My offer is met with matching perplexed expressions.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
Tucker shrugs his broad shoulders. “Nothing. Everything is fine and we can both take you home.”
I’m sensing a “but.”
“But if we both do… I guess I’m gonna get my goodnight kiss next time.”
Tucker is an equal blend of cocky and boisterous and equally sweet.
I can’t help but be drawn to him despite the fact that so far I’ve gone more for the brooding, slightly more intellectual types. Colsen doesn’t fit that mold either, even though I can definitely see some brooding intensity in him.
For some reason, I’m irresistibly drawn to both of them, so I do something that’s definitely out of character for me.
“What if you both got a goodnight kiss? Since you’re tied and all.” I gesture to the targets they both shot at.
They look at each other, some kind of silent communication happening between them.
“That could work.” Tucker speaks for his friend, too. “Then you could decide who you want to kiss again.”
He’s right. Kissing them could clear some of the confusion I’ve been feeling tonight.
“Sounds good.” I point at a couple of t-shirts hanging among the prizes. “But before we ride the Ferris wheel, I want to try to return the favor and win something for you. Wouldn’t it be the cutest thing ever if you both had ‘I love Star Cove’ t-shirts to match my teddy bear?”
This time they both smile when they hear my offer.
“You don’t have to,” Colsen says. “But if you want to win something for me, I’m not gonna say no. It’s crazy that I’ve been going to school in Star Cove for three years and I don’t own one of those t-shirts.”
Tucker agrees. “I was born and grew up here, and I don’t have one either. Besides, I would love to have a memory of the night we met.”
“Ok, then.” I extend my hand, palm up. “Let’s see what I can do. Oh, this is heavier than I thought it would be.” I say, trying to adjust my hold on the gun.
“Forgive me for asking, Taryn,” Colsen comes to stand beside me. “But have you ever shot a gun?”
I shake my head. “No. But how hard can it be?”
“It isn’t hard at all. But if it feels too heavy, I think you could try a two-handed hold. I can show you if you want?”
“I can show you, too.” Tucker chimes in, earning a glare from his best friend.
“I offered first, Tuck. You snooze, you lose.”
Tucker rolls his eyes but stops arguing, moving to one side to watch.
Colsen moves too, positioning himself behind me. “Ok. So hold it like this with your non dominant hand and support the hold with your other hand. You’re gonna use your index finger to pull the trigger. You can look through this hole to line up your shot. Once you’re happy that the place you want to shoot is in view inside the rear sight, keep your arms steady and squeeze the trigger.”
His warm, spicy scent invades my nostrils, and his big, slightly rough hands close over mine as he shows me the stance and the hold on the gun.
I’m practically in Colsen’s arms, his hard, muscular chest almost flush with my back.
His closeness affects me more than I care to admit, and I have to fight hard to concentrate on what he’s showing me.
“Any questions?”
A gust of warm, minty breath fans over my ear, and I have to swallow a couple of times before I can trust my voice enough to answer.
“No, it sounds good. Thank you for the demo.”
