Two years after a horrible accident, Kinsley's determined to make it through vet school, but she didn't expect to meet country boy Noel McLean who's just as mysterious as he is charming.
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Kinsley Hastings suffers from PTSD. After surviving a fata...
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Cole
"Daisy, love," I ask. "Where are we going?"
Her grip is tight around my wrist as she guides me away from the parking lot. There's a park two blocks over. Gravel crunches beneath her cowgirl boots. A warm, pre-summer breeze tickles the stubble along my jaw. Everything is green and smells of decaying lilacs. The first few days in June have been hot, causing all the blooms to wilt.
A single streetlight is the only source of light as we cross the small grove of trees. We step over knotted roots and upturned stones. Then we cross another street, taking a left at the end. Ahead, I can see an urban park.
"Daisy," I repeat. "Where are we going?"
"To the playground," she replies. "We need to talk. Noel and Kinsley need time on their own, and so do we. We're due for a conversation. One we should've had years ago."
My stomach muscles clench in anticipation. Last time Daisy and I needed "time alone," we ended up snogging in the barn. Okay, we did more than snog. But I don't want to think about it. A pinch of me hopes that's what'll happen. But my morals stand in the way. She's with someone else. They had a child together. Unless they separated, I would never make a move on Daisy. It's just not right.
No matter how much I want her. Every time I look at her, my heart bleeds. My body pulses with need. I'm a bloody disaster.
When we come to the playground, Daisy leads me to the swing set. It's large, with five regular swings and one tire swing. The rest of the playground is next to the swings. Monkey bars, a couple of slides, and some climbing structure. Woodchips fill in the playground area while grass surrounds it. In the distance, there's a soccer field. With the dimming sunlight, it's difficult to make out the goalposts.
At the swings, Daisy turns to me. Her expression is ridden with guilt. "Kinsley knows I know about the accident."
My eyebrows shoot up. Dread fills my stomach. "What? Daisy! You were supposed to keep that confidential."
She throws her hands up. "Kinsley was going to tell me, Cole, but she noticed my expression. She guessed. Lying to her... It's something I couldn't fathom. She's been through enough."
I remove my cowboy hat and toss it to the wood chips. Then I run a hand through my hair and pace. Shit. Kinsley must be pissed at me. I knew telling Daisy was a mistake. My intentions were good. Telling Daisy was to protect Noel and Kinsley. Without Daisy knowing, the truth would've come out too soon. She could've mentioned something about Noel's accident to Kinsley. Then Kinsley would've reacted. Or Kinsley could've told Daisy and Daisy could've slipped in front of Noel. It doesn't take a genius to piece the facts together. Noel and Kinsley aren't stupid.
Fuck. My intentions were good, but I've still betrayed her trust.
"Fuck," I curse.
I sit down on the playground. There's a platform just before stairs up to the first slide. Wood chips crunch beneath my feet as I rest my face in my hands.
