Page 86 of Blue Jeans in Low Beams

My insides clench, wondering what could have changed in the ninety seconds I was being interrogated. What popped up on her phone that changed her disposition?

“Shall we?”

“Oh, sure.”

She forces a smile, one that to anyone else wouldn’t look out of place. But I can tell she’s nervous. No, this is more than nervous. Something isn’t right.

I watch as she shrugs out of her lab coat and grabs her bag, waving goodbye to the town elders. Coming out from behind the counter, she slips under my arm effortlessly, but I stop short of kissing her. We’ve given this town enough to talk about today.

“What’s Brandt think about you bein’ an item?” Mrs. Chamberlain asks, angling to get the scoop.

I ignore her but internally bristle. Brandt is one subject we don’t need to think about right now. Especially since I just ignored his call.

Unless that’s why Brenna suddenly went silent.

“Everything okay?” I whisper, saying my own little prayer that it’s something else.

That said, Brandt has a knack for calling one of us, and if he doesn’t get an answer, he immediately calls the other. Probably out of boredom, since we’re essentially the only two people he talks to. Either way, in moments like this, it makes things more than a little tricky.

She nods. “I got an email that my NAPLEX results are posted already. That’s all.”

Oh, that’s all…

I give her a squeeze, leading her toward the front of the store, trying to give her some space from ears that will want to hang on every word of this conversation. Or that are still waiting on an answer to their questions. Which, if she didn’t hear them ask about her brother, then neither did I. We’re silent until we hit the sidewalk, the thick August humidity surrounding us in an instant.

“So, whatcha wanna do? Open them now? At home?”

Brenna sighs. “Can I ask you to ruin the surprise so I can make a decision?”

I smile, looping my arms around her waist, finally giving her that kiss that I’ve been dying for since I saw her inside the store. Our lips press together as if in a choreographed dance, knowing the next move instinctively. I linger here for a moment, drawing it out, not giving a damn that we’re in public. I keep it PG though. For now.

“Sure can. I took that suggestion of yours to try cooking as a hobby and made us dinner. Figured we could go have a picnic and watch the sunset.”

Brenna wraps her fingers in my shirt and tugs me closer, kissing me hard. “That. I want to do that. And once we’re someplace where it’s just us, I’ll open them. That way, if I pass, we can scream and shout and celebrate without disturbing anyone, but if I fail, then no one but you sees me cry.”

“When you pass,” I correct her, pressing my lips to her forehead, ignoring her comment about crying. The only tears today will be happy ones. I’m confident about that. “And I think that sounds like a great plan.”

“I’m nervous.”

The evening sun hangs low in the sky, making the shadows long, giving everything a soft, warm glow. Leaning up against the hood of my truck, with the golden light shining behind her, framing her perfectly, Brenna looks like an angel. One that God sent to this earth just for me.

A smart, chemistry-loving angel who fills out a pair of blue jeans like a dream.

Fuck, I’m a lucky man.

“I know you are,” I tell her, smoothing out the last corner of the blanket I brought for us to sit on. Turning around, I take a moment to drink her in, committing her beauty to memory. Everything about her in this moment is perfect, and I never want to forget it. “When Willa was little and just starting out with her pageants, Miss Belle would tell her that nerves are nothing more than wasted energy. And that she should save it for something more productive.”

“Such as?”

“In her case, I think it was her walk across the stage.”

Brenna giggles, shifting against the grill of my truck, crossing her arms, pushing up her beautiful breasts. My dick twitches, lust rushing through me as all my attention shifts to them for a split second. I try really hard not to be that guy, but sometimes I can’t help it. Especially when she calls attention to them like that. And right now, if left up to me, we’d be putting this conversation on hold so I could focus solely on them.

“And in this one?”

Focus, Milo…

“Err…actually checking the results, rather than just thinking about it.”