Page 157 of Could Have Been Us
The soft, sweet woman who was just talking is no more. No, now she’s looking at me as if she wants to rip my eyes out and feed them to a bear. “Clothes?”
“Yeah. I always have a change of clothes. Don’t you keep something in your car?”
I know she doesn’t, but this is fun.
Stella sighs. “No, Jack, I don’t because . . . well, I just don’t.”
Kinsley laughs and then covers her mouth. I give her a wink. “You can stay back if you want,” I suggest.
“Stay? What?” she sputters. “Why would I stay back . . . and why . . . ugh.”
“I don’t know, but do you want the clothes?” I walk over to my car and pull out a sweatshirt and a pair of pants.
She takes the offered clothing and then walks behind the car, dragging me with her. “You are in so much trouble,” Stella warns. “I thought you were proposing! I got all dressed up.”
“I can’t propose to you here,” I say as though she should understand that already. When she doesn’t say anything, I continue. “You know it’s where Grayson proposed to Jessica.”
She rolls her eyes. “Right. Makes total sense.”
“Aww, don’t be mad, baby. I promise I’ll propose at some point this weekend.”
“I’m wearing a dressnow.”
“I see that. I like it.” I pull her close to me, my hands moving toward her bare legs.
Stella slaps me. “No, no touching for you.”
“It starts already. We aren’t even engaged yet, and I’m being punished.”
“You have no clue . . .”
“I’m sure I don’t,” I agree. I’ve seen Stella pissed off at others, and she’s . . . scary. But in about thirty minutes, if I’m not dead, she’ll have a ring on her finger, and hopefully, all her ire will be forgotten.
She puts on the extremely large pants, rolling them and then groaning. “Jack, I can’t wear these.”
I smile. “I know. I was kidding.”
“So, I’m supposed to hike in a white dress and heels?”
“No, you’re going to put on the leggings that are in the bag Kinsley has and we’re going to ride out.”
“Ride?”
I nod. “I have two ATVs . . . you’ll ride with me.”
“I hate you.”
“I know you don’t.” I walk out from behind the car, and the pants she just had on hit me in the back of the head.
“I should!”
I laugh, turning toward her with a grin. “But you don’t.”
As we head toward the clearing where everyone is waiting, nerves start to build. I know this is what she wants, hence her dress, but I really want today to be perfect. The sun is just setting and these woods are special to me.
It’s where I kissed her at her brother’s wedding.
It’s where I fell asleep under the stars, holding her close.
