Page 87 of Blue Jeans in Low Beams

Narrowing her gaze at me, Brenna studies me for a moment. Almost as if she can tell that my thoughts were on something other than her test results for a moment. If only she knew how much of my time was spent on other parts of her. Like her breasts. Or those hips.

“Okay, here goes.”

A swift nod, and her thumbs are flying across her phone screen. My heart starts to jackhammer in my chest, my stomach rising into my throat. Apparently I’m a lot more nervous than I realized. It’s not even my test.

These results hold the key to Brenna’s future though, and that’s what matters. Not that her failing is the end of the world, and technically, it would mean that she would stay in Hickory Hills a little longer as she continued to study for a re-sit. But that’s not what I want for her. I want her to succeed. To follow her dream. Whatever that looks like and wherever that takes her.

I meant what I said to her in that sushi place right after she finished the exam. I’m confident that if we decide to continue whatever this is between us and she leaves Hickory Hills, we’ll find a way to make it work. That is, if she wants to. If I’m what she wants.

And shit, I really hope I am. Because she sure as hell is who I want.

Brenna stops, her breath catching. Mine all but stops, my heart right with it. Shit. Fuck. What’s happening? I can’t tell. I need her to do something. Say something.

Slowly, she looks up, tears in her eyes.

Happy tears. Sad tears. I have no idea.

Shit…

“I…I passed…”

Her voice is barely audible, almost drowned out by the crickets that have begun chirping in the dusk that has started to settle, but my heart heard every word as if she had shouted it from the top of the town monument. She passed.

She passed.

“I passed,” she repeats, louder this time.

“You passed.”

Brenna squeals, a happy, high-pitched sound that only the most ecstatic of human beings could produce. It’s borderline earsplitting, but I can’t help but laugh, loving seeing her this happy. Good call on wanting to be in the middle of nowhere.

“I’m a licensed pharmacist! Or I’m going to be. Holy shit!”

She launches herself at me, and I scoop her up, hauling her into me and spinning her around. The weight of her body against mine is heavenly—like something I didn’t realize I missed until it was there again. Lowering her to the ground, I waste no time in kissing her—this time it’s hard, fast, and deep. Like I wanted to kiss her on the sidewalk but couldn’t. I let my tongue find hers, moaning as she bites my lip, and running my fingers through her hair.

I run my hands along her back, slipping them into the back pocket of her jeans and grabbing ahold of her ass. She whimpers, knees wobbling, so I kiss her harder, fighting back the urge to pick her up and fuck her against my truck.

“Milo…” Brenna whispers, pulling back.

The way she says my name makes my head spin. Her kisses are more than enough to make me feel drunk, so I shouldn’t be surprised by the effect, yet here I am.

“Hmmm?”

“Thank you.”

“You never have to thank me for kissing you.”

Giggling, Brenna shakes her head. “I meant for believing in me. And for cooking dinner.”

Oh yeah…dinner…

I step back, putting a couple of inches between us. Just enough space to cool the ardor, allowing me to catch my breath and calm my dick so that I can focus on why I brought her out here in the first place.

“You don’t have to thank me for believing in you either. I’ve always believed in you. Dinner though…here’s hoping it turned out.”

“What’d you make?”

“You’ll see.”