Page 8 of One Hot Summer

Sophomore year is when everything changed. Or well it did for me. Her brother was spending more time playing sports, but I was always over at their house anyway. It was like my second home.

It was the night of the homecoming dance, and I didn’t ask anyone, so I went over to their house to see if her brother wanted to watch a movie and when I watched her walk down the stairs in a beautiful red floor length dress, her hair in curls, it nearly took my breathe away. It was, right then, I realized that my feelings had always been more than just friendly.

It took me three months after that night to finally get the courage to ask her if she wanted to go to movies with me, but we couldn’t tell her brother. That one movie turned into two years of breathtaking moments with her. But then, college graduation loomed and she had always dreamed of going to Alabama state. Selfishly, I prayed she didn’t get in, just so she could stay close to me, but when she received the letter and I saw the tears in her eyes, I knew I couldn’t hold her back.

When she drove away to college, she watched me in the rearview and I tried to be so supportive, but I was gutted. I was in love with her. Hell, if I thought she would’ve said yes, I would have asked her to marry her, but we had our whole lives ahead of us.

First days goes by, then months… and I realize that she was excelling. And the only thing I had going for me at the time was the ranch. So, I jumped head first into learning anything and everything my dad would teach me to keep me occupied. And then I met Sarah and at first, I didn’t want to replace Kelsie.

I didn’t keep my love for Kelsie a secret from her. She knew how I felt, and how messed up I was, and she still loved me anyway. We ended up falling in love - with little of my heart I had left - and got married. Then Collin came. But after that - everything changed. She was no longer happy. She wanted all of my heart, and I couldn’t give it. How could I? It had been holding for Kelsie all along.

Drudging up the past fucks with my head and I try not to think about it too much, but having her here, in the next room, it’s bringing up all kinds of feelings and memories that I can’t brush off.

As sleep finally begins to claim me, one last thought flits through my mind: How long can I resist the pull between us before something breaks?

Chapter Six

Kelsie

I’ve spent all morning trying to avoid running into Carson. Things almost got out of control last night, and we need to keep some distance between us. Especially if that’s the outcome of my first night at his house. The insurance company said it might take up to six weeks for them to get everything submitted and finalized and so the countdown begins.

After my cold shower to try to get him off my mind, I try to sneak down the staircase to put something in my stomach, but as soon as I hit the last step, there he is, a coffee cup outstretched in his hand like he has been waiting for me.

My breath catches in my throat as our eyes lock. Carson's piercing blue gaze holds mine, intense and searching, as if he's trying to read my thoughts. I hesitate, my hand hovering in midair, torn between taking the offered cup and maintaining the distance I so desperately need.

“Morning. Thought you might need this. I swear I heard you tossing and turning all night.”

Was he listening to me?

“Old house. It creaks easily.”

I swallow hard, willing my racing heart to slow. “Thanks,” I manage to whisper, finally accepting the steaming mug. Our fingers brush for the briefest moment.

Carson leans against the kitchen counter, his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest. “I just came in to grab a piece of toast before going back out to the horses, but heard the shower and figured you’d want a fresh cup of coffee.”

It’s the little things. That why I fell for him in the first place.

“Listen. About last night?—”

“We don't have to talk about it,” I interrupt quickly, panic rising in my chest. “It was... it was nothing.”

He takes a step closer, and I can feel the heat radiating from his body. “Was it?” he asks, his breath warm against my ear. “Because it sure as hell didn't feel like nothing to me.”

Six weeks suddenly feels like an eternity, and I'm not sure I have the strength to resist him for that long. How are we going to survive this?

“We can't... This isn’t…”

But before I can finish, his calloused hand gently cups my cheek. His thumb traces my lower lip, and I can't help but lean into his touch, my resolve crumbling with each passing second.

“Tell me you don't feel it too,” he murmurs, his eyes searching mine. “Tell me I'm imagining this.”

I want to lie, to push him away and maintain the walls I've built around my heart. But the words won't come. Instead, I find myself drawn closer, like a moth to a flame. The coffee mug slips from my grasp, clattering to the floor and spilling its contents across the worn wooden planks.

Neither of us moves to clean it up. We stand frozen, caught in a moment of heated tension. Everything fades into the background as Carson's lips hover mere inches from mine.

Just as I think he's about to close the distance between us, a small voice calls out from upstairs. “Dad?”

Reality crashes back in. Carson steps back, running a hand through his tousled dark hair. “I’m down here, buddy,” he calls back, his voice slightly strained. “Be right up.”

---