Delicate Promises

by Kelly Elliott

  Kaylee’s arms folded over her chest. “When was this house built?”

  I gave her a wide smile. “That’s the best part. It was built in 1887.”

  “Oh Lord. Your kryptonite.”

  “Kaylee, the fireplace alone in the house was the selling point for me.”

  “The fireplace?” she asked, a look of disbelief on her face.

  “Yes!” I replied with a chuckle. “It’s begging to be brought back to her original state. I can picture it now: sitting in front of a roaring fire, a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. The kitchen is pretty big for the age of the house. And don’t even get me started on the wood trim throughout the place. Or the floors.”

  “I’m gonna have to stay just to help you fix the place up,” she stated, staring out the window.

  That was my best friend’s way of saying she wanted to stay but needed an excuse. Even though she knew I would be fine doing it all on my own, and she barely knew the difference between a hammer and a screwdriver.

  “You know, I’m being serious about you moving here, Kaylee. It might be the perfect place for you to start over as well. A fresh start in a new city. New state.”

  She nodded. “Yeah. Maybe.”

  My chest squeezed as I reached over and took her hand in mine.

  Two years ago, Kaylee’s fiancé had killed himself. The hardest part for her was that he’d only left a note that said he was sorry. That was it. She fell into a pit of depression and refused to leave her apartment for months. The thought of seeing someplace John had loved to go caused her to nearly hyperventilate.

  She had come such a long way, with help from her grief counselor. She’d finally started talking about the idea of dating again about six months ago.

  “Look!” I cried out when I saw the sign that said “Hamilton: 30 miles.”

  “Great, but your GPS says we’re still sixty miles from the house.”

  We both laughed as I pushed a little harder on the gas pedal. Kaylee wasn’t the only one ready to get out of the car.

  ***

  As we pulled down the dirt driveway, I saw the little white two-story house come into view. I gasped and felt my stomach flip. The front porch caught my attention first. Immediately my mind went to adding soft blue shutters to the windows, a porch swing on the left, and wicker furniture with a pop of color to the right side of the porch. Plants could line the wide steps on both sides and fill the air with the aroma of lavender and roses.

  I lifted my eyes and took in the second story of the house. Two high windows looked out over the front yard. Even from here, I could tell it was the original glass from the ripples reflecting the sunlight. The house had been well maintained. Right down to the new silver metal roof.

  I wanted to let out a girlish scream, I was so excited.

  “Oh my gosh, is that it?” Kaylee exclaimed.

  My heart thundered in my chest at the sight of the house. “Yes! Isn’t it precious?”

  Bouncing in her seat like she was about to get a buttload of candy, Kaylee clapped her hands. “Lincoln, it’s perfect! It looks like they kept it up real nice too.”

  I nodded. “Yep! I cannot wait to get inside.”

  As my car got closer, Kaylee and I both leaned forward a little to look at the guy leaning against a post on the porch.

  “Who is that?” Kaylee asked.

  Shrugging, I replied, “I guess that’s Ty Shaw.”

  Her head snapped over to look at me. “Ty? The son who owns it?”

  “No, his name is Brock. Ty is the brother who’s been pretty much the go-between with Brock and the title company.”

  She motioned with her hand to stop talking. “Shut up! Do you not see how hot that guy is? Like, look at him. His chest is huge!”

  I giggled. This was the first guy since John who’d had Kaylee excited. The first guy she’d really looked twice at and the first guy who was apparently making her drool. When I saw her wipe her mouth, I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Horny much, Kaylee?”

  “My goodness. Save a horse and ride a Montana cowboy.”

  I pulled up and parked to get a better look at Kaylee’s cowboy. Yep, he wore the part very well.

  Cowboy boots? Check.

  Black cowboy hat? Check.

  Tight jeans that probably made his ass look like you could probably bounce a quarter off it? Check.

  And he was currently making his way over to my car.

  “Dibs,” Kaylee said, looking back at me.

  “What? Did you really just call dibs on this guy?” I asked as I turned off the car.

  “Yes, I really did.”

  Before I’d had a chance to even open my door, Kaylee had jumped out of the car. I followed her lead, and Ty stopped in front of us while we both greeted him with a smile. Kaylee’s a little wide and a bit eager looking.

  Ty grinned at us both before he focused on me. “Lincoln?”

  I nodded. “That would be me.”

  He reached for my hand. “It’s great to finally meet you.”

  “It’s a pleasure.”

  Turning to Kaylee, his smiled widened, and he didn’t hide the fact that his eyes swept over her. “You must be Kaylee.”

  She turned back and looked at me. Her mouth dropped open. She mouthed I think I’m in love before placing her hand in his. “I am. Kaylee Holden. Pleasure meeting you.”

  He tipped his hat. “Ty Shaw Junior.”

  It wasn’t lost on me how Ty and Kaylee were staring at each other. It was like they were both trying to figure out what in the hell was going on. I hadn’t seen Kaylee look at another man like this in . . . well, I’d never seen her look at a guy like this. Not even John.

  I quirked a brow and studied them for a moment. I finally had to clear my throat to get them to break the intense eye contact they had going on.

  “Ty?” I asked, attempting to get him refocused.

  He finally looked my way, and when his eyes met mine, my breath might have caught in my throat.

  Okay, I totally got why Kaylee had been lost in this man’s eyes. They were bluer than the sky.

  Wow.

  “Like I said, it’s a pleasure finally getting to meet you, ma’am.”

  “Ma’am?” I asked, my nose scrunching up. “Call me Lincoln, please. And you’ve met my best friend, Kaylee.”

  He tipped his cowboy hat and smiled. “Will do, ma’am—I mean, Lincoln. Yes, we’ve met.”

  The hungry look he threw Kaylee’s way made her turn pink in the cheeks.

  I glanced back to the house. “Wow, it’s more beautiful in person.”

  “I’m glad you like it. My mama’s great-granddaddy built this house.”

  “The clapboard siding is just . . . beautiful,” Kaylee stated. “It’s been so well maintained.”

  “Well, would you like to see the inside of your new place?” Ty asked, glancing between me and Kaylee.

  “Very much so!” I stated.

  Ty focused on Kaylee. “Are you, um, moving here from Georgia as well?”

  Kaylee froze before looking my way. I arched a brow and waited for her answer.

  “Well, no. I mean, I’m not really sure what my future plans are. Maybe.”

  The hope in Ty’s eyes wasn’t hard to miss. It was fast, though. If I hadn’t been watching him, I’d have missed it.

  Interesting.

  He turned and started for the house—with a slight limp in his gait—as we followed.

  “So, did you remodel this house?” Kaylee asked, practically skipping behind him.

  He let out a hearty laugh. “Hell no. I’m a rancher, not a builder.”

  “You don’t like working with your hands?” Kaylee asked.

  I turned to look at Kaylee. What in the hell kind of question was that?

  Ty shot a sexy grin over his shoulder as he replied, “I like working with my hands just fine. Do it every day on the ranch . . . and in other cases that warrant something needing a soft but firm touch. I’m pre
tty damn good at that, if I say so myself.”

  Okay, that was a serious flirt directed toward her. Kaylee’s cheeks heated again, and she looked away.

  Leaning closer to her, I stated, “You asked for that one.”

  She pushed me and shrugged. “I didn’t mean it that way!” she hissed.

  Ty unlocked the door and then handed me the set of keys. “It’s all yours now, Lincoln. Mama wanted to know if you needed anything while you were getting settled in. If you need to be shown around town or anything like that.”

  My goodness, are all Montana cowboys this sweet? With a polite smile, I replied, “No, thank you. I appreciate it, though.”

  He nodded. Then he tipped his black cowboy hat again and grinned once more.

  Is that a dimple?

  Yep, that’s a dimple.

  That was all Kaylee needed to see.

  I stepped inside, followed by Kaylee. Ty walked around us once we were all inside the house.

  “Back to your other question, Kaylee, I didn’t remodel the house, but my brother Brock did when he married Kaci. My parents gave them this house as a wedding gift.”

  He smiled again, and this time his dimples were on full display. Kaylee moaned slightly from next to me, and I had to jab her in the side.

  “Oh, that’s so sweet . . . but why don’t they live in the house anymore?”

  Ty looked uncomfortable.

  Lifting my hand to wave off my last question, I said, “Never mind. That’s none of my business, and I’m sorry I asked.”

  A rush of embarrassment swept over my body. I of all people should have known better than to ask such personal questions. Here I was, attempting to start my own life over in a new town, and the first person I met, I asked a question that was truly not my business.

  Ty let it go. “It’s been empty for a few years now. I think you’ll enjoy fixing the house up even more, with your career and all. My mother said you’re an interior designer.”

  I nodded. “Yes, I am. I owned a pretty big design firm in Atlanta and needed a change. I sold it and decided it was time to explore something new. I’m hoping to find a simpler, less complicated life here in Hamilton.”

  Ty’s eyes widened. “You’re not from a small town, are you, Lincoln?”

  “No, born and raised in Atlanta.”

  Glancing to Kaylee, Ty asked, “And you?”

  “I was born in Georgia too.”

  He nodded. “Your southern accent is heavier.”

  Kaylee beamed with pride. “Well, I’m from a smaller town in Georgia originally, but I’ve been working on my southern twang for years. I think it’s finally set in.”

  The poor man looked perplexed by my best friend. “Well, I’ll let you ladies go so you can explore the rest of the house. Do you need help with your luggage?”

  “Yes!” Kaylee said at the same time I said, “No.”

  Ty laughed. “If you pop the trunk, I’ll grab your stuff.”

  I pulled out my keys and did just that. Kaylee and I stood there and watched as Ty stepped out of the screen door and walked down the gravel path.

  “Is it just me, or does that man have an ass to die for?” she whispered.

  I turned to look at her. It wasn’t like I wasn’t happy to see her showing interest in someone; I truly was. I believed it was time for her to jump back into the dating world. She needed to move on past the hurt. Back in Georgia, she’d never so much as looked twice at a guy, no matter how good looking he was. I wasn’t about to hold her back. “No, it’s not just you. He has a nice ass.”

  “If that’s how they make the men up here in Montana, I just might be sticking around for a longer visit.”

  Lacing my arm through hers, I grinned. “If there are more cowboys who look like that, you might never want to leave.”

  “Right?” she said with a giggle.

  Deep down in my heart, I prayed she would seriously think about staying. I wasn’t being selfish in my reasons why I wanted her here. Of course I wanted my best friend with me. I would miss her terribly when she went back to Georgia. But I honestly felt like a new start was exactly what Kaylee needed. A place that didn’t have a memory around nearly every corner she turned. A place where she could let go of the hurt and allow herself to move on. Somewhere to start over where no one told her what to do. A place to forget the past and look forward to a future.

  I paused for a moment in my thoughts. Was that what I wanted for Kaylee . . . or for me?

  I wanted that for both of us.

  “How many brothers do you think he has? More than the one?” she asked as we watched Ty take our suitcases out like they weighed nothing.

  Watching the muscles flex in Ty Shaw’s arms almost felt sinful. It had been a long time since I’d even allowed myself to look at a man like this. The last time I’d given my heart to someone, I’d ended up regretting it.

  With a slight chuckle, I shook my head. Maybe it wasn’t only time for Kaylee to start dating but me as well. A nice Montana cowboy is exactly what I need. It had been over a year since I’d had a man’s hands on my body. I was beginning to remember what that pleasure felt like.

  I took a deep breath and slowly let it out before I said, “One can only hope.”

  Kelly Elliott is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author. Since finishing her bestselling Wanted series, Kelly continues to spread her wings while remaining true to her roots and giving readers stories rich with hot protective men, strong women and beautiful surroundings.

  Her bestselling works include, Wanted, Broken, The Playbook, and Lost Love, to name a few.

  Kelly lives in central Texas with her husband, daughter, two pups, four cats, and endless wildlife creatures. When she’s not writing, Kelly enjoys reading and spending time with her family.

  To find out more about Kelly and her books, you can find her through her website.

  www.kellyelliottauthor.com

  Other Books by Kelly Elliott

  Stand Alones

  The Journey Home

  Who We Were*

  The Playbook*

  Made for You*

  *Available on audiobook

  Take Me Away (Coming 2020)

  Cowboys and Angels Series

  Lost Love

  Love Profound

  Tempting Love

  Love Again

  Blind Love

  This Love

  Reckless Love

  *Series available on audiobook

  Wanted Series

  Wanted*

  Saved*

  Faithful*

  Believe

  Cherished*

  A Forever Love*

  The Wanted Short Stories

  All They Wanted

  *Available on audiobook

  Love Wanted in Texas Series Spin-off series to the WANTED Series

  Without You

  Saving You

  Holding You

  Finding You

  Chasing You

  Loving You

  Entire series available on audiobook

  *Please note Loving You combines the last book of the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.

  Broken Series

  Broken*

  Broken Dreams*

  Broken Promises*

  Broken Love

  *Available on audiobook

  The Journey of Love Series

  Unconditional Love

  Undeniable Love

  Unforgettable Love

  *Entire series available on audiobook

  With Me Series

  Stay With Me

  Only With Me

  *Series on audiobook

  Speed Series

  Ignite

  Adrenaline

  Boston Love Series

  Searching for Harmony

  Fighting for Love

  *Series available on audiobook

  Austin Singles Series

  Seduce Me

  Entice Me

  Adore Mer />
  *Series available on audiobook

  YA Novels written under the pen name Ella Bordeaux

  Beautiful

  Forever Beautiful

  Historical

  Predestined Hearts by Kelly Elliott and Kristin Mayer

  COMING SOON

  Never Enough (Book one in the Meet Me in Montana series) December 10, 2019

  Southern Bride Series

  Love at First Sight

  Delicate Promises

  Divided Interests February 2020

  COLLABORATIONS

  Predestined Hearts (co-written with Kristin Mayer)

  Play Me (co-written with Kristin Mayer)

  *Dangerous Temptations (co-written with Kristin Mayer) September 30, 2019

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