Always A Will And A Way_Western Romance

by Barbara Gee

  Oh, wow. Kelly barely managed to hold onto the cake plate. Will Connor was a seriously good kisser. Seriously good.

  “Hey, yourself,” she breathed when he pulled away, his incredible blue eyes glittering as he smiled down at her. “Um, here, I have cake.”

  Holding out the plate, Kelly took a step backward, needing to put some distance between them so her heart rate could return to normal.

  “Mmmm, looks almost as good as you.” He accepted the plate from her, then tilted it up to read the label on the plastic wrap.

  “Believe it or not, Sarah did that, not me. She must have figured out you were the culprit who ate her apple crisp last night. I think I might have left our tea glasses on the table.”

  “But how’d she know I’d be back?”

  Kelly shrugged. “The woman is obviously all seeing and all knowing.”

  “She scares me half to death,” Will admitted. “But she makes a great carrot cake. You want some?”

  “I’m good, I had some at dinner.”

  She walked to the hammock, and when Will went to sit across from her as usual, she tugged his hand and pulled him to sit beside her instead.

  He insisted on feeding her a few bites of cake as they talked quietly, hip to hip, comfortable together. When the plate was clean, he placed it on the ground and they lay back in the hammock, staring up at the stars as Will swung them gently.

  “I know I sound like a broken record, but I don’t want you to leave, Kelly,” he said, entwining his fingers with hers.

  “I have to.”

  “I know.” He was quiet for a long moment before raising her hand and gently pressing his mouth to the back of it. “I also know what’s going to happen once you get back to your regular life.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re going to try to convince yourself that this isn’t real, that the distance is too much, that I’m too young. That whatever you might be feeling now is just a passing thing and it’ll fade and life will go back to normal.”

  Kelly was quiet, and he squeezed her hand gently.

  “I’m right, aren’t I?”

  “I don’t know, Will,” she said honestly. “I don’t think either of us knows how we’re going to feel when we’re two thousand miles apart. This has happened really, really fast. Being around you is—I can’t even describe it. You’re larger than life and you scare me and draw me in all at the same time.”

  “I scare you? How do I scare you?”

  “By making me feel the way I do. Honestly, Will, this instant attraction thing is completely new to me. I met Jamie when we were put into the same study group for our Spanish II class. We were just friends for quite a while, and then over time it developed into more. I grew to love him so much and was also very attracted to him, but it was gradual. Not like it is with you.”

  “Tell me how it is with me,” he urged softly. “Be honest, Kelly, with me and with yourself. I need to know, and you need to hear yourself say it.”

  “But it’s crazy because we just met,” she whispered.

  “So it can’t be real, is that what you think?”

  She nodded. “I don’t see how it can be.”

  “Tell me anyway.”

  She gave a shaky sigh and tightened her fingers around his. “Okay, Will. The truth is, I think about you pretty much every waking moment, and if I’m lucky, I dream about you at night. When I wake up in the morning, I can’t wait to see you. I crave it. And when I do see you there are times when I feel like I could just go up in flames, like a little while ago when I watched you walk over from the stables. And when we’re together it feels so right, even though I try to convince myself it will never work and I’m being an idiot and it’s impossible to be feeling like this after only five days.”

  Will was silent for a long moment, and then he swung his feet over the edge of the hammock and stood, pulling her up with him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest, his cheek against the top of her head.

  “Ditto,” he said after a long moment of just holding her. “Couldn’t have said it better myself, except for the ‘idiot’ and ‘impossible’ parts there at the end. I don’t agree that it won’t work out, Kelly, and it kills me that you’re going to go home and try to convince yourself it’s just a passing infatuation, and I won’t be there to convince you otherwise.”

  Kelly leaned into him, her cheek pressing into the soft fabric of his shirt. “I need to see if I feel the same when I’m not around you.”

  She could hear his heart beating, felt his chest expand and compress as he took a long slow breath and let it out in a sigh.

  “Promise me something, Kelly.”

  “If I can.”

  “If your feelings don’t fade, please don’t fight it. I know it won’t be easy to make this work but if it’s meant to be, Kelly, we can figure it out.”

  “Can we?”

  “I hope so, because I haven’t felt this way before either. Not even close.”

  He pulled away slightly and tipped her chin up until their eyes met. “The way I look at it, falling for you so fast isn’t reckless and impulsive, it just means I’m smart enough to know that when it’s right, it’s right.”

  He grinned when that drew a reluctant smile from her. “It’s worth fighting for, Kelly.”

  She wrapped her arms around his lean waist and held on to him, desperately wanting to believe him.

  “Okay, I promise to not fight it if my feelings don’t fade when I’m far away from you. But I need to be completely sure, Will, so give me a while to make the adjustment back to Virginia, and then we’ll talk.”

  He groaned softly. “I guess I can do that. But I’d like to spend time with you the next two days, if you can fit me in.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I need to make myself as unforgettable as possible before you leave.”

  Kelly pulled away and looked up at him. “You’re already unforgettable, Will. I just need to make sure it’s the right thing for both of us, and for James, before we try to move ahead.”

  “I get it, but it can’t hurt to spend a little more time together before you go. Let me take you out tomorrow night. There’s a concert over in Canton, about an hour away. It’s their annual fair and they’ve got some good country music groups lined up.” He raised a brow hopefully. “I know you like country music. Chad told me.”

  Kelly considered it. “That might work. I’m pretty sure Chad and Amy wouldn’t mind watching James, but what will they think about us going out? And what about James Sr. and Maggie? I’m not sure they’ll like the idea.”

  “Chad won’t be surprised, he can read me like a book and has already teased me about looking at you like a love-sick puppy. I don’t know how Senior will react, but I’m willing to talk to him and find out.”

  “I don’t know.” Kelly frowned. “Things are going so well with them, and I don’t want to rock the boat. I know it’s been four years since Jamie died, but they might still have a problem with me seeing someone else.”

  “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but at least think about it. If you decide you want to go, let me know in the morning and I’ll speak to Senior about it and see if I can get a read on how he feels.”

  Touched that he wanted to be the one to take on the task of talking to Senior, Kelly nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

  “That’s all I can ask. Walk me to my truck?”

  “You bet.”

  Will took her hand and they walked together through the warm Texas night, talking about their day and how much fun they’d all had at the swimming hole.

  When they reached his truck, Will leaned against the door and pulled her back against him, his hands linked across her stomach.

  “Look at those stars, Kelly,” he said, his voice low and stirring. “Texas night skies are unforgettable.”

  “Like a lot of other things in Texas,” she acknowledged.

  “Remember how it feels to be here together.” He rested his chin
on the top of her head. “When you’re back home, remember how it feels.”

  Kelly snuggled back against him. “I will,” she promised.

  They stayed there for a long time, looking up at the stars, neither speaking. Kelly finally turned to face him, linking their hands between them.

  “I’d better get to bed. Thank you so much for a fun afternoon, Will, and for coming over tonight. I know you’ve had a long day, and you need to get to bed, too.”

  “Thank you for spending time with me.” He didn’t move, and Kelly realized that this time he was leaving the goodnight kiss up to her.

  And she wanted that kiss, no question about it. She released his hands and reached up to take his face in her hands. Standing on her tiptoes, she tugged his head down and pressed her mouth against his. He immediately slid his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him as he parted her lips and deepened the kiss.

  Kelly responded eagerly, closing her eyes and allowing herself to enjoy the passion Will lit inside her. Every time they kissed she was amazed at the strength of the desire she felt for this man. It was exhilarating and it was scary and she wanted more—so much more. She reluctantly ended the kiss before her mind got too cloudy to remember that there were limits.

  “It’s so good with you, Will,” she said, her voice shaky.

  He groaned and pushed his face into her thick, soft hair. “Good is an understatement, baby,” he said, his breath warm against her neck. “Kissing you takes kissing to a whole new level.”

  “You’re very good at it,” Kelly murmured.

  He lifted his head and smiled down at her. “Good to know.” He smoothed her hair back, his big hand gentle. “Sleep well, Kelly.”

  “You too. See you tomorrow.”

  She watched him drive off and then stood there alone for a few minutes before turning to walk back to the house. The dark Texas night closed softly around her as she left the lights of the stable behind. The quiet was complete, and exactly what Kelly needed as her mind whirled, full of emotions and questions stirred up by this crazy, unexpected trip to Crighton, Texas.

  The biggest question of all was of course about Will Connor. How was she going to leave him in two days?

  Chapter 15

  Kelly and James were already out in the stable when Will arrived at the ranch the next day. He looked spectacular, as usual, in his worn jeans and black tee shirt. He had a good long ride on Wild Red, who was rapidly learning to cooperate with the man who sweet talked him and fed him treats.

  Afterward, Kelly helped Will brush down the big animal while James went off to help Chad saddle up Midnight.

  “What about tonight, Kelly?” Will asked when they had both made it down the sides of Wild Red and met at his rump. “Wanna come listen to music with me?”

  She nodded. “If you don’t think it’ll be an issue for the Mathersons. And I want to make sure they know I’ll only be gone this one night—both James and I will be here all day tomorrow to spend our last day and evening with them.”

  His grin took her breath away, as usual.

  “I’ll go talk to Senior. Wish me luck.”

  She smiled up at him. “Good luck. Don’t push it if he seems bothered by it, though, okay?”

  “I won’t. But if I have anything to say about it, even if he has some reservations now, he’ll have to get used to the idea eventually.”

  Kelly felt her cheeks getting warm. The possibility of an actual ongoing relationship with Will Connor was still hard for her to fathom. She still had a hard time believing he was attracted to her, when he could literally have his pick of beautiful women who lived right here in Tallock County.

  Will laid his hands on her shoulders. “Don’t over think it, sweetheart,” he said softly. “Just let what’s meant to be happen.”

  Her eyes were troubled. “I wish I could be as open to it as you are,” she replied.

  “It’s harder because you have a child to think about.”

  She smiled wryly. “Or maybe it’s my extra years of real world wisdom compared to your youthful optimism.”

  “Don’t go there,” he warned, tugging her closer to him. “The stupid age difference should be the least of our worries.”

  Looking into his beautiful blue eyes, Kelly asked him what should be their biggest worry, in his opinion.

  His eyes appeared to darken as he took her face in his hands. “You and James getting on a plane on Saturday and flying a couple thousand miles away from me.”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I think distance definitely trumps everything else at the moment. Although I’m not dropping our ages as one of my overall concerns.”

  Will glanced around the stable to make sure they were still alone before giving her a quick, hard kiss. “I’m determined to change your mind about that, sweetheart, but right now I’ve gotta go talk to Senior. Assuming he’s okay with me taking you out, I’ll pick you up at five so we have time to grab dinner before the concert. You good with that?”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  “I need to leave right after I talk to him because I’m meeting the vet at my place, but I’ll text you and let you know if it’s a go or not. And I’ll call Chad about watching James tonight.” He smiled sheepishly. “I might have already told him there was a possibility we’d need a babysitter.”

  Kelly shook her head, smiling. “You’re a mess. Go.”

  She watched him walk away, admiring the sheer power and grace of the man—and his backside. Her cheeks heated again and she abruptly turned and went in search of James and Chad.

  Fifteen minutes later, the text tone she had set for Will sounded. As she dug her phone out of her back pocket, Kelly suddenly realized just how badly she wanted to be able to spend the evening with him. Taking a deep breath she looked at the screen.

  See you at 5:00. :)

  Her heart did a little flip and she replied with a smiley face of her own. Chad was buckling Midnight’s saddle, but he gave her a sideways look, one corner of his mouth curling up.

  “I take it I’m babysitting tonight?” he asked dryly.

  “How in the world did you know that?” Kelly asked, putting her hands on her hips in exasperation.

  He chuckled and shook his head, checking to make sure James was out of earshot. “I’ve been watching you two mooning over each other all week. It was inevitable.”

  “We haven’t been mooning!” Kelly disputed. “I don’t even know how to moon!”

  “Don’t kid yourself. You’re a master at it. Both of you are. Amy and I talked about it way back on Monday. She said there was no way Will would let you leave without making an effort to get to know you better. Plus I knew he wanted to go to the concert with you tonight.”

  “Are you sure you guys don’t want to go? I don’t want to make you babysit if you were planning to go.”

  “Nah, Amy is in bed by nine these days, so we’ve become homebodies for the time being. We’ll have a great time with James, and you can plan on him spending the night. We’ve got an extra bedroom and that way you don’t have to worry about what time you get home. The fair always saves the best bands for last, so you won’t want to cut out early.”

  “Thanks, Chad. We’ll bring James over to your place soon after five. I’ll let Will know we talked and he doesn’t need to call you to make arrangements.”

  As she finished speaking, Chad’s phone rang and he laughed. “Too late. That’s him calling right now.”

  Kelly left to go find James, shaking her head and laughing when she heard Chad giving Will a hard time and teasing him about his “little crush.” He cut the call short when James ran up, ready to go for a ride.

  “Hang on, bud, let me get my horse saddled up, then we’ll head for the hills,” Chad said. “Hey, James, how about you come spend the night with me and Aunt Amy tonight? You haven’t even seen our house yet. I think Grammy and Paw Paw have been hogging you.”

  James looked at Kelly hopefully. “Can I, Mom?”

  Kelly nodded, looking si
deways at Chad. “Sure, James. That sounds like fun.”

  “Thanks, Mom. I’ll be good I promise.”

  “I know you will. Now have fun on your ride, I’ll see you at lunch.” She mouthed a thank you to Chad, then waved them off as they headed out the back door of the stable and through the corral to the open field for a nice long ride.

  Chapter 16

  James and Maggie acted perfectly normal at lunch, and Kelly decided that they must not be too upset or worried about her evening plans with Will. That helped her relax, until it came time to get ready. Although she was excited about spending the evening with Will, she was also a bit nervous for their first real date.

  She showered and washed her hair, then dried it and ran a flat iron through it until it hung sleek and straight halfway down her back. Her makeup was easy, light with a hint of evening smoky eye. But she had trouble deciding what to wear. There would no doubt be plenty of women dressed in tiny shorts or skirts and cowboy boots, but that wasn’t her. She finally decided on grey skinny jeans and a silky, sleeveless mint green top, and she grabbed a white denim jacket just in case they stayed late and it got cool. One last glance in the mirror, one more swipe of lip gloss, and she was ready.

  “You look pretty, Mom,” James said when she entered the living room where he was once again playing Go Fish with his grandparents.

  “You certainly do,” Maggie said with a warm smile.

  “Are we going to Aunt Amy and Uncle Chad’s now?” James asked hopefully.

  “As soon as Will gets here. He’s going to drive us over there, and then I’m going to go to a concert with him while you’re at Chad and Amy’s. Go put your PJ’s and toothbrush in your backpack, okay?”

  James ran to do her bidding, and Kelly looked at James and Maggie a little uncertainly. “I hope this is okay with you two.”

  “Of course it is, dear,” Maggie assured her.

  “I’m sure Will is going to show you a good time,” Senior added. “It’ll be a nice break for you instead of hanging out with us old fogies again.”