Mustang Dreams (COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty Six

            The smell of bacon, and the sizzle of something cooking in a skillet was enough to stir Misty awake. Groggily opening her eyes, she looked around, seeing she was still on Clay's couch. Looking over her shoulder, Misty saw Clay manning the stove, cooking them breakfast. With a smile, she got up and snuck up behind Clay, wrapping her arms around his still bare chest; standing on her tip toes to rest her chin on his shoulder. 

           Clay reacted by tensing up momentarily in surprise, but once he felt Misty kiss his shoulder, he smiled. "Your hands are freezing." He chuckled, resting his free hand over hers around his waist.

            Misty let go of Clay's waist to stand next to him. "That's how you are going to say good morning to me?" There was a playful smirk on her face. 

           With a grin, Clay put the pancake flipper down on the stove, caressing Misty's face in both of his hands. Looking into her blue eyes, he said, "I really love wakin' up next to you, and I really love that your beautiful face was the first thang I saw this morning, but more than anything," Clay moved his lips closer to Misty's as he added, "I love you, Misty McAdams." With a huge smile on his face Clay said, "Mmm, I love sayin' that now." 

           Letting out a chuckle, Misty said, "Shut up and kiss me already, you goof." 

           Clay pulled back before she could kiss him. "Do you love me back?" He teased. 

            "Yes, I love you, too, Clay Montgomery." She smiled as she said the words. 

            "Good. Now shut up and kiss me." He repeated the words that she had said from just a few seconds earlier. 

            Slowly, they leaned into the kiss with a smile on their face. Each kiss was more passionate than the next, better than the last, more meaningful than before. Before Clay could kiss Misty again, her cell phone began buzzing in the living room. Misty began to pull back to go answer it, but Clay playfully protested, "Mmm mmm. Let it go to voicemail." 

           "It might be my dad." Misty replied, giving Clay two more quick kisses before hesitantly pulling away to see who was calling her. Sure enough, it was her dad. Taking the phone with her back into the kitchen, Misty held it up so Clay could see who it was. "Yello, father." Misty answered the phone, leaning back against the counter, next to Clay. 

            "Where were you last night?" Bill's voice was stern.

            Misty let out an inward groan, tilting her head back. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint her dad. "Dad, I honestly forgot to text you and tell you. I'm so sorry. Really, I truly forgot, and I apologize." She bit her lip, hoping her dad wouldn't be mad. 

            "Text me and tell me what? Where did you stay last night?" 

            Misty walked out of the kitchen so Clay wouldn't hear her dad yell at her. Lowering her voice, Misty replied, "I hung out with Clay at his apartment last night, we watched a movie, and went to bed. I was way too tired to come home, so I just stayed here." Taking a deep breath, Misty added the answer to what she knew would be the next question. "Nothin' happened, dad. I promise." 

            "I want you home ASAP." Bill ignored what his daughter was telling him.

            "Yes sir." Misty tried to contain the sigh she wanted to let out. Hanging up the phone, Misty trekked back into the kitchen. 

            "Everything okay?" Clay asked, turning off the stove top, offering Misty a plate of delicious looking food. 

           "Yeah, my dad is just mad because I forgot to tell him I was stayin' here last night." Misty grabbed a pancake off the plate. 

          "Even though neither of us knew you were staying over?" Clay chuckled, setting the plates down on the counter to grab syrup from the fridge. "Would he have been happy if you told him you were staying over?" 

          "Probably not, but at least it would have given him warning." Misty bit of a piece of the pancake.

           "I'm sorry, hon. This is my fault. I should have driven you home last night. Or I at least should have called him and told him you fell asleep and were stayin' the night." Clay said, defeated. 

          "Honey, don't beat yourself up over this. You didn't know. It's all good. My dad just hasn't wrapped his mind around the fact that his baby girl is an adult who is datin'. He will come around in time." Misty smiled, waving the pancake in Clay's face. She fell against his chest, taking a nibble of the pancake. 

           Clay chuckled, wrapping his arms around Misty's waist. "I certainly hope so, because I am hopin' you will get to stay over here more often." There was a smile as Clay leaned forward to drop a kiss on Misty's smiling lips. Just as he closed his eyes and parted his lips, Misty stuffed the bite of remaining pancake in his mouth, immediately making Clay open his eyes and pull back. "What was that for?!" He laughed as Misty playfully ran away from him. 

            Misty quickly threw on her boots, her laugh never once ceasing. "Bye, honey. Thanks for breakfast!" She laughed, walking out of Clay's apartment. Once she got out of Clay's apartment, she remembered that Clay had driven her here. With a sigh, Misty turned on her heels, walking back up the steps to Clay's apartment. With a smile, Misty dropped a couple knocks on Clay's door, opening it just enough to poke her head inside. "Honey..." She drew out. 

           "I knew you would come back for a kiss." Clay grinned from beside the door, leaning against the door jamb. 

           "If I kiss you now, I ain't never gonna get home, and then my dad will be extra ticked." She let out a chuckle, opening the door fully. "I came back up here because I need a ride back to my house." 

              "I knew you did." Clay grabbed his keys from the table, slipping on his boots, then following Misty down to his truck. 

             Ten minutes later, Clay stopped his truck in front of the main barn by Misty's house. Looking at the barn, Misty saw her dad emerge, immediately folding his arms over his chest, leaning against the open barn door. 

             "Oh boy..." Misty mumbled, seeing her dad, clearly upset. "Pray for me." She unbuckled her seat belt, beginning to hop out of the truck when Clay called her back. 

             "Hey, Mist..." Clay leaned across the console, keeping one hand on the steering wheel. "I love you." He whispered, his face only inches from Misty's. Before she could protest, he quickly dropped a kiss on her lips.

           "Clay, my dad is watchin'!" She chuckled, still close to him. 

            "I don't care. Let him know that I love you." Clay pulled back, smiling. "Man, I wanna kiss you so bad again, but I don't want to give your dad any more reasons to be mad at you." 

             "You're so sweet." Misty looked back out the dash. "Wish me luck." She let out a chuckle. 

             "Good luck. Call me later?" 

              "You know it." Misty smiled, closing the door behind her. 

             Taking a deep breath, Misty walked towards the one man that she hated to disappoint. Seeing the look on his face, Misty knew it was too late...she had disappointed her dad.