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I nod, my eyes never leaving the mesmerizing display before me. Phantom takes a few steps closer to Dolly, his movements graceful and deliberate. Slowly, he lowers his head, extending his velvety muzzle towards her. I hold my breath, wondering what will happen next.
To my surprise, Dolly doesn't shy away. Instead, she inches closer to Phantom. Her ears perked forward in curiosity. They stand there for what feels like an eternity, lost in their own world of mutual understanding. It's as if they're speaking a language that only they can understand.
Josh's hand finds mine, his grip tight yet comforting. "It's amazing, isn't it?" he whispers, his voice filled with awe. "Animals have a way of communicating that we humans can only dream of understanding."
We stand there with them until the spell is broken, and Phantom runs off. Dolly starts walking around the pen, and I figure I better get back to working with her. I turn in Josh's arms to face him.
He looks at me with a tender smile, his eyes alight with tenderness. Without saying a word, he leans in and captures my lips in a gentle kiss. The world around us fades away, and all that matters in this moment is the electricity that ignites between us.
As our lips part, we both catch our breath, our foreheads resting against each other. "I'm so grateful to have you in my life," Josh whispers, his voice filled with sincerity. "You've brought a light into my world that I didn't even know was missing."
Then he leans in again, his lips brushing against mine in a gentle kiss. The moment is sweet and full of promise, but before it can deepen, we hear the sound of approaching footsteps.
We break apart, both slightly disappointed that our moment has been interrupted. Josh turns his head towards the sound of the footsteps, and a frown forms on his face. I follow his gaze and see my brothers, all three of them, walking toward us, their eyes glued to us.
There is no way they missed that kiss, and their faces clearly show their disapproval.
"I knew you weren't telling us the whole story," Asher says.
"Why don't you talk to them? I'll put up Dolly, and then they can lay into me," Josh says.
Asher glances at Josh and nods before his eyes are back on me.
"Why don't we go sit on the back porch out of the sun," I tilt my head toward the house.
As we make our way towards the house, the tension is thick in the air. I can feel my brothers' eyes burning into the back of my head, and the weight of their disapproval weighs heavily on my shoulders. When we step onto the porch, I take a seat on one of the chairs, my heart pounding in my chest.
Asher sits across from me, his arms crossed over his chest. "So, Jenna," he starts, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. "Care to explain what's going on between you and Josh?"
"Well... it's complicated," I begin, struggling to find the right words.
"I'll say," Finn chimes in, leaning against one of the porch posts. "You've been spending all your time with him, sneaking around like teenagers."
My cheeks burn with embarrassment as I try to form a coherent response. "It's not exactly sneaking around," I stammer, aware that my explanation isn't quite sufficient. "Josh and I... We just didn't want to rush things and put pressure on our relationship. We wanted to take the time to get to know each other before making it public."
Asher raises an eyebrow, his gaze piercing through me. "And how long exactly do you plan on keeping this a secret? Eventually, people are going to find out."
I let out a heavy sigh, my shoulders sagging under the weight of their skepticism. "I know, Asher. And we've been discussing when the right time is to tell everyone. We just didn't want it to be rushed. We wanted to make sure what we have is solid and that it would work out before bringing it into the spotlight."
Finn leans forward, his voice softer now. "Jenna, it's not that we don't want you to be happy. We just worry that things might get... complicated if you start dating Josh."
"And when were you planning on telling us about this?" Zach interjects, his tone laced with frustration. "We're your family, Jenna. We should have known."
"You guys were the reason we wanted to make sure this was real before we told people. Josh is a big part of all our lives," I reply, my voice gaining strength. "We didn't want to rush into anything until we were sure about our feelings."
Asher uncrosses his arms and leans forward, his gaze piercing into mine. "And are you sure now?"
"I am, but I don't know how he feels. We haven't talked about it."
"Sweetheart, I am sure of us as well," Josh says, walking up behind me and sitting next to me. He takes my hand, making my heart race. This is something we will talk about later, but that sentence means everything.
"This isn't something we went into lightly. We both fought it for a while, me especially," Josh says.
"Is he the older guy you asked us about that day we looked at the ranch?" Asher asks, and Josh looks at me, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah, he was. I was still on the fence then. Not about my feelings, but about taking the risk." Then I turn to Josh to explain. "I had asked them what they thought about me dating an older guy. They didn't have any objections then when it was just some guy."
While I appreciate my brothers' concern, I can't let their doubts cloud my own judgment. "I understand your worries, guys," I say, meeting their gaze with determination. "But Josh is not like the other men I've been with. He's different. He's shown me nothing but care and respect, and I believe in him."
