âHow have you been?â he asked.Pregnant.
The word was on the tip of Kaylaâs tongue because, of course, that reality had been at the forefront of her mind since the little plus sign had appeared on the test sheâd bought at the pharmacy in Kalispell. But she didnât dare say it aloud, because she knew he couldnât understand when he didnât even remember sleeping with her.
âFine,â she said instead. âAnd you?â
âFine,â he echoed.
She nodded.
An awkward silence followed.
âI wanted to call you,â he said, dropping his voice to ensure that his words wouldnât be overheard by any passersby. âThere were so many times I thought about picking up the phone, just because I was thinking about you.â
Her heart, already racing, accelerated even more. âYou were thinking about me?â
âI havenât stopped thinking about you since we danced at the wedding.â
Since we danced?
That was what Trey remembered about that night? She didnât know whether to laugh or cry.
* * *
Montana Mavericks:What Happened at the Wedding? A weekend Rust Creek Falls will never forget!
Prologue
Fourth of July
Trey Strickland did a double take when he first spotted Kayla Dalton at the wedding of local rancher Braden Traub to Jennifer MacCallum of Whitehorn.
Although Trey was only visiting from Thunder Canyon, his family had lived in Rust Creek Falls for a number of years while he was growing up. His best friend during that time was Derek Dalton, who had two older brothers, Eli and Jonah, and two younger sisters, twins Kristen and Kayla.
Trey remembered Kayla as a pretty girl with a quiet demeanor and a shy smile, but sheâd grown upâand then some. She was no longer a pretty girl, but a beautiful woman with long, silky brown hair, sparkling blue eyes and distinctly feminine curves. Looking at her now, he couldnât help but notice the lean, shapely legs showcased by the short hem of her blue sundress, the tiny waist encircled by a narrow belt, the sweetly rounded breasts hugged by the bodice...and his mouth actually went dry.
She was stunning, sexy and incredibly tempting. Unfortunately, she was still his friendâs little sister, which meant that she was off-limits to him.
But apparently, Kayla was unaware of that fact, because after hovering on the other side of the wooden dance floor that had been erected in the park for the occasion, she set down her cup of punch and made her way around the perimeter of the crowd.
She had a purposeful strideâand surprisingly long legs for such a little thingâand he enjoyed watching her move. He was pleased when she came to a stop beside him, looking up at him with determination and just a little bit of trepidation glinting in her beautiful blue eyes.
âHello, Trey.â
He inclined his head in acknowledgment of her greeting. âKayla.â
For some reason, his use of her name seemed to take her aback. âHow did you know it was me?â
âI havenât been gone from Rust Creek Falls that long,â he chided gently.
Soft pink color filled her cheeks. âI meantâhow did you know I was Kayla and not Kristen?â
âIâm not sure,â he admitted. But the truth was, heâd never had any trouble telling his friendâs twin sisters apart. Although identical in appearance, their personalities were completely different, and heâd always had a soft spot for the shyer twin.
Thankfully, she didnât press for more of an explanation, turning her attention back to the dance floor instead. âThey look good together, donât they?â
He followed her gaze to the bride and groom, nodded.
They chatted a little bit more about the wedding and various other things. A couple of older women circulated through the crowd, carrying cups of wedding punch to distribute to the guests. The beverage was refreshingly cold, so he lifted a couple of cups from the tray and handed one to Kayla.
When they finished their drinks and set the empty cups aside, he turned to her and asked, âWould you like to dance?â