Opening night was a hit thanks to the Shattered Souls concert being cancelled at the last minute. I barely saw Destiny after she left the cabin. After I got my stuff done, I wandered around and helped some of the local vendors set up their booths. I’d been expecting a pasture or two full of bluebonnets and a couple dozen kids who wanted to pet a baby goat, but what Destiny had pulled together far exceeded my limited vision. At one point, I tried to do a quick estimate of the number of parked cars I could see, but gave up when a busload of tourists pulled up and blocked my line of sight.
I barely saw Destiny while she raced around the festival and made sure everyone had what they needed. When I did, she had a smile on her face as wide as the Gulf of Mexico and that big beast of a dog shadowing her. I still couldn’t believe she’d inadvertently named him after me.
The animals cooperated fairly well with the number of kids and adults who stopped by. Shirley was the big attraction. I kept telling Henry he needed to start taking paid endorsements for the beady-eyed emu. She’d come a long way since they’d first rescued her, and even with the prosthetic leg he’d made her, she showed no signs of slowing down.
Reggie had to be put in time out in the trailer. I couldn’t come within ten feet of him without him launching a glob of spit my way. I’d accidentally stepped on his foot earlier, and the damn llama held onto a grudge longer than Mama Mae had been hand knitting helmet liners for the Army. I texted Henry to see if he had any tips and he suggested Reggie and I look into couples' therapy together. Not fucking funny. I slipped the long-necked dude an extra handful of chopped carrots and hoped he’d forgive me.
Finally, after the last set of taillights faded away, I went looking for Destiny. The food truck vendors were cleaning up their rigs and heading out. All the local craft booths had been shut down for the night. It was almost midnight, and I hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours, but as soon as I saw her, the weariness seeped out of my bones.
“Did you have a good day?” I shot a quick glance around before I slipped my arms behind her back and drew her in close.
“The best day. Based on the numbers coming in, I blew away my goal for day one within the first few hours.” Her happiness was contagious, and I returned her wide smile.
“That’s great, and you’ve still got two more days to go.” I’d taken breaks throughout the day to walk the perimeter of the festival. Families and couples had snapped pictures in the fields, throngs of festival goers waited in long lines to grab a bite to eat, and I hadn’t seen anything that appeared out of place or gave me reason to believe Dartman was making plans to strike back.
“I don’t know what you did last night, but thank you.” Her hands clasped behind my neck, and she pulled my head down for a kiss.
More than happy to oblige, I cradled the back of her head in my palm, tilting her chin up at the perfect angle to let me kiss her long and deep.
“Do you want to sleep up at the house tonight?” Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks. She hadn’t been so shy this morning when she mounted me like her favorite bucking bronc and rode me to her release.
“Do you want me to sleep up at the house tonight?” I was all for it, assuming there wasn’t going to be a lot of sleeping going on.
Mike always said we could sleep when we were dead. There was too much to experience during the short period of time we had on this earth. A pang of guilt cut through my stomach. He probably hadn’t intended his advice to apply to his best friend banging his little sister.
“Maybe I need to rephrase the question.” Her brown eyes sparkled as she stared into my eyes. “Would you like to share my bed tonight?”
“Will there be sleeping involved?” I teased. “You didn’t let me have a nap this morning. I get pretty cranky if I don’t get eight hours a night.”
She tilted her head and focused her gaze on my lips. “Eight hours of what, exactly?”
Why the fuck did the only woman I’d ever been tempted to hold on to forever have to be Mike’s baby sister? I ought to shut this down before it went any further.
“You’re killing me, minx.”
“Death by orgasm? Wouldn’t be such a bad way to go.”
I couldn’t resist her any more than I could turn down one of Mama Mae’s home baked care packages. Especially when she sent caramel kisses. She’d gotten the recipe from some bakery out in Montana, and I’d had to hide them from the other guys when they hit the mail drop.
“How could I say no to that?” I rested my arm on her shoulder, and we headed toward the house. “Hey, where’s Gonzo?”
“Probably checking to make sure no one dropped anything around the food trucks. That dog’s so food motivated, it’s not even funny.” When we reached the front porch, she pushed open the door and invited me in.
“Maybe you ought to start locking your doors, at least while the festival’s going on.” Though I’d only met him once, Dartman didn’t seem like the type of man who’d go down without a fight. He was planning something. I could sense it like a storm brewing off in the distance.
“No one’s going to get past Gonzo, but if it makes you feel better, I can flip the deadbolt for you, soldier.” She turned the lock and headed toward the hall. “You coming?”
Her shirt landed on the floor behind her. Then she stepped into the hall and tossed her bra in my direction as she turned the corner.
Hell yeah, I’d be coming. Both of us would.
“Right behind you, minx.”
I wokeup to the sound of breaking glass. I’d been curled around Destiny, my body playing big spoon to her curvy backside.
“What was that?” she whispered.
“Sounds like someone’s in the house. Stay here.”
