Rejected to Revered (Abbott Ranch Book 2)

Taylor, Three

Taylor

18 Years Old

(Late Spring 2009)

I walked right into Kooper's house, which became a norm, and plopped my butt down at the kitchen island. Mrs. Abbott was making dinner and looked over at me with her soft welcoming smile.

"Taylor, you look distraught honey, what's going on? Kooper is up in the shower, or should be cause God only knows with these boys." She laughed, and I made a grossed-out face thinking about my best friend in the shower. Then groaned and planted my head down on the counter.

"I hate boys." Mrs. Abbott laughed.

"Well, now there's a story behind that."

"Yea, my boyfriend broke up with me."

"Sweetie I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not. Honestly, it's fine I don't even care that I'm single again. I just, nobody is going to ask me to prom now I mean it's literally in two days. What am I supposed to do go alone?"

"And Kooper is going with Johanna I assume right?"

"You assume correctly." I let out a gag noise and Mrs. Abbott laughed. She has become like a second Mom to me over the past three years. "So gross."

"Well honey any boy would be lucky to bring you."

"Ma? You know where my boots-" I spun around to Kieffer as he stopped in his tracks standing in the kitchen doorway in only a pair of blue jeans. "Hey Tay." I bit my lip and turned back away; the nickname he gave me two years ago still gave me butterflies. Kieffer was the only one to ever call me by it.

"Hey Kieffer."

"Your boots, and laundry, both in the laundry room." Mrs. Abbott pointed the spoon in her hand at him.

"Thanks." I thought he was going to walk away but instead he came over and sat down next to me. "Koop told me about Sean." I groaned and dropped my head back down onto the counter. "Y'all still goin' to prom together?"

"Nooooooooooo." I groaned out.

"She's dubbed that she hates the whole gender." Internally I rolled my eyes at Mrs. Abbott, thankfully she couldn't see cause that spoon would have hit me.

"Because he's dumb enough not to see what's in front of him? Don't lump all us in with that." Kieffer laughed and I lifted my head to glare at him. He shrugged. "I'll go to prom with you." My eyebrows shot up.

"Uhm, I don't know if you even can because you old." He shook his head and laughed.

"If they ask just tell em' I'm Karver. But they won't ask." He shrugged again.

"You ain't gonna be able to get anything in the day and a half we got left to be ready. My dress is a custom color. No way you gonna be able to get anything to match me. It'll definitely look like we never intended to go together and then I'll be the laughin' stock!"

"Tay, you over thinkin' the heck outta this."

"Honey, he's right." Mrs. Abbott said with a smile.

"Let me take you to prom." I just watched him closely, waiting for him to breakdown and beg me to say no. But he didn't. Would I survive a night with the man I was in love with? His hand on me as we dance...would we dance?

"I want to dance."

"Aight." He shrugged answering instantly.

"You seriously want to go to a high school prom?"

"Yes, with you." He said matter of fact. "Can't be lettin' my favorite girl look a fool. But, we takin' my truck." I laughed.

"Okay."

"Imma need a picture of the color of your dress."

"A picture doesn't do it justice."

"Then let's go look at it." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and I watched him text someone 'Not makin' it. Sorry.' Before pocketing it quickly.

"I don't...you have plans." I pointed to his phone.

"More important. Let's go." He stood up and left the kitchen. I looked over at Mrs. Abbott my jaw to the floor.

"What just happened?"

"My boy just canceled a date to go look at your dress, just so he can take you to prom."

"What?" I whispered on a breath as Mrs. Abbott smiled and nodded. "Kieffer Joseph Abbott!" I took off through the house only to find him in the laundry room putting on his boots. Still sans shirt which was making me a bit dizzy.

"Yea darlin'?" It took me a second but I shook my head to get myself out of the daze.

"You cannot cancel yer date just to come to my house and see my dress. It ain't that big of a deal."

"Either was the date." He shrugged.

"You devastatin' some girl is kind of a big deal."

"It was a double date, she'll be fine. I didn't want to go anyway. Beau asked me to do him a solid."

"You texted her you weren't makin' it."

"Yea, I did. So, she could bail too. She didn't wanna either."

"Who wouldn't want to go on a date with you!" I threw my hands up instantly realizing what came out of my mouth and mentally smacked myself for it. He on the other hand was standing there, shirtless, hands on his hips, smirking.

"Do you wanna go on a date with me Tay?"

"That has nothin' to do with what we're talkin' about."

"But it does." He leaned closer. "You ever been on a date Tay?" I started to fidget. "Didn't think so."

"Sean and I didn't..." His eyebrows went up. "Well, anythin'."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't want him to ever be my first kiss." He moved closer, now only a few inches away.

"Who did you want to be your first kiss darlin'." I was looking down at the ground but when he said that I looked up at him suddenly nervous as ever. "You can tell me." He rolled his tongue between his lips and lightly bit the bottom one.

"I have a feelin' you already know the answer to that question."

"You givin' me permission?" My eyes didn't leave his, and I was too stunned to speak especially watching him inch closer and closer till he pressed his perfect lips against mine.