Page 40 of Sudden Summer

“What?” I felt her eyes track me as I walked down the stairs to grab her phone, still lying down in the dirt, before slipping it into my pocket and heading back towards her. She squealed as I scooped her up, her arms wrapping around my neck instantly. “Beau, honestly…”

“I want to do this right. I want to make sure that the first time we are together like that…We got carried away out here, and it was so fucking special, Chickadee. I want you to know how special it will always be to me. I’m going to do the next part right.”

She smiled, pulling on my neck as she kissed my cheek. Fuck. It was literally taking all of my willpower to not set her down on the stairs and peel her goddamn dress off with my teeth.

Instead, I forced myself to place her gently on the bed. She giggled as she got to her feet and walked to the bathroom, her bottom lip sticking out at me in a pout as she shut the door.

I messed around for a few minutes getting the house cleaned up, checked that the doors were locked—something I’d never even thought about doing until Vi’s stalker situation last year. I peeked in on Juniper, even though the video feed was up on the monitor in our room.

When I heard the bathroom door open, my eyes nearly dropped out of my head.

“Please tell me you have something on under that old shirt of mine.”

“Nope,” she smiled, shaking her ass as she walked past me and crawled into bed, “nothing at all.”

“Chickadee…”

“What?” Her laughter filled the room.

“You’re making it very hard for me to remember that I’m trying to be chivalrous tonight.”

She winked. I was gonna lose this fight. I knew just from the way my heart skipped all wonky when I watched her freckles fold into the little lines she was starting to get around her eyes. God, I loved them. “That’s on you. I’m not the one holding back what we both want right now.”

I groaned. Shaking my damn head so hard I thought I might give myself a concussion, I stomped over to my closet and grabbed the shorts I’d be sleeping in.

I was ready to get more sass from her when I came out of the bathroom after finally cleaning myself up, but stopped mid stride and chuckled. Birdie was already on her side, curled up around my pillows, her eyes fluttering closed. I put her phone on her night stand before I sat on my side of the bed—my own fingers flying over my phone’s screen.

“What are you doing? I thought we were going to sleep?” She yawned, her eyes popping back open to give me the cutest little scowl when I finally got into bed with her.

“Oh, we are. But I had to send a text in the family chat. Should be dinging on your phone…in…one…second. There.”

I smiled as her phone lit up on the night stand next to her.

“Read it,” I encouraged as I sat back against the headboard.

“Beau…”

“Read it, baby.”

“I swear to God if you asked your brothers for condoms, I will actually die.”

“No dying. And I didn’t ask about condoms.” I chuckled.

My own phone dinged, so I dropped my eyes to my screen to see who had responded so quickly.

Hey guys. Just a heads up…Birdie and I had a big talk tonight. We decided being best friends just wasn’t in the cards for us anymore. We hope you’ll respect our decision to move on from these roles in each other’s life. It’s what’s best. Truly. Also, please don’t harass Birdie about her new role as my girlfriend, or me, as I undertake my new role as her boyfriend.

Jessie: I’m going to fucking kill you for giving me a heart attack! Just so we’re clear, if you ever screw things up with Birdie, she gets me in the custody agreement.

Colt: Congrats you guys! About damn time!

Hayes: Oh my GOD! I’m going to be alone forever! I mean, yeah, great for you guys…everyone in this family has been waiting for it to happen for the last thirty years, but sure, hooray you two!

Violet: This is so wonderful! Jess, Birdie, girls’ time soon?

Jessie: I’m in!

Lachlan: About fucking time, asshole. Birdie…if he’s making you agree to this, blink twice and I’ll have Hayes kick the shit out of him.