Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113812 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 569(@200wpm)___ 455(@250wpm)___ 379(@300wpm)
I go first. “No entry in the dessert contest this year?”
Mary leans back, kicking her feet up on an ottoman with a contented smile on her face. “Not this year.”
“She decided to give someone else a chance,” her husband says with pride. “Her five-year streak is going to be hard to beat.”
Tagger stands at the opening of the hallway with his hands on his sides. “Better to go out on top, right, Mom?”
She looks over her shoulder at him. “It really came down to me wanting to spend time with my son and grandson more than days prepping a dish and standing at the festival all day after that.”
He comes around and gives her a hug from behind the chair. “Beck should be fine. He’s so sleepy. I told him I was going to take Pris home, though, so if he gets up . . .”
“We’ve raised two outstanding young men. We’ll take good care of him, so don’t rush home.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He comes to me and offers a hand to pull me to my feet. “You ready?”
With a slight nod, I move around him to thank his parents before we’re quick to the truck. “If you need to stay—”
“He’s doing okay. He was a new kid in the bedroom when I was tucking him in. Tired from the day, but full color in his face and happy. Though, I’m not sure he’ll ever have another blue raspberry slushie again.”
“I don’t blame him. I haven’t had one since eighth grade when I vomited on the way home. My dad had me sit in the bed of the truck with my brothers and Lauralee so he didn’t have to stop.”
“That’s rough. And not sexy in the least.” I start to laugh when he reaches over to hold my hand, and asks, “But you still are. How about spending some time together back at the barn?”
“Are you asking me to have sex with you, Mr. Grange?”
“I’m asking if I can make love to you, Ms. Greene.”
We’re still talking about sex, so it’s not the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard him say, but a lump still forms in my throat from the change in how we usually talk about it. “I’d like that. I like being with you, always.”
He doesn’t say much else on the drive over to mine. Not sure if it’s the day holding on to his muscles, the physical labor wearing him out, or that he’s still concerned about his son, but there seems to be a lot on that mind, leaving me to only guess what it might be.
Before we pull onto the property, he pulls over, shifts the truck into park, and says, “Anna might take a promotion in Paris.” I’m still not sure how to react to this shocking news. No wonder he’s been preoccupied. I reach over to hold his hand. He lowers his head, and says, “I don’t want him in Paris. I want him with me.”
Angling closer, I lean over to kiss his shoulder. “I’ll be here to support you however you need me.”
He looks over and strokes hair that has fallen loose from the ponytail away from my face. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
His shoulders relax, and the vibrancy returns to his eyes. “Let’s get you to bed.”
I grin, knowing exactly what that means. I also know what he’s doing when he parks a little way from the side of the house. Easier to go unnoticed once my dad heads to bed and drive away without lights shining in the windows. This isn’t my first rodeo, either.
We’re not sneaking around, but we don’t need to make a production that we’re aiming for the barn to go have sex. Excuse me, make love. I swoon a little more over that.
The horses have a garbled neigh, their way of telling me it’s time for them to rest, and the chickens are in their coop for the night. We climb up the ladder and light the little lamp on the bookcase to break up the dark.
When I turn back, he’s watching me, not with hunger, but that reverence I saw in his eyes earlier has returned. It’s just an old dress and boots with a ribbon around my ponytail, but he makes me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
“Want to dance?”
I move across the room, ready to melt into his arms. Slipping my hand in his and resting the other on his shoulder, I’ve seen this scenario in movies before and know my line by heart. “There’s no music playing.”
“Who needs music when we have the moonlight shining in? And a little lamp.” He starts to sway. Finding rhythm with him is easy when we fit together so well. Pulling me close, he kisses the side of my head, and says, “I love you.”