Southern Attraction

by Kaylee Ryan

  “Sounds like a plan. Do you know what you’re looking for?”

  Turning to look over her shoulder, she glances at Aaron before turning back to face me. “I do. We’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

  “Babe, you could wear a feed sack and I’d still think you were the most beautiful woman around.” Aaron doesn’t miss a beat.

  “All right, buddy, hand her over.” I hold out my hand for Whitney. She giggles and steps out of his hold.

  “We’re going down in the basement,” she tells him, pulling me behind her down the hall and then the basement stairs.

  “I’m so glad you decided to come in a day earlier,” Whit says as we take a seat on the oversized couch.

  “I missed you,” I tell her. “Whit, this house is gorgeous.”

  “Thank you.” She blushes but with a blinding smile. “Aaron insisted I have input. I really love it.”

  “As you should. You’ve done well. You’re glowing with happiness. I miss your ass like crazy, but it’s easy to see that this is your home now. Not just the house but here in Kentucky.”

  “I am happy.” She closes her eyes and takes deep breath. “I think Mom led me here. I know it sounds crazy, but that’s what I like to believe. She brought me to him.”

  “No judgment here,” I say, raising my hands. “She loved you and I know she’s looking down on you smiling.” I pat her leg. “Right, enough of the heavy. Tell me about this dress.”

  Another beaming smile. “I want simple, you know. I just want it to be close friends and close family, and just… simple. To me it’s not about the day. It’s about promising to love him for eternity, to live the rest of our lives together. I don’t want all the fanfare. I want a small, simple country wedding.”

  “So this dress?” I prompt her again.

  “I’m not really sure. I mean, I have this vision in my head. I just want simple, sleeveless maybe, since it’s going to be hot as hell in June. I’m thinking long, but no big train or anything like that. Oh, and I need to find a pair of white cowboy boots.”

  “O-kay,” I say hesitantly. “What for? Don’t you already have boots?”

  “I do. Aaron bought me my first pair and well, he loves it when I wear them. I was insistent the day he bought them that I didn’t need them, but he insisted that I did. I never thought I would need them, you know? That I would be living life here on the farm and riding as much as I can. He was right.”

  “So it’s like a payback?” I ask her.

  “Yeah, I mean, you should see the way he looks at me when I’m in my shorts and those boots. I just thought, you know, wedding night and all that.”

  “Look at you, you dirty girl,” I laugh.

  “You’ve seen my future husband, right?”

  “Definitely. I’ve never seen so many good-looking guys in one location in all my life.”

  “Speaking of, Aaron called Mike and invited him tonight.” She waggles her eyebrows up and down.

  “Oh yes, Mike. How is he these days?”

  “Working. I swear he lives at the Tavern.”

  “Easy on the eyes and a hard worker, nice.”

  “You excited to see him?” she asks.

  “Let’s see. Tall, dark hair, blue eyes and a body to kill for. How could I not?”

  “Jamie,” she scolds me.

  “Nothing happened,” I say for what feels like the ten millionth time. “We took a walk, swam a little and then called it a night. I was seeing someone, remember?”

  “I do. I also remember you calling me, what, two days after you left, telling me that it just wasn’t going to work out. I also seem to remember you asking me about Mike, what he does, if he was seeing anyone?”

  “I was curious. I mean, come on. I spent a lot of time with him that weekend when all the couples disappeared. He’s a great guy. I just wanted to know more about him.”

  “Mmhmm,” she chuckles.

  “Okay, so dress shopping tomorrow. What else?” I ask, changing the subject. I know she can see right through me, but she lets it slide for now.

  “The boots. Honestly, I’m more worried about the boots than I am the dress,” she laughs.

  “Okay, so do you have some shops picked out?”

  “Yeah, there’s a shop in town that Kinley says can even do some custom ordering. I want to go there tomorrow as well. Now, we have all day tomorrow to talk wedding. I want to know what’s going on with you.”

  “Same old. Mom and Dad are good. Work is good, although I get the feeling he’s going to be retiring soon.”

  “What will you do? Is he going to sell the practice?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t bring it up and neither does he. He probably should’ve retired years ago, and I can’t see that he would want the headache of the transition. He’s been wrapping up his cases, and lately we’ve not taken on anything more than just consulting and letters. That’s why I think it’s coming to an end.”

  “Sounds like you’ll be in the market for a job, then.”

  “Yeah, but I’ve got money saved up, so it’s all good. I’m not worried yet. Not to mention he’s such a great guy to work for that I can’t see him not offering some type of severance.”

  “That would help for sure.”

  “Babe!” Aaron calls down the steps.

  “Yeah,” Whit calls back.

  “Evan and McKinley just got here. David just texted me and said they’re on the way.”

  Whit looks down at her watch. “Yikes! I didn’t realize we’d been down here that long. We’ll be right up,” she yells back to him. “Ready to see the crew?” she asks me.

  If she only knew. “Lead the way,” I say, standing to follow her back upstairs.

  With Liv’s help today, the work is done so much faster. She left a couple of hours ago to go home and get ready while I stayed here. I’ve gone back and forth all day trying to decide if I’m going to head over to Aaron and Whit’s tonight. It would be nice to see everyone.

  To see her.

  “You ready, man?” David asks, pulling me out of my thoughts.

  “When did you get here?” I ask him.

  “Just now. Liv’s in the car, sent me in to get you. You ready?”

  Am I ready? I look around the bar; it’s slow for a Friday night. I have plenty of staff, and it’s not like I’ll be hours away.

  My phone vibrates in my back pocket. Pulling it out, I see a text from Whit. Swiping my finger across the screen, I see it’s a picture of her. Of Jamie. She’s sitting on the couch, legs crossed with a photo album in her hands. After a closer look, I see I’m the only one who got the message.

  “Yeah, I’m ready,” I tell David, sliding my phone back in my pocket. I could’ve said no. I was really thinking about it, until I got that picture. She’s just as beautiful as I remember. I wonder if she’s still with that guy. I wanted to kiss her that night, more than I’ve ever wanted to kiss anyone, but I’m not that guy and I won’t do that to her. I don’t share, and I don’t poach on another man’s girl.

  “That was easier than I thought,” David chuckles. “Liv sent me in to strong-arm you if I had to.”

  “My sister has lost her damn mind,” I laugh.

  “Hey, now,” he mock warns me.

  “Admit it. She’s out there on this one.”

  David grins. “There’s no stopping her when she puts her mind to it.”

  Liv is set on fixing me up, and since that night by the pond, there’s been only one girl she’s pushing. From that text, it appears that she and our cousin Whitney are in on this together. Should make for an interesting night.

  Liv grins when I climb in David’s truck beside her. She doesn’t say a word, but then again she doesn’t need to; I know what my little sister is thinking.

  We pull in the drive and see Evan and Kinley are already here. There’s also a little silver car with Illinois license plates.

  “Looks like everyone’s here,” Liv says.

  I climb out and wait to see if she�
��s going to follow me. She doesn’t, sliding out the driver side door with David assisting her instead. She didn’t need it, obviously, but he’s gone for my baby sister. It was weird at first since he and I are friends, but after seeing him with her, the way he looks at her, I’ve adjusted.

  I’m glad she’s happy. She deserves that. For the longest time, she had a huge crush on Aaron, but over time she moved on. I was glad because I just couldn’t see the two of them together. Everything worked out in the end.

  Aaron greets us at the door. “Hey, guys, come on in. Everyone’s in the living room.”

  I shake his hand in greeting and follow David and Olivia down the hall to the living room. Aaron takes his spot in the recliner, pulling Whitney down on his lap. Evan and McKinley are sitting in the same fashion in the other recliner. Olivia pulls David to the love seat, which leaves me to sit on the couch with Jamie, who is currently sitting in the middle with a stack of photo albums on one side. I take the spot and tap her knee. “Hey, stranger.”

  “Good to see you,” she says, smiling.

  “What you got there?”

  “House pictures, pictures of the farm, of some shows,” Whitney answers for her.

  “Basically getting to witness what’s been going on in my best friend’s life without being here.”

  “I told you how to fix that,” Aaron chimes in.

  Jamie gives him a soft smile. “You made a suggestion,” she corrects.

  “So, I made a ton of snack food. It’s all ready to go whenever you all are hungry,” Whitney says.

  “So what’s the plan for this evening’s festivities?” Liv asks her.

  “Just hanging out. It’s too damn cold to do anything outside. Not to mention Aaron and Evan are outside during the day as it is.”

  “Not all day,” Aaron says.

  Whit waves him off. “So, movie? Cards? We’ll figure something out. Come on, let’s eat first.”

  I remain seated while the others file out of the room. Jamie is still sitting with the album on her lap. I watch as she takes in each picture, almost as if she’s trying to memorize them.

  “She’s good,” I say.

  “She really is. She always has been. I used to drive her around and she would just take pictures of random stuff, but they always turned out looking like something… not random,” she chuckles. “You know what I mean,” she says, turning to the last page in the album. “How have you been?” she asks softly.

  “Good, busy with the bar. Same old. How about you?”

  “Working, story of my life,” she laughs. “My life is not near as fun now that Whit’s here. She was my partner in crime.”

  “Do tell,” I say, not taking my eyes off her.

  “Nothing bad.” She blushes. “Just… we were inseparable. It’s not the same without her.”

  “Well you better use your time this weekend wisely, then. Now let’s go get some food.” I stand and offer her my hand. When she places hers in mine, I feel that current that I had convinced myself was a figment of my imagination. From her intake of breath, she feels it too. Reluctantly I release her hand, placing mine on the small of her back and leading her into the kitchen.

  As we enter, I drop my hand, a task that takes Herculean effort. Only a crazy man would not want to touch her, be near her. She and I are the last ones to make our plates, and lo and behold, the only two seats left are the two at the island.

  “So while the ladies are out shopping, what do you all say we do some fishing tomorrow?” Evan asks.

  “I’m in,” Aaron says.

  David looks at my sister, as if getting her approval. She smiles up at him and rolls her eyes. He doesn’t need her permission, but he seeks it anyway. “Me too.” David grins, kissing Liv on the temple.

  Suddenly all three guys are looking at me. “You in?” Aaron asks.

  “I don’t know. I have to check in at the Tavern—” is all I can get out before Liv is interrupting me.

  “Nope. We did it all today. Besides, the staff will be there. If not, call someone in. You don’t have to be there every minute, Mike,” my sister scolds me.

  “I know that. I just like to keep things running smooth,” I tell her.

  “It is and you do. Take time for yourself.”

  “Come on, man. You know you want to.” Evan grins.

  I look around the table as they all wait for my reply. When I feel Jamie’s small hand on my arm, I turn to face her. Her green eyes sparkle up at me.

  “You should go,” she says, her voice soft.

  “Yeah, all right. What time?” I say, never taking my eyes off hers. She smiles at my answer and moves her hand back to her lap.

  Evan chuckles. “The girls are meeting here at eight, so why don’t we do the same?”

  “Eight.” I clear my throat and pull my gaze from Jamie. “Yeah, sounds good,” I tell him. Thankfully, the girls start talking about shopping, and I take the time to evaluate what just happened. One touch, one offered suggestion from her, and I’m changing plans. I have to find a way to fight this attraction I feel for her.

  “Now what?” Aaron asks Whit. We’ve all cleaned our plates and are just sitting around the table shooting the shit.

  “I don’t know, what do you guys think?” she asks us.

  “Did you get the theater all set up?” Kinley asks.

  “Yes!” Whit claps in excitement. “We finished it last night.”

  “I say movie night,” Liv chimes in.

  Evan, Aaron, and David are all smiles. Of course they’re all for this idea; they get to snuggle up with their woman and hold her. Me, well I get to figure out how to not touch her. I need to make it down to the basement first and grab a single seat.

  “Let’s do it,” Whit agrees.

  The guys all nod their agreement and stand to follow the girls downstairs. I do the same, but my hurry is for a totally different reason. I’m halted, however, when Jamie stands at the same time and stumbles a little. I reach out to grab her, my hands resting on her hips. In the commotion it’s just us, the others already out of the kitchen and on their way to the basement. So what do I do? I pull her back to my front. Placing my lips next to her ear, I whisper, “You okay?”

  She nods.

  She doesn’t try to pull away, so I push a little more. “You still with him?” I ask her. It’s the same damn question that’s been on the tip of my tongue since the moment I found out she was back in town.

  “No.” Her voice is soft.

  Hell yes! Keeping a firm grip with one hand, the other goes on an adventure as I slip it under her shirt. I feel her tremble once I reach skin and I stop, placing my hand on her flat stomach.

  “We better go catch up,” I say. It’s not what I want to do. Not even close. I want to pull her out to my truck, but my truck’s not here. So instead, I slowly remove my hand from under her shirt, resting it back on her hip. “Lead the way,” I tell her.

  She stands to her full height from where she was resting against my chest. I keep my hands on her hips as we make our way to the basement steps. Not five minutes ago, I was dreading this, but now I’m hoping the girls want a true movie night and turn the lights down low. She’s single now… or is she?

  “Wait,” I say before she can start down the steps. “Is there anyone else? Are you with anyone?” I clarify.

  Turning to look over her shoulder, her green eyes are filled with heat as they peer into mine. “No.”

  Not able to help myself, I lean down and kiss her temple, releasing her hips and following her down the steps.

  Our friends and my sister are all coupled up, leaving only a small love seat available. I fight a grin knowing I’ll get to be next to her.

  “Hey, man, can you kill the lights? It’s the switch behind you on the wall,” Aaron says from where he and Whitney are lying on the couch. Liv and David are curled up on an oversized theater chair, Evan and Kinley the same.

  I hit the switch, casting the room in darkness. Reaching out, I grab Jamie’s ha
nd and lead her to the love seat.

  “What are we watching?” I ask the group.

  “Some new thriller,” Liv mumbles. She doesn’t seem too upset, even though I know she hates scary movies. Hell, none of the girls like them, yet they’re all snuggled up. That’s when I realize my boys are geniuses.

  Again, I fight a smile as I settle onto the love seat with Jamie right beside me. Aaron hits Play as I reach over and link my fingers through hers. I give her a little tug and she easily slides closer, resting her head on my shoulder. It’s dark enough and our seat is farther in the back of the room than the others. They can’t see us.

  This night just got a whole lot better.

  Is it possible to spontaneously combust? Whit has told me several times that with one look, Aaron can show her how bad he wants her. I’ve never had that, nor did I really know what she meant. Sure, I’ve had guys give me the “let’s take this somewhere more private” look, but nothing like she’s described. Never in my life have I been on the receiving end of pure wanton heat.

  But the way Mike looked at me when I told him I was single… holy shit, I was ready to throw myself at him.

  We’re only about ten minutes into the movie when he moves to adjust his position. I sit up, thinking that leaning on him is causing him to be uncomfortable. Lips next to my ear, he whispers, “I need you closer.” It takes me a minute to realize what he said, what he’s doing, until his leg goes behind my back as he sits sideways on the small love seat. Resting the other leg on the floor, he grabs my hips and slides me against him, my back to his front. He wraps his arms around my waist and his hand once again slides under my shirt. Nervously, I look around at our friends, what I can see of them in the dark. Immediately his hot breath is against my ear yet again as he whispers, “They can’t see us, not that I would care if they did. Relax, I just want to hold you.”

  My heart flutters in my chest. I’ve never met anyone like him before. He’s open, honest, and he brings my body to life just at the thought of him. To have his hands on me, to feel the rough pad of his thumb draw circles on my bare stomach, I’m putty in his arms. I willingly relax against him as he instructed me to do.