Page 34 of No One But You

I was laying down fresh straw in the goat house when the sound of gravel crunching under a tire caught the goats’ attention and became more interesting than my job of cleaning their house.

I peeked out the door and a lump of disappointment lodged in my chest at the sight of Darlene’s Rogue. Could I really have been hoping it was Kai? I just left him a few hours ago. “Damn, girl. Get a hold of yourself. It was one night, and you’ve only known him a week."

Darlene helped James out of the back of the car, and I could hear his little voice over the excited bleating of Percy, Jackson, and Baby Goat. They all knew that James meant they were going to have someone to run with and chase out in the pasture. Darlene’s presence meant she wanted information about what she’d witnessed this morning.

I placed the rake back on the hook and wiped my hands on the butt of my jeans and walked out to join Darlene and James. Guess I’ll get the inquisition over with.

Darlene opened the gate, and James came running in. “Kora!” He ran as fast as his little legs could take him, and the goats ran and hopped beside him.

His laughter warmed my heart, and a smile spread across my face. I caught him in midair as he leaped into my arms. “Hey there, JJ.” I hugged him closely and spun him in a circle. “What brings you by?” I asked him.

“I need to see the goats.” He wiggled out of my arms and ran off across the pasture with Percy and Jackson on his heels.

“Well, it’s good to see someone so happy this morning,” Darlene said as she wrapped me in a hug.

“It is. He loves those goats, and they’re excited to have someone to run with. They were getting irritated with me.”

Darlene shook her head and smirked. “I wasn’t talking about James. He’s four and almost always happy.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulder, and we walked off toward the cherry tree where Percy and Jackson were once again busy trying to stretch for the branches that were just out of reach, and James jumped up to catch the lowest branch which was just out of his reach. “I was talking about you and the glow you’re wearing.”

I held back an eye roll. Darlene would jump on that and say it’s a dead giveaway. I had to find another way to convince her that nothing amazing happened last night. Time to see if I could make it in Hollywood. “It’s not a glow. It’s called perspiration. I’ve been out here working for a while, taking advantage of the nice weather between rainy days. My goats were feeling neglected.”

Darlene nudged me.

I struggled to keep my attention on the goats and ignore her inquisition but realized rather quickly that I would not make it in Hollywood.

“I don’t believe you. That glow isn’t from perspiration, at least not from the hard work from this morning. Maybe after the long night you had and from trying to sneak out of Shear Perfection at the crack of dawn.”

“Seriously?” I stopped walking. Of course Darlene had already heard. “Who told you?”

“Oh, come on. Who do you think? My mother-in-law, a.k.a. your aunt, paid us a visit just a little while ago with her entourage and told Bryson and me that they caught you sneaking out the back door of the salon at eight this morning, which would explain why Kai dropped you off so early to get your car.”

Again, I wished, though briefly, that I would have moved to a big city years ago. No one would care if a grown woman left a man’s apartment at eight in the morning if they lived in a building surrounded by hundreds of other apartments. “That damn book club gossip channel really needs to get a life.”

Darlene laughed. “Oh, please, they do. Their life revolves around the crazy things their families do, and since Bryson and I are a boring married couple with a child, Jamison is a single dad and never dates, and Rowan’s not around, you and Kai are now the number one topic of conversation.” Darlene stepped away and walked toward the tree. “So, did you have fun?”

“With what?” I pulled a branch down so the goats, standing on their hind legs, could stretch up and reach the leaves.

“Getting your hair colored.” Darlene swatted at me. “What do you think?”

Percy leaned against my leg, and I petted the side of his neck. “James, why don’t you pet them now. They’re too busy eating to head butt you.”

James clapped his hands quietly and stood next to me and petted Percy.

“You’re ignoring me,” Darlene observed.

“No kidding.” I wished the ground would open and swallow me up. I really didn’t want to discuss this. Out of everything I needed to do, this was not on the top of my to-do list. “Ok goats. That’s enough.” I let go of the branch, and it snapped up out of Percy and Jackson’s reach. They got down and wandered off to find something else to occupy them, and James followed.

“God, Kora.” Darlene said as she followed James and me. But she wouldn’t let up. “You’re pretty and independent, with a lot to offer, and he’s a hot man. You’re attracted to each other. We can all see that. It’s so obvious. The heat between the two of you could melt all the glaciers in the northern hemisphere. Hell, even Trevor had a hard time keeping his eyes off you and was shooting daggers at Kai all night long.”

I snapped my attention toward Darlene. “You need to stop. Trevor and I were over a long time ago.”

“Wrong. You were over. He’s been pining after you ever since you broke things off with him years ago. When you and Kai danced last night, Trevor was collecting glasses, and if looks could kill, you wouldn’t have had that amazing night with Kai. It’s so obvious you’re both into each other.”

I rolled my eyes.

Darlene elbowed me. “Don’t roll those eyes. Just say what you think. You do that eye rolling crap too much.”

“Fine.” I opened the gate. Darlene called for James, but he was still busy with the goats, so we leaned on the fence to watch. “Yes, we had an amazing night, and the gossip chain was there bright and early this morning. We tried to get me out before they saw but failed miserably.” I blew out a breath and glanced sideways at Darlene, who had a shit-eating grin on her face. I elbowed her. “Take that grin off your face. It’s not a big deal.”

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