Page 22 of A Rancher's Bride
Because this wasn’t just about making Silver Stone look good?Kelli’s pulse was far faster than normal.
“You look good,” Tansy told her softly. “Reallygood. Except you need different undies.”
Kelli was torn between accepting the compliment or picking up the gauntlet regarding the continued attack on her poor, defenseless undergarments. “I’m already mostly naked under this. Don’t push it. Also pointing out, horses don’t give a damn what I wear on my ass, unless it was armour. Then they might bitch.”
“The equivalent to chain mail for females is a chastity belt, and honey, I don’t think you want to wear that under anything, jeans or a slinky dress.”
“The undies I have on are as dressy as I’ve got,” Kelli admitted.
A soft cough came from the quietest member of their group. Ivy Fields adjusted her grip on a cup of tea. “I might be able to help you with that.”
Kelli was torn between absolute rejection of the idea and extreme curiosity.
Curiosity won. “What naughty secrets are you about to confess?”
Ivy shrugged. “I have a bit of an obsession with silk. But because I can’t get out to the shops that often, I’ve been ordering online. Anything that doesn’t quite fit gets put in a side drawer to be returned all at once. Come over tomorrow and we’ll see if there’s anything there that will work under this. Because the girls are right. It would be a travesty for you to not go all the way and look like a million bucks.”
Kelli twirled toward the window and eyed herself critically. Hell, it wasn’t what she usually wore, but from what she could see, it seemed pretty enough wrapping. And the idea of having slinky underthings to try…
Well, seduction was supposed to involve underwear, wasn’t it?
“I do look decent,” she admitted. “Only don’t expect me to wear makeup. Can’t do it.”
Tansy stepped behind her, wiggling her brows. “There will be lots of good-looking guys at this event, all of whom love horses as obsessively as you.”
Great. Meanwhile she’d be standing next to the only good-looking guy who seemed to turn her crank. Good Lord, she’d been such a fool the other day, thoughtlessly slipping into as close to flirting as she knew how.
The utter horror on his face when she’d made a dirty comment was a clear warning to wait until she had time to explain what was going on.
Still, as Kelli turned to admire her reflection, this wasn’t the time to start feeling uncomfortable with her body. She was strong, no matter whether she was draped in fluff or her usual working gear.
“Only thing you need to finish up is a bit of advice.” Hanna stepped in front of her, planting her fists firmly on her hips. “Trust me on this one, because I saw it at that New Year’s Eve party. This kind of outfit? You can’t move like your ass is on fire, if you’ll excuse the work-related joke.”
Heads were dipping all around the room. “Pretend they’re a bunch of skittish horses,” Tamara suggested. “No sudden moves, then sweet-talk everyone, the way you do every day down in the barns.”
Kelli laughed out loud before she realized they were serious. “You just told me to treat a bunch of billionaires like horses. You’re not speaking very complimentary about powerhouses in the industry.”
“She’s not saying it to be insulting,” Hanna insisted. “It’s about the right tool for the job. Same with clothes. You wouldn’t wear rubber boots out on the dance floor, would you?”
“Of course not.”
“And you wouldn’t stomp through a stall with a pregnant mare…”
Okay. Now it made sense. Kelli nodded then glanced around the room. Seven pairs of eyes were looking at her with admiration and happiness. “You guys are the best. Thanks for taking care of me.”
Hanna squeezed her hand, and Tansy came in to wrap her up in a bold hug. “You’re worth it. Also, damn, that fabric is nice. Don’t mind me. I’m just going to stay here and pet you for a while.”
Kelli slapped her hand away.
Tansy snickered, and as Kelli went off to get changed into her normal clothing, she carried the warmth of friendship with her. She was ready for this. She had the clothes and a game plan that would help her impress the important people.
Now all she had to do was figure out the best time to start.
* * *
Friday had never taken solong and yet arrived so quickly. With his brothers’ help, Luke had pulled together everything he needed to make a good impression while he and Kelli were gone.
He’d repacked his bag a dozen times, and wasn’t that just the kicker considering Kelli had been the one to give him hell about the dress code. He’d had to scrounge around to find enough things to wear, and in the end, Josiah saved his butt by providing formal wear that fit.
