad you came!” Her southern drawl was so sweet, it made Katie’s teeth hurt.

  Katie took the tag that had a black-and-white photo of her senior yearbook picture on it. She glanced at her eighteen-year-old self and couldn’t help but shake her head. She remembered despising the off-the-shoulder crushed velvet gown and a string of pearls all the girls were required to wear for their last yearbook photo in high school. The famous Cady Studios had come to their school and set up on the rickety stage at the far end of the cafeteria, the room smelling of boiled hot dogs and sugar cookies from the typical lunch served earlier. Stacey had been adamant that Katie keep her hair down during the shoot, the final shot making her look more like Cousin Itt from the Addams Family. She glanced at Jessica’s name tag and couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy. Her picture resembled one of those glamour shots that was all the rage back in the day—her hair, makeup, and beaming smile were perfect. The crushed velvet and pearls looked beautiful on her. At least the nametag photo she stuck on her blouse was in black and white so no one could comment on the hot-pink lipstick Stacey had also insisted she wear last minute. Thank God, her style choices had progressed over the years. That, and her substantial paycheck that allowed her access to a stylist who helped guide her into a more professional look when her career took off. Her makeup was minimal, but classic, showing off her big brown eyes and full lips. Her long, drab hair was now streaked with copper highlights and straightened with Keratin treatments to fend off the extreme southern humidity. She was proud of her no-fuss routine and forever grateful to her parent’s good genes. If only she had cared a little more back in high school.

  A firm hand gripped her arm pulling her away from the table excitedly. “It’s about time you got here!”

  Katie stumbled in her pointy-black heels before quickly walking beside her best friend into the back end of the ballroom where several bars had been set up. Stacey bellied up to the bar and yelled over the loud music the DJ was playing.

  “Another Cosmo for me and a gin and tonic for my friend! Tanqueray if you have it!”

  The bartender nodded as Stacey drew Katie in eagerly, speaking closely into her ear. “He’s here.”

  Her eyes widened as she looked around the room for Stacey’s former high school boyfriend, Brent Rowan. “Really?”

  She nodded. “I’ve already said hello.”

  Stacey and Brent were inseparable back in the day, the two of them joined at the hip. Katie was always the third wheel when they would hang out on campus, but she didn’t mind. Brent was like a big brother to her. They had called themselves “The Three Musketeers” rarely doing anything at school without each other. They sat together during countless pep rallies, football games and band concerts. Katie swore he and Stacey would eventually get married. But when the time came for all of them to go off to separate colleges, their Musketeer-bond was broken. Brent eventually married and settled somewhere in North Georgia. They had only recently learned that he was now single.

  Stacey handed her the gin and tonic and enthusiastically grabbed her elbow, leading her to a vacant table covered in multicolored confetti and several old yearbooks.

  “Did he tell you himself that he’s divorced?” Katie asked.

  “Yes. I told you we’ve been texting over the past month. And Jessica confirmed it when I checked in. She’s got the scoop on everyone, of course. I’ll bet she couldn’t wait to give me that news.” Stacey’s green eyes sparkled. “Did you see Annette? She looks like a blowfish!” She erupted in a bout of giggles and Katie was suddenly taken back to those old high school feelings of judgment, curiosity, and jealousy. Her chest expanded with gratitude, thankful she was an adult now. High school was fun, but she would never want to go back to those days of puberty and a
ngst.

  “Geez, girl! You didn’t have time to change clothes?”

  Katie was aware that her BFF was giving her the once-over in the dim light. She sat up straight and sipped from her glass. “Some of us had to work,” she chastised.

  Stacey rolled her eyes. “Well, you aren’t gonna get lucky in that outfit tonight, that’s for sure. At least take off your blazer and let your hair down. We’re on a mission, girl!”

  With all the obviously married couples in the room, Katie wasn’t so sure how she’d fare picking up a guy at their high school reunion. In fact, it seemed kind of pointless. She eyed her friend’s outfit which showed off her cleavage pushed up in a daring off-the-shoulder blouse making her look like a pin-up girl. Her faux-leather pants hugged all the right curves, accentuating her perfect, tight ass. Stacey was a professional yoga instructor and had the hot body to prove it. She owned a thriving studio in the affluent part of Buckhead where the rich and privileged southern women in that area swarmed. Flaunting her perfect body was something she had always done, much to Katie’s chagrin.

  Neither one of the two friends had taken the marriage plunge since graduation. Stacey had come close, accepting a proposal from a no-nonsense lawyer she’d met on Match.com, but things fizzled pretty quickly when they realized they weren’t on the same page when it came to children and careers. Of course, Stacey wanted kids, but she also wanted to continue to work and handle her own business. She wasn’t the type to give up everything she had worked so hard for to be a Southern-stay-at-home-mom like her fiancé insisted. It just wasn’t in her. Katie had never come close to any kind of long-term commitment. She dated off and on and had several suitors over the years, but no one who ever felt like the one.

  “Here, let me help.” Stacey stood and grasped the clip that held Katie’s hair in an up-do. Thick waves tumbled over her shoulders. “Now, take off that jacket and unbutton at least three buttons.”

  Katie shook her head as she peeled off the blazer and hung it over the back of her chair. It was no use arguing with her bestie. She unbuttoned the top button of her white blouse.

  “Two more…” Stacey insisted.

  She unbuttoned two more and palmed her chest making sure her lacy, white bra wasn’t showing.

  “There! Now you’re ready to party! Come on!”

  Stacey grabbed her by the hand and pulled her onto the packed dance floor filled with their aging classmates. Pink’s Get this Party Started was blaring as large LED lights spun and flashed from heavy light stands in the corner aimed at the dancers. Katie couldn’t help but grin, watching her friend strut her stuff as onlookers gawked. Yep, she was hot.

  “Katie-bear!”

  She turned at the sound of the recognizable male voice to see Brent dancing toward them. He had a familiar, boyish smile underneath his mature face. His hairline had receded a bit. Otherwise, he looked exactly the same.

  “B!” She shouted, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him. He smelled musky with just a hint of whiskey on his breath.

  The Three Musketeers danced in a circle together, their faces radiating pure joy. When the song ended, the crowd roared and clapped. The DJ brought it down a notch and played a slow song. Katie smiled and winked at her friend as Brent held his hand out, asking Stacey to dance, just like old times. It was déjà vu all over again.

  Making her way back to the table, she stopped and chatted with a few old friends before settling down to finish her gin and tonic. She recognized the quarterback of the football team surrounded by his same entourage from the past. They were still loud and obnoxious, throwing back bottles of beer with their wives leaning in and talking animatedly among themselves. A mirror ball slowly twirled in the center of the ceiling making the whole room look like it was covered in falling stars. The slow song was nostalgic; her heart suddenly yearned for the glory days of youth when she didn’t have a care in the world. As she sipped and finally relaxed for the first time all day, her eyes wandered over to the entryway where she caught a glimpse of a very handsome man signing something for a couple of women. One of them held up a cell phone and took a selfie with him. She watched, trying to remember who the guy was.

  “Ladies? How about another round?” Brent asked while pulling a chair out for Stacey to sit. “Don’t tell me. Cosmo for Stace and ginny juice for Katie-bear?”

  Katie laughed. “You know it!” She watched him amble off toward the bar.

  Stacey leaned in closely. “He’s staying here tonight. Wanted to know what I was doing after the festivities.”

  She eyed her best friend like a mother would to a teenager begging for a sleepover. “You sure about this?”

  “Oh, hell yes!” she shrieked, digging through her purse and pulling out her lip gloss.

  “Stace? Who is that guy over there?” She pointed toward the entryway and watched the handsome man throw his head back and laugh among the group surrounding him.

  Stacey swiveled her body effortlessly to look over her shoulder to where Katie was pointing, recognition immediately crossing her flushed face. She turned back with an eyebrow raised. “Don’t you remember the guy everyone used to call, ‘Cowboy’? That’s him. He’s some big wig in Nashville now or something. You oughta go over and say ‘hey.’ He’s kinda cute, don’t you think?”

  Katie propped her head onto her hand and leaned on the table. “That’s ‘Cowboy?’ You mean, Clay Watkins, right? The new kid who came our senior year?”

  “Cowboy, Clay, whatever,” Stacey replied. Brent was back at their table handing out drinks, diverting her attention once again.

  With her best friend preoccupied, Katie studied Clay from afar. He was a lot taller than she remembered, his lean physique fitting perfectly in black denim. His dark hair was longer than most guys, curling around his ears and neck. His muscles bulged in the tight tee he wore as he shoved his hands into his pockets. She vaguely remembered him from their Senior Variety Show. He was tall and gangly back then; a shy boy who had moved to Atlanta the summer before their senior year. She had felt sorry for him. He kept mostly to himself and it was only during that last week of school where people really took notice of him. The brave boy got up on stage the night of the show with an acoustic guitar and sang a song he had written. It was very John Mayer-ish, and the audience went wild when he finished. She remembered feeling something back then when he performed—something like a premonition that he was going to go far with his amazing talent.

  She looked to her right and noticed Brent and Stacey smiling back at her. Brent had his arm stretched across the top of Stacey’s chair. The flashbacks of them as a couple in high school were uncanny.

  “What?”

  “He’s single, and he’s very successful,” Brent announced with a devilish grin.

  Perplexed, Katie leaned back into her chair taking a hefty sip of her drink. “So?”

  “Girl! You need to at least say hello. I remember back in the day you were really impressed by his performance.”

  “I was?”

  Stacey ignored her last comment and turned to Brent, their faces inches apart. “Do you remember the variety show and that stupid dance we did?”

  Hip-hop was all the rage when they were seniors and Stacey had somehow talked Brent into joining her on the stage as a faux-bodyguard. Dressed in head-to-toe black and sunglasses, her devoted boyfriend stood during the entire song with his arms crossed while Stacey danced around him. It was hysterical.

  “How could I ever forget?” he chuckled. Katie knew right then her best friend was going to get lucky that night by the way they were looking at each other.

  “I need the ladies room. Care to join me?” she asked.

  Stacey looked up with big, green eyes. “I’m okay right now.” She offered a sweet, innocent smile. Katie knew that naughty look.

  “Suit yourself.”

  She was glad to be out of the stuffy, loud ballroom and blinking lights, the cooler, air-conditioned hallway a welcome relief. While washing her hands in the r
estroom, she chatted with another girl who she had shared oceanography class with many years ago. As she pulled open the bathroom door to exit, she nearly collided with Clay Watkins.

  “Whoa!” His baritone voice was smooth like butter.

  “Oh God, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to exit without looking.” She stepped back and palmed the wall.

  The girl from oceanography exited and eyed the two of them before making her way back to the party.

  “Katie Parker, right?”

  She swallowed hard while looking into his handsome face, aware that she felt weak in the knees. He was even more attractive up close. His mesmerizing, caramel-colored eyes looked back at her and she couldn’t help but notice right away tiny gold flecks circling the irises. His jawline was chiseled, and his lips were full and wet, no doubt from a sip of something he had just finished. His dark hair was tousled, and she had the sudden urge to bring her fingertips up to his head to get tangled in the softness.

  When she realized he had read her full name on the tacky sticker attached to her blouse, she could feel her face grow hot. “Um, yes. That’s correct. And you’re Cow…Clay. Clay Watkins.”

  His smile rivaled the sun glinting off the ocean. “Yes. That’s correct.” Was he mocking her?

  “Well, it’s good to see you, Clay. How’s life?”

  He shrugged and looked down at his boots while shoving his hands into his pockets, making his biceps more noticeable. When his bedroom eyes met hers again, she swooned. “Life is good. How about you?”

  The way he was looking at her made her hands tremble with nerves. She grasped them in front of her skirt hoping he didn’t notice. What was happening to her? “It’s good.”

  His expression was humored. “Good.”

  They stared at each other for several seconds before Clay looked out into the lobby then back at her. Her heart sank, hoping that a lucky female wasn’t waiting for him, his next question taking her by surprise.