Southern Charm

Chapter 14

JESSIE

For the first time since the incident, I was dressed up to feel a little more like myself. The crutches were the only thing I wish I didn't have to add to my look.

Since it was summer, I could wear a dress. I was wearing a red and white striped dress, white cowgirl boots, and a white hat. I loved dressing country, and my closet was filled with tons of boots, hats, belts, and fringe. It was customary to wear all of this stuff when you lived in Texas, but I noticed that if you go elsewhere, like up north, you get a weird look, as if these clothing items were something you created yourself.

"Well, hey, good looking," Trace said, standing in our bedroom doorway. He gave me a once-over and smiled.

My cheeks warmed at the sound of his voice. He always made me feel so special, no matter the occasion, and I loved that. That was a feeling I never wanted to go away.

"Hey, does this all look okay?" I asked. "Even with the crutches and cast sticking out underneath the dress?"

"You look beautiful, honey. Dressed in my favorite color, and it's perfect for your nickname." Trace walked over to me and kissed me. "If only I could spin you around on a dance floor."

I smiled. "Guess we will probably have to save the dancing for the wedding day. Not much longer, and I'll be healed up. Time is going by slowly, though. You don't know how painful it was to get into a dress by myself."

Trace chuckled. "I could always help you out, you know?"

"Mhm, I know you could. Is everyone ready to head over to the stadium?" I asked.

"I think so. Meghan is all decked out like you and is more excited tonight than last night. Dane showed her the horses again because she didn't want to go alone."

Hmm. Dane was showing her the horses, huh? I knew I saw a little spark between them. Wouldn't it be unbelievable if they fell in love?

"Well, I'm ready. Now, the challenge is getting into the truck again. It won't be painless, so I better brace myself."

I began the journey to the truck with Trace, Meghan, and Dane tagging behind. Trace's parents took a separate vehicle to the stadium and left first since it would take me more than a few seconds to get situated.

Meghan held my crutches while Trace lifted me into the passenger seat of his truck. I always knew he was strong from the looks of his body, but man, was he fit. I didn't weigh much, but it was impressive for him to do it so simply.

At the stadium, I ran into little Miss Sadie, wearing her favorite hat I signed the other day, and lit up pink boots to match her hat.

"When can I come ride a horse?" Sadie asked.

"Soon, sweetheart. If it weren't for this leg injury, you could come tomorrow. You can always come by and meet the horses first if you'd like," I said.

Naomi smiled at her younger sister and bent down to her level. "Do you hear that, Sadie? Jessie said you can meet the horses before you ride them. I think it's a good idea because you haven't seen a horse up close. They're big animals."

Sadie nodded. "I wanna go see horses. I like horses. They neigh."

I chuckled. "That's right. They do neigh. They'd love to meet a cute kid like you." I glanced at Naomi. "Tell Parker whenever you want to bring her by. He can give you my number, too, and we will make sure she has loads of fun. You can always ride with us sometime."

Naomi smiled. "I'd love that. Parker always tries to get me on a horse, but I'm slightly nervous."

The announcer began speaking, and everyone headed toward their seats. Meghan was next to me again tonight, and Bailey was here too. Bailey seemed to love Meghan, and I was glad. First, my best friend was dating my brother, and now my fiancé's sister would perhaps date my brother. Crazy right?