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“Like if Jensen told me my tits looked great tonight.”
“I’d punch him.”
“Or if Jarret said I tasted better than dessert.”
“I’d fucking kill him.”
“Exactly. So, when you have a thought in that pretty little head of yours, how about you picture one of your brothers saying it about me before you say it out loud? And if that makes you want to punch someone, then just don’t say it. You can say it to me when we’re back home tonight.”
“Sorry, Lemon. All I heard was that you think I’m pretty. And that you like it when I talk dirty to you.”
“Right, because that’s the point I was trying to make. Are you trying to drive me crazy?”
“Always, babe. Always.”
I squeeze his thigh again. “It’s going to be fine, right? It’s just your family.”
“They’re your family too, babe.”
That’s what I always thought. But the hospital proved to me just how wrong I was about that. And my best friend proved that he might not want to be my best friend anymore.
When we get to the farm, Jameson pulls his truck to a stop in the line of pickups next to the front porch.
“Remember what I said?”
“That I’m pretty? I got it, Lemon. I’ll show you just how pretty I think you are when we get home.”
“Not if I kill you first, kid.”
Jameson grins at me and slides out of the truck. I wait for him to come around and open my door for me because I know he likes to. He offers me his not-broken arm, and helps me out of the truck. He wraps his arm around my shoulders as we walk around the back of the house where the whole Waters family is already outside eating appetizers. Oats is running around with a toy in his mouth, ping-ponging between everyone. There’s nothing like summer nights out at the farm. Dinner outside. Bonfires under the stars. This farm has always felt like home to me.
Selena rushes over to give me a hug. “Hey, Lily! I’m so glad you’re here. Finally, a break from all this testosterone. I don’t know how you did this all these years without me.”
“Thanks for inviting us. And you are so right. I honestly don’t know how I did it, either.”
And then it’s not awkward. It’s not awkward at all.
“Hey, Lil.” Jasper comes over and wraps his arms around me in a big bear hug, rocking me from side to side.
Then Jensen.
Then Jarret.
And finally, Mr. W. “Hi, sweetheart. It’s always good to have you out here at the farm. Thanks for coming. And thanks for taking such good care of my boy.”
“Thanks, Mr. W. He did not make it easy!”
“Never been a better case for you to start calling me Dad,” he says with a shrug as he wraps his arm around Jameson’s shoulders.
“Thanks. But I think I can only handle so much change right now.”
Selena grabs my arm, giving all of us a huge smile. “Come on, you need to have a cocktail. I stole some of your blackberry and rosemary syrup from the bakery. And I think this is the best gin and tonic of my life. Jackson! Can you make Lily what you made me?”
Selena tugs me over to the bar set up on two cedar planks lying across a couple of old wood sawhorses.
“Jasper and I’ll go grab the all the plants and flower stuff from the truck, Lemon,” Jameson calls out to me.
Turning around, I eye him nervously. “Take Jensen and Jarret, too. And please don’t hurt yourself, okay, kid?”
