Page 42 of Beautifully Broken

Ashley

"Fuckity-fuck nuggets," I cry as I toss another shirt on my bed.

"Uhh, everything okay?"

"Aaah!" I scream and trip over the sequined crop top lying on my floor, startled by my friend, Keagan, standing awkwardly in my doorway. I go down hard with a grunt.

"Shit. Are you okay?"

"Just great. What are you doing here?"

"You told me to drop by, remember? You thought you had a new otter family moving in on your corner of the lake, and you wanted me to scope it out and said today would be a good day."

"Oh, for fuck's sake. I did tell you that, but then the bear asked me out and everything fled from my brain. And then he tells me to dress warmly and wear comfy shoes. Like, who does this man think I am? Comfy shoes are my five-inch pumps instead of my six—"

"Whoa, why don't you take a breath? First off, who's the bear?"

"Umm, I don't want to say in case I jinx it."

"I get that, but it's me you're talking to."

"Fine. His name is Talon Connely."

"No shit." Keagan's eyebrows shoot up as disbelief floods his face.

"Shit, I knew this was too good to be true." I flop dramatically back on my bed, onto the mountain of clothes from trying to decide what to wear on our date.

"No, I didn't mean anything other than that I'm surprised. Talon and I are friends. Well, as much as he'll let people close to him. He's the best kind of guy. I just never would've paired you two together, but I actually really like it."

"You do? "

"I do. I think you could be good for each other. Now, what were you grumbling about his text? Maybe I can help."

"He told me to wear comfy shoes to walk in and warm clothes, so I'm assuming we'll be outside. Do I look like I have the appropriate clothes to wear for an outdoor date?" I exasperatedly toss a handful of loud-patterned shirts at Keagan, who chuckles.

"Quit being dramatic. I know you've got clothes for hiking, and if nothing else, to wear to go out on rescues. Show me those."

"Those are so boring, though."

"Ash, you don't need all the flash."

"I may not need it, but I like it."

"You use it as your armor, which I totally get.

I'm not saying you can't wear it on your next date, just not this time.

If Talon took the time to give you a heads-up, he wants to make sure you're dressed appropriately and comfortably so that you can enjoy your date.

I don't know how well you know Talon, but the fact that he even asked you out is fucking huge.

Maybe quit overthinking this and give in a little. "

I think about what Keags said for a minute and realize I don't know Talon all that well yet.

Any time I tried asking him a question, he deflected and flipped the attention back to me.

But what I could definitely tell is that he is a caregiver and a protector.

If he's asking me to dress a certain way, I can leave my glam behind for a night and do that for him.

"Wait, can I still do a full glam look as far as my face and hair?"

"I'd expect nothing less, and I'm sure Tal would feel the same."

"Great. Thanks, Keags. You're timing was impeccable. How did it go with the otters?"

A dopey smile spreads across my stoic friend's face.

It makes me happy to see him light up like this, and I treasure him for listening to my meltdown tonight.

People don't understand Keagan since he's so quiet and oftentimes won't even speak around people, so when he opens up and helps me when I'm spiraling, I take it for the blessing it is.

"I think you're right that a new family is moving in. I'll monitor them, but they should be safe where they're at. You're lakefront is private, and it stretches for several miles. They shouldn't have any issues. "

"Yay! I love that they feel safe on my land."

"Me too. Now, you know I'm no expert in clothes, but I can grunt if I like it. Show me what you got before I head out."

I torture Keagan for the next thirty minutes, with outfits that most definitely wouldn't be fit for a hike, until his growl is one of frustration rather than playfulness.

The next outfit I choose is a form-fitting pair of jeans with a ton of stretch, a gray waffled henley, and a sparkly, cute-as-fuck, hot-pink vest. Keagan's lips twitch at the vest, but he gives me a nod of approval before heading out the door.

Looking at my phone, I realize I spent way more time on my clothes than I had planned, and now it's crunch time for my hair and makeup.

Good thing I can do a full glam look in my sleep.

The hair, on the other hand, is a little trickier.

My natural hair has a lot of riotous waves that aren't easily tamed unless addressed right out of the shower.

Deciding to let my mane do its thing, I throw two Dutch braids in the front and braid the hair halfway back into two cute space buns.

I leave the bottom half down and call it good.

I'm just applying my favorite lip-plumping balm when there's a knock at my door. With one last glance in the mirror, I can't help but think the blush was overkill since Talon has my face flushed and I haven't even seen him yet.

I can't wait to see what happens once I actually open the door.