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“You and Beck, or with your brother and Mackenzie?”
“No, just me and Beck.”
“Don’t forget about lunch with the girls today.”
“I won’t. I’ll probably just meet you all there since I’ll be with Beck.”
I tried to look and see if I could glimpse her mother.
“He’s such a handsome young man.”
“Mom…”
Smiling, I attempted to stay as quiet as I could. At least I had Merit on my side.
“Well, he is. And your father likes him.”
Until he finds me under his daughter’s bed.
“Does that mean if we went out on a date, you’d both be alright with it?”
There was a moment of silence, and I held my breath. “I would be. And I think your father would as well. The only problem I see, Avery, is that he lives in Texas.”
“That’s the only problem? What about the age difference?”
Merit laughed. “That doesn’t bother me. I would just hate for you to fall for this man, and he ends up leaving. And I certainly don’t want you following him to Texas.”
Avery let out a nervous laugh. “I’m not going to Texas, Mom. Montana is my home, and I can’t see me ever leaving.”
A strange feeling hit me in the middle of my chest. I frowned. I was already caught up in wanting to be with Avery, this living in the moment I wasn’t so sure about.
“Okay, well, I just wanted to let you know we’re home. Your father went back to bed. I think I’ll grab the book I’ve been reading and snuggle up next to him. It’s a rare day we can just sit around and do nothing.”
“You should definitely do that,” Avery said a little too quickly. “I mean, why not just chill for a bit.”
I heard movement, then what sounded like a kiss. “I agree. Let us know when you leave with Beck.”
“Will do.”
The sounds of footsteps walking away, followed by the soft click of the door, had me letting out a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding.
“Beck?” Avery whispered.
Crawling out from under the bed, I saw her rushing over to get her phone. She hit a few things, then held the phone up to her ear.
“Bradly! Where are you?”
I looked for my own phone and didn’t find it. I must have left it down in the rental.
“Okay, well, I’m sorry I interrupted your morning with Mackenzie. Listen, if Mom or Dad asks, Beck was with you this morning. You showed him…whatever it is you would show him.” A pause. “It doesn’t matter why I need you to go along with it.” Her hand went to her hip. “Fine. Mom and Dad were supposed to be gone this morning, but Dad got the date wrong. Beck’s here, in my room, and his rental is parked outside. I told them he met you.”
I gave her a look that said I couldn’t believe she’d said all that to her brother. She shrugged. Then closed her eyes and clenched her jaw.
“Oh my God, Bradly, are you serious right now? Nothing happened. Really.” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you remember that glass trophy Dad had for that bull riding thing he did when he first started, the one that he loved so much?” An evil smile appeared on her face. “Oh, yes, I will.” Another pause. “Thank you. One more thing—how do I get Beck out of the house without Mom and Dad seeing him?”
She nodded, said “okay” a few times, then ended the call.
“How do I get out?”
“Through the front door.”
My shoulders fell. “Are you serious?”
“Well, Bradly actually suggested you climb down the tree outside his old room. That’s how he used to sneak in and out, but with the snow, I don’t think that’s an option. Come on.”
She grabbed my hand and quietly opened her bedroom door. We both stuck our heads out, and when we didn’t hear anything, Avery softly tiptoed down the hall. She frantically waved her hand for me to follow, so I did.
Once we got to the steps, she motioned for me to walk down the left side. We carefully and painstakingly went down one step at a time. Once we got to the last step, she stopped and listened again. Then she gave me a push. I quickly made my way through the house to the front door. Carefully opening it, I slipped outside.
Avery grabbed my hand and pulled me to a stop. “Kiss me before you go.”
I blinked at her several times. “Are you serious?”
She nodded.
Leaning down, I wrapped my arm around her, drew her close, and kissed her. When our tongues touched, she let out a soft moan. Drawing back, I kissed her nose. “Call me when you want me to pick you up.”
“Give me thirty minutes to get changed, then ring the doorbell.”
“Where should I go between then and now?”
Her eyes moved past me. When I followed her gaze, I saw the barn.
