Bluegrass State of Mind(76)

Will nodded and the two men continued to discuss the case while dinner was eaten. As soon as he was able, Agent Parker excused himself and Paige left soon after.

“What was up with those two?” Will asked.

“I think there's some major chemistry there, and they don’t know what to do with it,” Kenna laughed.

“Well, I know what to do with our chemistry. Come on, let me take you home.”





Chapter Fifteen





“It should be down.”

“No, it should be up.”

“What about swept back?”

Kenna closed her eyes for a second and asked for patience. Paige and Lily were about to come to blows over the way she should style her hair for Mo’s ball that night. Daisy was trying to find middle ground. Violet had conceded and had gone in search of a snack to prepare for the room filled with women.

“If I may interrupt for a second,” Kenna put down her eyeliner, “I'd like to wear my hair down for the Ashton event and the Derby. Makes it easier to go from one event to the other. It’s such a formal event tonight that I think I'd look strange if my hair was down. Besides, the back of the dress is really neat. I'd like to make sure everyone has a good view of it. The trouble is, I have no idea how to do anything other than a ponytail or a French twist.”

“I guess that makes sense wearing it up for tonight. I can help you put it up,” Paige said as she plugged in the curling iron. “I know exactly what I want to do.”

“Here we go!” Violet opened the door and brought in a tray of fruit and cheese.

Kenna grabbed a piece of cheese before Paige started attacking her hair with lots of hairspray and the curling iron.

Daisy pulled out the royal blue Armani silk dress. “Which shoes do you want for this?”

“The strappy bronze sandals in the trunk.” She heard Daisy open the truck and gasp.

“This whole thing is filled with shoes! I didn’t know one person could own so many shoes. You might have to be more specific, dear. How will I know which shoes I'm looking for?” Daisy asked as she started pulling shoe after shoe out of the trunk.

“They have a four-inch heel, they’re made by Ralph Lauren, and they have an ankle strap.” She heard more grunting and saw more shoes being dropped onto the ground before she heard Daisy mumble something.

“What did you say?”

“I said, I think these are the ones. You have a couple of pairs that look similar.” She saw Daisy walk toward her and hold out the pair of shoes she wanted to wear.

“That’s them! Thanks for finding them. How are you doing, Paige?”

“Pretty good. Almost done.”

“My head feels like it weighs ten pounds. What’s going on back there?”

“It’s the bobby pins. You have to use a ton of them to pin the wavy pieces down,” Paige mumbled, yanked, and then stabbed another bobby pin into Kenna's head. “There. I think I got it.”

Kenna heard the accented murmurs and turned to the mirror. “Oh, I love it! Thank you, Paige!” Kenna turned her head back and forth and hardly recognized herself. Her normally straight hair had a gentle curl and was swept back to the nape of her neck. Tiny strands were then curled and pinned in a chignon, forming a whimsical look to the classic style.

“Oh my gosh, look at the time! Will is set to arrive any minute,” Lily said as she looked at her watch. “Come on, girls, we’ll go down and wait for him while Paige helps Kenna finish up.”

Paige helped Kenna step into the gown and zip it up. The royal blue silk slinked over her skin, gently caressing it as she moved.

“This dress feels so good!” Kenna said as she twirled in front of the mirror. The silk hugged her silhouette while the draping emphasized her bust and then fell to the ground. In the back the draping fell away to form a short train that would be only slightly noticeable once she put on her heels. Sliding her feet into her strapped sandals, she heard Will pull up. Paige and Kenna rushed to finish getting the shoes on and applying the final round of lipstick before heading downstairs.

Will stood outside on the porch in a custom-made tuxedo, looking every bit the star athlete he was. There was something about men in tuxes that sent Kenna’s heart pounding. But something about this man in a tux was enough to make her thank the Lord every day and twice on Sundays, as Miss Lily would say.

He was talking to the Roses and didn’t look up until she opened the screen door. She smiled when he looked up. It made her feel like the most beautiful woman in the world when he let his face show pleasure in her appearance.

“You look amazing. Now I'm going to have to spend the night fighting off the men in the room.” She took his arm when he offered it to lead her to a limousine he had rented for the weekend. “Ladies.” He tipped his head to Paige and the Roses. “Don’t wait up,” he winked as he opened the door for Kenna.