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“Well, as I recall, kissing leads to touching, and touching leads to—”
“We haven’t done it, Mom.” Wringing her hands together, she sighed. “The thing is…”
“You want to?”
“Yes, but besides that, more important than that…” Nibbling on her lip, saline rushed to fill her eyes. “I’m in love with Kellan too.”
She was quiet for a moment.
“Ohhh, I see.” Jennifer glanced down at her stomach. “That’s good, I suppose. If you’re gonna stay here. Can’t have one without the other, can you? Being it’s their way and all.”
“You’re not mad? Shocked? Anything?”
“No, I’m not mad. I probably should’ve expected it.” She rubbed the baby kicking away in her belly. “It’s not the life I ever imagined for you, to be honest, or for this little one either. But most of us are lucky to find one true love in this lifetime, so if you’ve been so fortunate as to have found two? Then I’d say you’re very blessed indeed.”
“You ready yet, pretty girl?”
Arien turned from the mirror. Tanner swept into her room with no shirt on. Skintight Wranglers painted on his ass. She licked her lips. Yummy.
It had been a long and lonely month for her—Emily and most of the other girls, too. All the men pitched in during calving season. But it was over and done with for the most part, so they were going to the first bonfire party of the spring. And this time, she knew what to expect.
“Not quite.” Arien crooked her finger. “C’mere.”
“What?” Grinning, Tanner came closer.
“Kiss me, cowboy.”
And he did.
Tender and sweet, Tanner had a way of kissing that snuck in and stole her breath when he wanted to take it. Soft-spoken, yet commanding, he burned at a constant simmer. But those expressive green eyes told her he was more than ready to dial it up a notch.
“You missed this, didn’t you, little sister?” His lips brushing hers, he squeezed her breast. “I did too.”
“So much.” Arien cupped the bulge in his jeans. “You have no idea.”
“You keep testing me, baby.” He groaned. “I want inside you so bad.”
“Fuck, I want you too.” She kissed him again.
Tanner tugged on her lip with his teeth. “And Kellan?”
“Yes, and Kellan.”
“That makes me so fucking happy.” He squeezed her so tight, her feet came off the floor. “You’re stayin’, then. We’ll have to plan a weddin’ for the summer ’cause we take the cattle to market in the fall…”
“Wait a minute…” Tanner set her down. “…I start college in the fall. In Denver.”
“You can take classes in Jackson. Or online.”
“But I got a scholarship to UC.” And she’d worked so hard to get it. “Do we really have to get married right away? Can’t we wait? We’ll still be together and I’ll come home every break, I promise.”
“We can wait.” He softly kissed her lips, but there was no passion in it. “We can’t be together, though. Not how we wanna be. Won’t risk it. I love you way too much.”
“Tanner…” Jesus, he truly believes all that mumbo jumbo. “…I love you. God, I love you so much, but I never imagined myself married at eighteen. I saw college, taking pictures, parties…”
And boys.
She already had the ones she wanted, though.
