"Prognosis is really good if she gets medical treatment when she needs it," Kaia said. "Kids with Von Willebrands can live a normal life. But Natalie and Dade have both been through so much heartache. It doesn't seem fair that their baby daughter has a chronic illness. Luckily, Natalie and Dade have a strong marriage, and their three-year-old, Nathan, is healthy as a horse. Folks in town do what they can to help them out. For me, since I'm so busy and saving up to finish school, it's donating blood."
"I see." The timbre of his voice shifted, deepened.
"What?" Kaia rubbed a palm across her face wondering if she'd said something wrong.
"You."
"What about me?"
He clicked his tongue like he was guiding a horse. "You are one amazing woman."
"Me?" She scoffed. "I'm no better or worse than anyone else. Just a hometown girl doing right by my friends."
"Who cares so much about other people that they regularly donate blood? Be honest-how many people do that?"
"You've been gone too long," Kaia said. "Big city living has made you forget what it's like to live in a tight-knit community."
"You might be right," he agreed.
Silence lapsed between them as she cast around for something to say.
"Could you wait until tomorrow to donate blood if I invited you to spend the day with me at Balmorhea State Park?" he asked, referencing her most favorite spot in the Trans-Pecos. "What do you say?"
"Is this officially a date?" she squeaked.
"It's a date," he confirmed.
She grinned as if he could see her, but the smile quickly faded as reality set in. Having casual wedding sex with him was one thing; a sojourn to the place where they'd shared some of her fondest childhood memories was another.
Saying yes would be like diving headfirst into a body of water without first checking the depth.
"I'll pick you up in thirty minutes," he said.
"You don't even know where I live."
"Ember sold you out all the way," he said, and hung up.
She made a mental note to give Ember a good talking-to about passing out her personal information, and switched off her phone.
Her heart was skipping so fast she got a little dizzy and had to sit on the couch. Dart and her foster dogs, a Jack Russell named Buddy and a sweet-natured golden retriever named Bess, immediately jumped on her, knocking her down. Smelling Granny Blue's dogs on her, Buddy and Bess sniffed her up and down.
"Yes," she confirmed. "I've been cheating on you with Granny Blue's brood."
Dart, however, didn't seem to mind that Kaia had been cavorting with other beasts and staked out a claim in the middle of her chest, settling down to knead her skin with his paws.
"Going straight for the boobs, huh?" Kaia teased. "Whether cat or human, you men are all alike."
Dart looked her straight in the eyes and meowed as if to say, "Don't you know it, sister."
It fully hit her. Ridge was on the way! He'd be here in thirty minutes for their date-a real date with her favorite person in her favorite place.
Crapple, she was a mess.
At the speed of light, she let the dogs into the fenced backyard and dashed through the house, shedding her comfy animal-friendly clothes as she went. Her high-octane energy sent Dart hiding under the bed.
She hopped into the shower, taking her toothbrush and toothpaste with her. Two birds. One stone. Multitasking was a good thing. Thank God, the pedicure she'd gotten for Archer's wedding still looked good, but she hadn't washed her hair since Friday evening and it was currently pulled into a ponytail.
Who cared? She was going swimming.
Yes, but it was a swimming date.
Five minutes she was in and out of the shower, body scrubbed, teeth brushed, legs shaved. She did the frou-frou stuff. Deodorant. Cologne. Pull down the ponytail and fluffed her hair. Yes, later it would be wet and plastered to her head, but she wanted to make an impression.
She dressed quickly. Red bikini, topped with a denim skirt and pink tank top, slid her feet into sturdy pink hiking sandals. Slapped on a bit of waterproof mascara, blush, and lipstick-called appropriately enough-Cactus Blossom Red.
The front doorbell rang just as she finished putting on the lipstick. Good enough. Breathing a sigh of relief, she bounced into the living room.
Opened the door.
There stood Ridge, wearing knee-length swim trunks, a blue T-shirt that enhanced his navy eyes, and a pair of slip-on boat shoes. He held a wicker picnic basket that smelled of fried chicken, and a bouquet of blue forget-me-nots.