Innocence Lost (Lone Mountain Ranch Book 1)

Chapter 4

Along the road, Kylie noticed the trees started to sprout fresh green leaves. The little sprigs were a welcoming sight on this warm spring day and gave her an inkling of hope for the future.

With one hand still on the wheel, Kylie cleared the tears from her cheeks and wiped them onto her work pants. She was so eager to leave the office that afternoon, and she did not take the time to change into the cute cowgirl outfit she bought with Olivia to wear to the dude ranch. She was stuck in her white button down and her black work pants. At least she had black ballet flats under her desk to change into for the drive.

During the past week, Kylie was nervously excited about her trip. Every day, Kylie begged Olivia to come, tempting her with a lot of vodka and cute cowboys in tight jeans. With the last-minute notice, Olivia could not make it work with her schedule. She needed to be home with her two kids. She reassured Kylie that being alone in the fresh air, and being around the horses, would be good for her.

As a consolation for not being able to go, Olivia promised to go shopping for new clothes with Kylie. Ever since high school, Olivia was Kylie's fashion guru. Olivia helped her navigate the awkward transition from country girl to rocker girlfriend. Kylie eventually got the hang of it, but still deferred to Olivia for fashion advice. They were always on video chat, so she could help Kylie pick out clothes and accessories for every major occasion. This time it was no different. The two of them were excited to go shopping for dude ranch outfits. Olivia always loved having a good theme to work with.

Thursday after work, the two of them met at the mall. Olivia wrapped Kylie in her arms, almost suffocating her. Olivia was so proud of Kylie for taking this trip for herself. Kylie could barely breathe and tapped Olivia to get her to release her. The two girls laughed.

The moment they walked into the department store, they headed straight for the denim section. In recent years, Kylie's wardrobe consisted of the rocker wife's look of black jeans, tight dresses, band t-shirts, and leather jackets. At work, it was the corporate uniform of blouses, pants and dresses. Neither option worked for the ranch.

Kylie was nearly the same size she was in high school. It made Olivia jealous after having two kids. Kylie's toned butt filled out every pair of jeans she tried on perfectly. It was hard to pick their favorites, but they decided on a skinny, dark blue pair, a light blue, boyfriend style, and a skinny cut, white pair to go along with the few plaid and floral button downs that were available.

Kylie asked the salesperson for bandanas and all she got in response was a blank stare. Country chic was not quite the style for this market. The girls giggled when she walked away. They were most likely the first people to ever ask for bandanas when it was not Halloween.

On the way to the cash register, Kylie eyed a few flirty, pink and floral dresses. She wanted to buy them but did not think she would have an occasion to wear them at the ranch. This weekend was going to be all about self-care and horseback riding. I need to focus on myself for the first time in forever. Plus, you cannot ride a horse in a dress, unless you are in a country rom com, she thought. Kylie did find a white, denim mini skirt and added it to the pile just in case, knowing she could always wear it on the weekends in the city.

Next, the girls went to the shoe section to try on cowboy boots. Olivia immediately got distracted by all of the sexy high heels. She missed dressing up for a fun night out now that she was married with children. She eyed a few metallic pairs before focusing on the cowboy boots with Kylie.

There were only a few options available, and Kylie tried them all on. Knowing she did not have time to break them in properly before getting to the ranch, she wanted to make sure to buy the most comfortable pair, much to the annoyance of the salesperson. Olivia and Kylie both voted for a tan pair that was a touch darker than her dirty blonde hair but lighter than her brown eyes.