Chapter Thirteen
Tayler
“And then he kissed my forehead.”
I’m on an early morning walk with the ladies from Beedle. Well, everyone but Susanna. Apparently, she has a guy over, so it’s only Patsy, Robbi, Kat, and Lindsay. I must have said something funny because all four of them are laughing hysterically.
When they finally calm down, Robbi’s the first to speak. “He kissed your forehead? Like a priest?”
The cackling starts right back up. This time, I join them. It can’t be helped.
“Father Luke,” Patsy adds between breaths.
“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” Kat joins in the fray.
“Or not,” Robbi deadpans. “It sounds like you’d like to sin with the sexy Luke Green.”
That stops my laughter. Not anyone else’s. Even though we’re walking at a fast clip, I’m still able to turn a little and look at Robbi. “I’d love to sin. I just can’t figure how to do it without feeling really shitty about myself afterward.”
“Why the fuck would you feel shitty?” Robbi practically scoffs those words. “Having sex out of wedlock isn’t a sin.”
“I know.” Eye roll. “I lived with Dylan. That’s not it.”
“Then what’s yourrealissue with Luke Green?” Patsy’s voice is much less abrasive than Robbi’s. Don’t get me wrong, I love Robbi’s way of approaching things. You never have to wonder how she feels.
I have to think about her question, though, because something about the way she asked gives me pause. “I don’t have an issue with him.” On the contrary. “Um.” My walk has slowed. Then I stop completely.
“What?” Kat has moved to stand beside me.
God, Quinn would shit a brick if she were here. The second she gets wind of my reason, she won’t let me forget it. How many years did I give her crap about all the guys she used to love from afar and now I’m basically doing the same? “Short answer?” I look at the girls. “I think it’s because he’s my dream man.” I thought about him in that way even when I was with Dylan. As shitty as that sounds, it’s true. And nothing Luke has done so far, not even his bad attitude, has changed that. In fact, the more I know about Luke Green, the more I believe he’s more than my dream man. He’s my person.
“Ah.” I’m not sure which one of them says that.
Surprisingly, it’s Robbi who has the best response. “And you don’t just fuck your dream man.”
I shake my head. “No. You don’t.” You marry him.
* * *
“Babe.”
I shake my head when I see the man standing in my doorway for the third night in a row. Quinn will be back the day after tomorrow, so I figure these little visits will stop then. In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy them. “What’d you bring tonight?”
He holds up a brown paper bag. “Burgers, fries, and some fried pickles for you. And I promise, no stacked meat.”
“Yum.” I walk to my kitchen knowing he’ll be right behind me with the food. I reach for clean plates from my cupboard, but as I’m stretching out, I freeze when I feel his body right behind mine.
“I got ’em,” he says in his deep voice—so deep I feel it rumbling on my back. I like it. Way too much.
I remain still until he’s got the plates and he’s moved back. Clearing my throat, I ask, “Something to drink?”
He doesn’t answer, just opens my fridge and grabs the last two beers from the six-pack he brought the first night.
We move to the couch like we have the other nights. It’s starting to feel really comfortable. Correction: comfortable isn’t the right word because I’m not comfortable due to all the tension I feel between us, but I’ve grown accustomed to him being here. “What do you feel like watching?” I ask right before I eat my first fried pickle.Yum.
“Anything.”
“Well”—I pick up the remote—“since cable is included in our rent, I’ll choose something you may like.” I flip channels until I find HGTV. “Flip or Flopis on.”
