Read Online Praying for Daylight by J.C. Isabella - Free Book Online

the house. The drainpipe was nice and sturdy, and I didn’t think it would bust under my weight. I gripped the pipe and started my climb to the second story window.
    Now, this was romantic. If only I had a rose or some wildflowers. Then she’d really be impressed. Still, my stunt was pretty impressive. I was confident I’d get that goodnight kiss I was after.
    The pipe started to creak as I got halfway up, then my boots slipped. I caught myself on the wood siding, and felt the rough edge dig into my palm. Damn it, my Romeo routine was going south. I gripped the sill and pushed up into the opening, just happy I’d made it in one piece.
    I shut my eyes when I heard the shower running.
    On second thought, this wasn’t cool or even romantic.
    It was creepy.
    Kate shrieked, and I knew I’d screwed up. “Dustin!”
    “Hi…” That was it? Hi? What was wrong with me?
    “You big idiot.”
    Yeah, I agreed with her there. “Sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.”
    She grabbed my arm, and I thought maybe she’d push me out, but she tugged me inside and I landed on the floor in a heap with a thud. “Why is there blood on the window?”
    I held up my hand and smiled, still keeping my eyes closed. “Cut it on the house. You’ve got a rough patch of wood.”
    “That still doesn’t explain why you climbed into my bedroom. And why are you keeping your eyes shut?”
    “I heard the shower running.” I stood, “And I wanted to kiss you goodnight.”
    “Open your eyes, that was the sink. I was brushing my teeth.”
    I cracked my eyes open to find she was still dressed. “I should have kissed you. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight unless I gave you exactly what you wanted.”
    She gaped at me. “And you think I wanted you to kiss me?”
    “Yes,” I lowered my voice and stepped closer. “You’ve wanted me to kiss you since I showed up on the porch.”
    “Yeah,” she laughed. “I’m thinking you wanted to kiss me more.”
    “Why?” I was saying it all wrong. I bit the inside of my mouth. What the hell was wrong with me? It was like one look at her fried my brain.
    “I’m not the one who climbed up a drainpipe.” She shook her head, “But you’re right. I’ve wanted to kiss you.”
    “So kiss me,” I grinned, moving closer.
    She eyed me with a smirk. “You came up here to kiss me, remember?”
    “I think this activity takes two willing parties.” I leaned in, “You willing?”
    “She planted her hand in the center of my chest and pushed me back. “How about we fix your hand, and then we’ll just let it happen naturally.”
    I sat on the bed with a grunt, and watched her get a washcloth from the bathroom and wet it. “I thought I was being…I don’t know, romantic or something.”
    “Dustin,” she smiled as she came back and sat beside me, cleaning my cut gently. “That was really sweet.”
    I felt my chest puff up. “Thanks.”
    “Uh…”
    “What?”
    “Did you realize you ripped your pants?”
    ***
    “An overzealous fan?” Chase gave his gray horse, Ash, a pat and leaned around to look back at me, confused. “Isn’t that what she has bodyguards for?”
    I nodded, tipping my hat back to watch the cattle. We were herding them toward a new pasture for grazing. “My mamma has magazines about celebrities, and none of them hightail it when they have someone obsessed with them. That’s good publicity.”
    “Sounds like Kate isn’t being truthful.” Chase whistled at one of the cattle dogs, “Knock it off, Stinker.”
    With my grandfather still recovering from a car accident he had last summer, and being short a couple men after two of our hired hands quit, Chase had offered to help me on a short cattle drive. We were taking them from the south pasture, up to the north, where the grass was ready to be grazed.
    “I don’t even know her, and I knew she was hiding something.” Briar rode Ruby up beside me and smiled. “She’s bad at acting.”
    I laughed, “Yeah,