I had all of my papers in my bag and was making my way up front. Kennedy wasn’t alone behind the desk. Little Bo Peep was with her.

“I almost forgot. My bag is in the back. You go ahead Kennedy. I have my key.” The girl called out over her shoulder.

“We’ll wait.” Kennedy called after her.

I growled under my breath.

Only a minute later she came running from the back. “Thanks for waiting.” She said. She stepped closer to us. Kennedy and I were standing at the door waiting.

My jaw dropped to the ground. Little Bo Peep was not what I expected, not at all. She was anything but. Her green eyes were big, almost too big for her face. Her skin was pale white, and her lips were… Damn those lips.

I’ll be damned. This girl was beautiful, just like Kennedy said.

I snapped back into the moment when someone cleared her throat. When I flicked my eyes up to meet Kennedy’s she was silently laughing at me.

What could I say?

She was right about this. Despite this girl’s ridiculous clothing, she was gorgeous.

More than that even. She was an angel.

“I’m Grace,” she said in a low and sweet voice. “I don’t think we’ve met.” Her eyes flicked to my face then back down. She clearly was a shy girl.

“No, I would have remembered you.” I held out my hand and waited for hers. She seemed kind of stunned by my admission, but I wasn’t one to hold my tongue. It’s a good thing I didn’t say what I was really thinking, -like damn girl.

She placed her tiny hand inside mine, and gently squeezed. Was she afraid of me? Her hand jerked free almost as quickly as it touched me.

“I’m Jackson.”

She looked at me briefly than anywhere else she could find. She was avoiding eye contact. To be so beautiful, she sure was withdrawn.

“Don’t mind my brother,” Kennedy said as the two of them walked out of the door first. I still stood there a little shell-shocked. I had never seen a girl that looked so beautiful, and she wasn’t wearing a single drop of makeup. I didn’t even know that that was humanly possible. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve went to bed with a girl and woke up with a totally different one. I laughed at the thought.

Following them outside, I waited for Kennedy to lock up. Grace had her back to me, and I was obviously checking her out. You couldn’t tell much about her body, other than she was small. Her long milkmaid skirt covered everything up, and those shoes. Yikes. I didn’t even know they made those canvas type shoes anymore. They were ugly. I could only imagine the way this girl got picked on.

Even I was calling her names.

“Can we give you a ride home?” I asked.

I didn’t care that Kennedy was about two breaths from full on laughter.

“No thank you,” she answered politely. “I don’t mind the walk. It’s not far.”

“It’s too damn cold,” and it was. She was only wearing a sweater. “I’ll take you.”

Her eyes grew big. “Honestly, I’m fine.”

“Well here then,” I shrugged out of my coat. She at least was going to stay warm. I held out the coat and waited for her to put it on.

“Oh dear brother, I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this side you before.” Kennedy joked.

It didn’t go unnoticed by Grace either. I could see the smile creeping up on her cheeks. She was hesitant.

“Just take it,” I snapped.

She slid her tiny arms inside, and wrapped the jacket tightly around her. “Thank you.” She said. “I better go.”

“See you tomorrow.” Kennedy said.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow. Thank you for the coat Jackson.”

“You’re welcome. See you tomorrow.” Her head leaned to the side a little, and I smiled big. Bet she didn’t know that she’d be seeing a lot more of me.

When I got inside the car, I looked in my mirror and watched that girl walk off in the opposite direction. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Who was she, and where did she come from?

“I knew it. I knew it. I knew the moment that you laid eyes on that girl, that you’d be biting your tongue.” Kennedy laughed as she buckled her seat belt.

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, so she’s beautiful. I’ll admit it. What’s with that damn skirt though, and did you see her shoes?”

“Don’t be such a superficial prick Jack. She’s different. So what?”

“I’m not superficial, I’m honest. She needs some new clothes.”

“Maybe she doesn’t want new clothes,” was Kennedy’s reply. “Maybe she likes what she’s wearing. She’s from Oklahoma. Maybe that’s what all the girl’s in Oklahoma wear.”

“Hell no. Colleen Marie would never be caught dead looking like that, so your theory is wrong.”

“Who the hell is Colleen Marie?”

“Playboy’s playmate of the month, August 2003.”

“You’re seriously disturbed brother. That fact that you know that is ridiculous. You were not looking at Playboy’s in 2003.” She huffed.

“You can search anything you want on the Internet, and that’s not the point. She looks like she’s part of some Little House on the Prairie farm.”

“Just give it up, would you? It’s not like you have a chance with her anyway. She is far too inexperienced for you.”

“That can be changed.” I grinned at the thought.

“Shut your face. You’re getting on my nerves.”

“Well it’s my car and if you don’t like what I have to say, then you’re welcome to walk.”

Thankfully, that shut her up.

I thought about Grace the rest of the ride home. I knew Kennedy was right about her being inexperienced, and I knew that truthfully I’d never have a chance, but I couldn’t seem to get her out of my head. From a reputation stand point, I knew that people would chew me up and spit me out over this one, but dammit she was hot. Well, her face was, her clothes not so much. But I already had a hot girl right at my disposal. Holly was giving it up anytime I wanted it. No need chasing after something that wouldn’t amount to nothing. That’d be too much work.

7

Grace

“So whose jacket are you wearing?” Aunt Darcy asked as soon as I walked in. Her eyes were bright and the smile was much too big for her face.

I hadn’t even thought about her seeing me in it. I couldn’t wrap my head around it myself. I’d never been around boys much, outside of my brother. It was different, and nice. Yeah, nice was a good word. Of course, I got really nervous and didn’t say much, but what could he expect from me. He saw what I looked like for goodness sakes. He couldn’t expect much. The entire walk home I kept thinking about how forthcoming he was. He wasn’t afraid to say anything, much like his sister. But the gesture of his jacket was nice. It kept me warm the entire walk home, and it smelled so good.

“It belongs to a boy named Jackson. He is Kennedy’s brother. She’s the girl I was telling you about that’s my friend at work. They offered me a ride home, and when I didn’t except, he gave me his coat.” I tried hard not to smile, but the cheesiest grin spread across my face. I knew it was cheesy, because she was all but laughing right in my face.

She was curled up on the couch with her coffee mug, and patted the spot next to her for me to sit. “So, what does he look like? Tell me all about him?”

I sat down, but I didn’t want to say anything at first. You just weren’t supposed to talk about these things, or maybe you were and I’d just been doing it all wrong all of these years. But whom was I supposed to talk to, certainly not my mother. And this was the hottest boy that I’d ever spoke to. Besides, he was the only boy I’d ever spoken to.

I couldn’t contain myself any longer. “Oh Darcy, you should have seen him. He’s so handsome. He has this dark brown hair, that is almost black, and it was fixed perfectly. I’m not sure what he uses on it, but it never moves.” She laughed and I continued. “He’s really tall too. Well, you can tell by this jacket, and he says whatever he’s thinking. Like, he doesn’t care what comes out of his mouth. I’ve never met anyone like him.”