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I’d packed an extra blanket in case Liza wanted to cuddle up. My heart raced at the thought of our bodies touching. Just as my mind drifted to Liza’s physique, my phone rang.
It was Mother. Shit.
I practically growled into the phone. “If this is another lame attempt at trying to stop my date with Liza at the last minute, you’ve got another think coming.” She didn’t speak. “Really, Mother, do you have nothing better to do with your time?”
She sighed heavily into the phone. When she finally spoke, it was evident that something was wrong. Her weak voice cracked on the first word. “Ty, it’s your dad. He isn’t doing well. You need to come home. Now.”
Chapter 9
Liza
Pink or red? Such a simple decision, yet all I could do was stare at the two bottles of nail polish as if they were cake and cookies ... an impossible decision.
I didn’t have much time before my date with Ty, and I wanted to look my best. Being a caterer, I always kept my nails trimmed short. They were neatly manicured but plain. Tonight, I wanted some color.
Scratching my head, I finally decided on pink. Red screamed look at me, I want all of the attention, and that was not the impression I wanted to make.
I was never the girl who wanted to be first picked for teams in PE, and I certainly wasn’t the girl who wanted to stand on a stage and pretend to enjoy receiving praise for one talent or another. I was content to let everyone believe I was relatively talentless.
I’d also never considered myself to be beautiful, especially compared to high-society heiresses like Cecily Banks. Those women had more money than they knew what to do with, so they had the latest fashions, perfect makeup, and the most expensive perfumes.
I had none of those things. I only had a few nice dresses and a single pair of black heels I’d had for years. Sometimes, especially recently, I borrowed Sabrina’s clothes.
My hair was usually pulled away from my face in some sort of a messy bun, and I deliberately kept my makeup minimal. Even the perfume I wore was something I’d received for Christmas from my parents, which had undoubtedly been purchased at a local department store. I wasn’t a signature scent kind of gal.
I didn’t need any of that, though. Ty accepted me just as I was. So far, at least.
My hands trembled as I tried to paint the pink polish carefully onto each nail. Between work and the whole fated-mate debacle, my nerves were frayed.
I took a deep, cleansing breath to try clear my mind. I needed to relax and shake the anxiety, and not set any formal expectations about the date.
Sure, I wanted everything to go smoothly. I wanted Ty and me to fall madly in love. But that type of idealistic, insta-love, cookie-cutter match might not be in the cards. Fated didn’t necessarily mean it would be a one hundred percent done deal. In all my years and all the mating ceremonies I’d seen and heard about, I had only heard of a few instances of rejections, but it wasn’t unheard of.
A cold chill raced down my back as I imagined Ty deciding I wasn’t the mate he’d always imagined. I teetered on the edge between being hopeful for the date to go well and praying that I didn’t have to face the humiliation that came with that type of rejection.
No. Don’t think like that. I capped the nail polish and stepped back to admire my work. The pink hue seemed brighter than usual, but it was a good kind of bright. The sort that matched my mood for the night.
Tonight was about possibilities, not endings. It was about taking a leap of faith and putting trust in something that went beyond the physical realm. Fate had matched us. Who was I to question our compatibility?
I stepped into my small walk-in closet and perused my options, finally settling on one of my nicest sun dresses. I wasn’t poor and didn’t grow up poor. Granted, I didn’t grow up with a lavish life like others in our corner of Texas, but my parents could afford nice things. I certainly wasn’t a pauper or anyone who would embarrass the good Keller name.
My dad’s position as an attorney afforded us the opportunity to take family vacations and for me to be involved in multiple activities growing up. I hated to think about how much money my parents had spent on costumes, art supplies, sports equipment, books, and other various items needed for my clubs and teams.
Now, with my career as a caterer, I made enough to provide myself with a happy life. I could splurge from time to time, pay my bills, and still put a little back into savings. I wasn’t rich, but I was content.
Nice clothes and expensive makeup weren’t top priority for me, though since fate decided to pair me with a guy who could’ve been a model, I’d been considering updating my wardrobe.
If Ty and I pursued one another, this would be the first of many dates, and I’d never wanted to impress someone as badly as I did Ty.
I took a final glance in the mirror. Not too shabby. My hair was braided across the front and curled at the back, and my makeup was a tad heavier than usual, but not so much that I looked fake, rather just enough to accentuate my wide eyes.
With my pale skin, it was so easy to overdo it with blush and bronzer. I’d learned that the hard way in high school when I first tried to wear makeup. The other kids had laughed me out of the cafeteria, calling me a clown and other nasty names.
I shook off the memories and grabbed my purse, keys, and phone.
The park was only a short drive from my cottage, so I arrived within five minutes.
My heart pounded about ten times harder than usual. My hands were sweaty and kind of gross, so I wiped them on the front of my skirt as I glanced around the parking lot. I didn’t see any other cars in the area and assumed Ty must’ve been running late. Didn’t that figure.
