Page 59 of Wild and Wrangled

Cam started to shake her head but then bit at the inside of her cheek. “Maybe…” She trailed off for a second. “Do you…maybe…want to come with me?”

I blinked a few times, shocked that she would ask. “Oh. Uh. Y-yeah,” I said quickly. “Yeah, I’ll go.”

“Really?” She sounded as shocked as I felt.

“Really.”

“You’d have to wear a tux,” she said.

“Sounds like a nightmare,” I responded in a chipper voice. “But maybe we can make it less of one.”

Chapter 26

Cam

Fifteen Years Ago

Ash,

I know we’ve already graduated, but I decided I’m going to keep sending you notes. I’m not exactly sure when I’m going to give you this one. Maybe when you come visit me at work today. The day is going to go by so slow waiting for you. I could just text you, and I probably will, but I dunno…I like the notes. I like that they feel special and that they feel like ours, you know?

Anyway, this note has a point.

My parents are going out of town for their anniversary this weekend, and Greer is staying with a friend. And for the first time, probably ever, I don’t have to work on Saturday or Sunday. Think you can get away long enough to spend some time with me?

Check yes or no, and bring this back to me before Friday—with snack requests. I’m also going to (try) to makeyou dinner. No promises it’ll be any good, though. I hope you’ll love me anyway.

I love you,

Dusty

When I pulled into Dusty’s driveway, it was just after six. My parents got me a car for graduation—a sporty BMW three series that had more buttons than I knew what to do with. I liked the car. I was grateful for it. They said I’d need it when I went to Vanderbilt this fall, which was probably true, but it came with one giant stipulation: I wasn’t allowed to see Dusty.

To say my parents didn’t approve of our relationship was the understatement of the century, but I didn’t care. As far as they knew, Dusty and I broke up when we graduated. What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them. It wasn’t my fault that my dad was out of town and my mom would get home from the country club late enough that she’d assume I was already in bed. Being with Dusty was worth everything, so risking my car to see him felt like the easiest thing in the world.

What did a car matter compared to somebody I loved?

Especially because we didn’t have much longer together—at least in Meadowlark. I wanted to spend every second with him. He was leaving for guide school in Montana right after his birthday.

God, I loved him so much. When I thought about both of us leaving, my heart sunk so low that I felt an echo in my chest when I breathed.

I shook those thoughts out of my head and got out of my car.

Dusty must’ve heard the car door shut because next thing I knew, he was walking out the front door, kissing me on the cheek, and taking my duffel bag from me. I was going to stay for the whole weekend.

“Hey, angel,” he said as he pulled me close. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” I said. Now that school was out, I didn’t see Dusty every day. He worked a lot—trying to save up money. I visited him when he worked at the diner. He would get me a chocolate shake or a blue raspberry rainbow, and I would read while he worked. But I didn’t get to see him on the days that he worked at the grocery store or Rebel Blue.

I took my time taking him in. He was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a worn white T-shirt. It had holes in it, a few peppered along the neckline. It looked perfect on him. When I was with Dusty, my head went quiet in the best way possible—like there was nothing I was dealing with that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. I also felt the most like myself around him. I didn’t have to be so…clenched, I guess.

It was freeing and wonderful, and I wanted to feel this way forever.

When we got inside, Dusty dropped my bag to the floor and brought his lips down on mine. I wondered if I would like kissing as much as I did if I wasn’t kissing Dusty. I didn’t have any other experience to compare it to, but I didn’t think I would. His tongue swept inside my mouth, and I gripped his shirt.

Soon, my back was pressed against the wall right next to the front door. One of Dusty’s hands was on my waist and the other was on the back of my neck—both holding me to him. My hands ran up and down his chest, getting lower every time I brought them back down.

When I reached the top of his jeans, I slid each of my pointer fingers inside of the waistband of his briefs.

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