“Got responsibilities to attend to after dinner.”
“You can take a day off,” she says. “You used to do that. Take breaks.”
“That was a long time ago,” he says.
Josie’s throat moves as she swallows. Her green eyes rest on him for one more second, then she looks away at the mountains. “I’m gonna go see what else Dad needs help with.”
Her elbow brushes against Rafe’s sleeve as she passes. His eyes follow her all the way inside, but his face gives nothing away.
The two of them are good at whatever game they’re playing, I’ll give them that. Tanner and Slade seem oblivious to whatever’s going on there. And I might not suspect anything between Rafe and Josie either, if I hadn’t already seen that little moment between them at our wedding.
Then again, maybe I’m reading into things. Living inside my own complicated situation has me seeing hidden feelings everywhere I look. Hoping for something to be more than it is.
Tanner loudly crushes his empty can, and the moment breaks.
“All right,” he declares, “time for our Yankee heiress here to partake in ye olde shotgunning.”
I hold out my can to Slade. “Show me how to do this thing before I lose my nerve.”
Taking the can from me, he keys the hole with practiced ease before handing it back to me
“Tilt your head back,” he says. “When you’re ready, pull the tab and drink as fast as you can.”
How hard can it be?
I tilt my head back and pull the tab.
It’s a lot harder than it looks.
The beer comes faster than I expect, cold and fizzing everywhere, down my throat, down my chin, dribbling down the front of my sweater, and I’m laughing which makes itworse, and Tanner is whooping, and Rafe is looking vaguely amused.
I come up gasping and laughing, beer dripping off my chin.
Slade is already there. He wipes his thumb slowly across my chin, catching the drip. His eyes are dark and warm and completely focused on me.
Then he kisses me. Right there on the back porch of Rosemont, in front of his brothers, in front of whoever is watching through the kitchen window. Long and unhurried and completely unbothered.
Next thing I know, the door bursts open and Cassidy comes out. She pulls up short, looking at all of us.
Tanner immediately springs into action, holding out a can to her. “C’mon, Freckles. You know what time it is.”
She rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch. “I’m not in college anymore.”
“Exactly,” Tanner says. “You work hard. Now it’s time to play hard.”
Her cheeks turn pink. “I don’t know…”
“Here, Doc.” He steps in, close enough that she goes slightly still. His hands cover hers on the can, patient and unhurried. “Remember? Key the side first. Then tilt. Then tab.”
She follows his instructions.
The beer goes everywhere as she presses her lips to the can.
She comes up laughing and Tanner is grinning as he nudges an elbow against her arm. “Out of practice, huh?”
Her phone starts ringing.
She glances at the screen and something in her face shifts. It’s subtle, like a light going slightly dimmer. It reminds me of what happens to me when my family calls. But Cassidy’s parents are lovely, so who is this on the other end?
