“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he interrupted, staring at his trembling hands. “I’m not blind, okay? I’ve known Lennox damn near her whole life, watched her grow into the fucking hurricane she is today. She is well out of my league. When she came knocking on my door last night, looking pretty as hell and tempting as sin in the moonlight…” His words trailed off, and I knew he was waging one hell of a war against himself. “I don’t know. I guess I’ve just been lonely for too long. Like a fucking fool, I opened my door and let her in.”
I stayed silent, letting him sort through his thoughts. I knew all too well what it felt like to want someone you shouldn’t. Sometimes, I felt that way about Josie. She was so far out of my league that I’d almost packed it in the moment I stepped foot on the land that raised her. But I wanted her more than I wanted my pride intact.
“I don’t know much about the dynamics between y’all?—”
Bishop snorted. “There aren’t any fucking dynamics?—”
“And I don’t care,” I finished. “At the end of the day, I’d bewilling to wager Doug doesn’t either. He cares about his family, and that extends to you.”
He looked down at his hands again, stuffing the cigarettes into his pocket again. “I sure as hell hope you’re right, because I’ve got nothing if I don’t have this.”
I kicked my boot against the wooden porch steps. “I’ve got a bar in Tennessee if you fuck things up too much.”
“I wouldn’t make a good bar back. I’d drink your stock and flirt with pretty girls on the job,” he warned, cracking a smile. “Shit, never mind. It sounds like a dream.”
“Sometimes it was,” I laughed. “But it sure as hell isn’t this.”
“Never is.” Bishop pushed to his feet. “You going to the house?”
I nodded. “Sure am. You?”
He scrunched his nose, looking back toward the barn. “Naw, I think I’ll stay here today. Do some shit that needs doing.”
“Alright man. Let me know if you need a drinking partner.” I pushed off the post and waved bye.
“Something tells me you might be too busy to drink beer with the likes of me!” he called out, followed by a series of kissing sounds.
So, I did what any other man would do. I turned around, shot him a wink, and said, “I sure as hell hope so.”
lincoln
. . .
Josie’smelodic laughter and the scent of bacon and eggs hit me before I knocked on the front door. The window in the kitchen was cracked, giving me a peek into their picturesque Sunday morning.
Doug was singing Brooks and Dunn off-key at the stove while Josie and Cleo set the table. He danced, moved, and wiggled about, striking poses I wasn’t sure a man his age should be doing.
Once upon a time, my dad had been a good man. My mom had died giving birth to me, leaving the two of us to fend for ourselves in a brand new world. He’d always said she was the light of his life, but that quickly changed as the bills began piling up. It wasn’t long before he turned into a drunkard who cared more about the contents of a bottle than his own flesh and blood.
Seeing the way Doug was with his girls made my stomach churn. It was a glimpse of everything I wanted out of the past and future.
Josie’s smile grew when she saw me standing there, motioning toward the door. When I stepped under the carport, she wasstanding barefoot at the door. She wore a t-shirt that was easily two sizes too big for her, with an old Coors Original advertisement on the front and her hair piled up on her head in a messy bun. Her face was red from laughter, and I hoped it never went away.
“Mornin’ darlin’,” I said, placing my hand on her waist and pulling her in for a chaste kiss. I half expected her to stop me before I got too close, but she surprised me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me close, deepening the kiss until she bit my lip.
My fingers dug into her soft flesh, forcing her away before I did something stupid. It would’ve been too easy to slide my hand into her shorts and find out just how wet she was.
Josie’s eyes were glazed as I pulled back. “How was your evening in the bunkhouse with three other guys?” she asked, biting her lip. “Such a shame, really…”
“Think that’s funny, huh?” I asked, grabbing her around the waist and hoisting her in my arms. She kicked and laughed and begged me to put her down, but I didn’t want to. Not yet.
I turned her so that she could wrap her legs around my waist and pushed her against the rough brick exterior. She fit so perfectly, molding herself against my body like we were two halves of one puzzle.
“I bet you won’t when I have you begging for my touch,” I whispered, leaning in and rubbing my stubble along her exposed neck.
“Or maybe you’ll be begging me,” Josie breathed. “Two can play that game, and I’ve seen how badly you’re down for me.” She leaned in and took my earlobe into her mouth, letting her tongue run along my skin. “You’ve shown your hand, cowboy. Now, fix your dick, and let’s go eat some breakfast.”
My head fell back in laughter as I freed her from my hold. Shewasn’t wrong. My cock was straining against my jeans, and there was no way in hell I could walk into her dad’s house with a hard-on.
