I reach out to touch his bicep. “She needs to know you believe she can do it. She seemed so… broken.”
“I don’t know how to fix this.”
“Can you figure out a plan to make it work? Not necessarily to have everything ready tomorrow, but maybe work together to add to a nest egg for it each week. Something to show her that you’re willing to workwithher because you believe in her. Ithink she needs to know her aspirations are just as important to you, and it’ll go a long way.”
Biting his lip, he nods. “Yeah, I can figure somethin’ out. Thanks, Brynlee.”
He walks away, and Rhett’s beside me in seconds. “What was that?”
“I don’t know if I helped or just made things worse,” I say and place my hand on my stomach. “I hate this feeling in my gut that I just betrayed her.”
“Did she tell you not to say anythin’?”
“No, but she told me, not him. I want her to be happy, and Carter made a good argument. He can’t fix a problem if he doesn’t know what it is.”
His flannel shirt appears on my shoulders, and I realize the breeze and lack of sun has caused goosebumps to spread along my arms. “At least with Darla, she’ll tell you if she’s pissed at you. But I don’t think she will be.”
“I hope so. I hate confrontation. That was so uncomfortable,” I say with a laugh.
“Did it ruin the night?” he asks and takes my hand.
Our fingers interlock, and I smile. “I’m not sure even a meteor striking earth right now could ruin this night. It was amazing. I think I’m going to like it in Georgia.”
“Yeah? What do you like so far?”
We walk towards the exit, and I’m sad to leave. With the exception of the situation with Carter and Darla, I couldn’t have scripted a better night.
“Well, I like the bearded man who offered me his shirt because it’s chilly. After he kissed me senseless on the Ferris wheel like a movie. And I like my new friends. It’s been a long time since I could say that.”
“I never appreciated the fair until tonight,” he says as we walk to his pickup.
Rhett opens the door for me, sets the bag and teddy bear on the seat, and he lifts me onto the seat to avoid the puddle. “Such a gentleman.”
“Not always, but I try.”
His voice sounds more like a growl, and I’m suddenly very, very hot. Needing to feel his lips again, I grab him by the back of his head and gently guide his face to mine. He steps right into the puddle, not caring whether he gets his feet or pants wet, and presses his body flush with mine. My legs rest on either side of his torso as we kiss, and I want him. I want all of him.
Man, am I in trouble.
Chapter Ten
Rhett
The drive back to Brynlee’s house feels like forever and no time all at once. My body buzzes while she keeps hold of my hand in the cab of my pickup, and all I can think about is how amazing her lips felt. Her soft, luscious lips.
She initiated the kiss in the parking lot, and the only reason I stopped was because we both needed air. Her lips are slightly swollen, and my beard created a slight pink hue on her chin.
At some point during the drive, she slid over to the middle of the bench seat, and she wrapped herself around my arm as we held hands. Having her this close drives me wild, and I try my best to remind myself I’m a good guy. A nice guy. But at the end of it all, I’m still a guy. A guy who desperately wants to know every inch of Brynlee Carmichael intimately.
“Tell me about yourself,” I say, my breathing ragged as I rub her bare thigh with my thumb.
“What do you want to know?” Brynlee asks, her head leaning against my bicep.
Something boring to keep my mind away from thinking about how easy it would be to slide my hand up and make you squirm like I am.“Somethin’ people would be surprised to learn.”
“Um… I have a degree from a fairly prestigious university. Mama wanted me to get my MRS degree, but I wanted to make sure I had a backup plan in case I turned down the first rich man who proposed,” she says with a giggle. “She was appalled, but I think it worked out.”
“University grad, huh?”
