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She frowns before typing into her phone. You would get along great with my
mother. She looks to the ceiling a moment. But, seriously, I know it would be a
good thing. I m just not sure if I m ready for it. I m a big chicken when it
comes to hospitals. I feel sick just thinking about it.
I get it. I pull out my phone. When my brother died I started to black out as
soon as I hit the ER. I m not a fan of blood or gore, and, unfortunately, with
Ben I got both.
I m so sorry, she says in the faintest whisper. Her fingers move lightning fast over
her phone. What you went through is unimaginable. I couldn t handle losing
either one of my brothers. I feel bad when they act like jerks around you.
No. They don t. My chest rumbles with a laugh. Maybe a little. I squeeze my finger
and thumb together and wince. I m teasing. I m glad they re protective of you. I
wouldn t want it any other way.
She lifts a shoulder at the thought. Tell me about your family.
My family. I swallow hard, trying to figure out which angle to take on this.
My dad is I clasp my hand to the back of my neck before reaching for my phone.
He s a character. That s putting it mildly. My mother was divorced, a single mom
when she met him. My older brother, Wyatt, this is his ranch. He s a great guy.
I can t wait for you to meet him. I nod toward the main house. He s a lady s man.
That s why he s opted to let me stay in the guesthouse. My brother, Benji we
were close. We fought sometimes. Nothing was ever perfect in our lives, but
we had each other.
That about sums up my existence in a nutshell with the exception of Olivia. Just the
thought of her makes my stomach sour.
Annie holds out her phone. You mentioned that he passed away this last
summer, that was just a few weeks ago. I can imagine how raw your emotions
must be. Do you want to talk about him? Her eyes glitter as tears threaten to fall.
Just seeing Annie trying to absorb my pain makes it all a little easier to handle.
He was a nut. True as God. We loved the same things, fishing, hiking. He
wasn t in the band toward the end. When we were little, he d tell everyone I
was his sister just to piss me off. A laugh bucks through my chest. He was my
buddy. I can t imagine how I m going to get through life without him.
Annie sighs as she writes out a reply. Blake I want you to know that you can
talk to me about Benji anytime you want. I m here for you. I don t want you to
ever feel like you can t talk about him.
I nod. Thank you. I ll take you up on that. I appreciate it.
Annie slips over and sits in my lap. A devilish smile rides over her lips as she taps into
her phone. Tell me about the girls in your life. Every time I turn around, there s
a girl trying to climb you.
Sort of like this? I give the bottom of her thigh a light tap. And a genuine laugh
trickles from the both of us. Hers still has the volume turned down. Girls, huh? I don t
kiss and tell.
She takes my phone. Can I ask how many there have been?
I take it back. Why do I get the feeling you re not asking about kisses
anymore.
Annie bites down seductively on her lower lip and shakes her head. She wants
answers. I consider it for a moment. I know for a fact I m knee-deep in double digits.
Too many. The need to apologize bubbles to the surface. I m sorry.
Why? Her brows knit. She looks genuinely perplexed by this.
Because I wish I waited. I press my lips tight. I wish I waited for you.
Her mouth opens, and she glances at the door like she might be using it.
I didn t mean to make you uncomfortable. I pull up my phone. It s just what
happened today, that was something that I ve never experienced before. It
was amazing. It felt right. Like I ve waited for it my entire life.
The fire snaps a series of aggressive pops, and the room heats up ten times hotter
than before.
Annie doesn t move. Her eyes stay fixed on mine. She blinks at her phone a moment
before writing back. Sometimes there are no words.
I pull her chin up with my finger ever so gently. This time I don t ask, I simply lower
my lips to hers and kiss her, slow and easy, like she were mine. And I m hoping to God
she is.
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