She grinned up at him. “Yep, you were definitely thinking about something.”
“I was just wondering if I needed to run back and check on the trailers to make sure they haven’t caught fire.” He chuckled and shook his head, though losing everything to flames certainly wasn’t something to laugh about. “My daddy was a volunteer firefighter,” he said. “And he drilled fire safety into me, but I always extinguish the fire before I leave in the morning, so I know it’s not going.”
“I don’t know how you live out there at all,” Jim said, and Tarr simply stitched on his smile for Tuck’s father-in-law. He’d dealt with plenty of personalities as a rodeo star, and he’d only met Bobbie Jo’s parents and had brief exchanges with them a couple of times in the past couple of days.
Still, he could see why Tuck and Bobbie Jo were frustrated with them and why Tuck didn’t think they’d ever be best of friends. Jim and Linda complained about everything, even the brand-new carpet on the second floor, where they were living in a two-bedroom suite with a bathroom and a modified full kitchen, fully furnished, for free.
Bobbie Jo eased into her daddy’s side. “Did you guys get enough to eat?” she asked. “I’m going to be putting away the appetizers, because Tuck is going to bring in the smoked salmon and smoked turkey, and we’ll have dinner.”
She threw a nervous glance at Tarr and then Briar.
“I’ll help you,” Briar said, and she moved into the kitchen to start reboxing crackers and put cheese dip in plastic containers.
“I do want some more of that krab dip,” her daddy said. “Your momma makes the best krab dip in the world.”
Her father moved over to the island where the charcuterie boards waited, and Bobbie Jo sighed. “He’s not bothering you, is he?” she practically hissed under her breath.
“He’s fine,” Tarr said.
“That krab dip is disgusting.” She shook her head and then turned and walked into the kitchen to join Briar.
Tuck sat on the couch with Alex and Deacon, and Bobbie Jo’s mom sat in a recliner, knitting. Yes,knittingat a party. Tarr wasn’t sure what to make of her, because she certainly knew how to keep herself busy while not doing anything helpful. He turned his back on the whole living room scene and moved over to the drink dispenser to get more punch.
“She’s got hot chocolate on the stove,” Briar said, taking his punch cup from him. She took a sip of it and then smacked her lips.
“Hey,” he said. “That’s my cup.”
He wished they were bringing in the New Year alone so he could hold her on his lap as they watched a movie neither of them cared about, and he could kiss her as much as he wanted to. As it was, he didn’t dare leave Tuck and Bobbie Jo here with her parents, though he’d already heard each of them say that they probably wouldn’t make it past ten PM.
Briar wasn’t a night owl either, but Tarr and Tuck had spent years staying up late for rodeos and after-parties and breakfast for dinner at one in the morning. Tarr still loved that lifestyle, and he didn’t have to be riding the circuit to stay up past midnight and groan when his alarm went off in the morning. He’d have to get back to training horses on Tuesday, which was when Tuck had declared the end of their vacation schedule.
Briar extended her hand to give Tarr his cup back, but he shook his head. “You’re right. I want the hot chocolate.”
“She made plain milk chocolate,” Briar said. “And then she’s got these oils that you can put in it for mint, or orange, or raspberry.”
“I want the orange,” he said.
Briar wrinkled her nose in the cutest gesture ever. “I’m going to have mint.”
“That tracks for you.” He grinned at her and hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his body.
“Tarr,” Briar warned under her breath.
“What?” he asked. “There’s like five people at this party. It’s not like I’m gonna make out with you in front of strangers.” He leaned down and touched his lips to her cheek. “There’s no paparazzi here to get our pictures and post them online.”
She relaxed in his arms then, leaning her cheek against his chest as she hooked her fingers in the belt loops at his sides. He liked that, because it made him feel like she needed him to stand up.
He ran his hand down over her left hip. “How are you feeling tonight, sweetheart?” he asked. She’d told him that the colder weather made her hip hurt, and it had gotten worse this year because of the coyote attack.
“It’s sore,” she said. “I should probably take some more painkillers now, so I can take some before bed too.”
“We can sit at this party,” he said, as Tucker and Bobbie Jo had plenty of furniture in their house and only eight people here. Rosie and Jessa had not arrived for their training, and Stretch had opted to attend a party with the friend he was staying with.
“I’ll get us some hot chocolate,” he said. “You go claim us a spot on the loveseat.”
She stepped back and nodded. “All right.”
He managed to make it out of the kitchen before the hour bell rang, and Tuck popped to his feet. “It’s eight o’clock,” he yelled to the house as if no one knew. A grandfather clock chimed, and they all stood there and waited for it to play its little song and then bong eight times.
