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“I’m out of my depth with you,” I admitted.
He squeezed me lightly. “I won’t let you falter.”
I turned in his arms to face him head on, and asked, “Why do you want me?”
He studied my face and I looked into those amazing eyes, lost in his contemplation.
“You asked me once when I decided I wanted to be a veterinarian, and I told you I’d never considered anything else. It’s just part of who I am. When I saw you, I got the same type of feeling,” his deep, rumbly voice soothed me, but his words filled me with panic.
“We can’t tell anyone, yet,” I blurted out.
He drew back, his eyebrows coming together scarily in his craggy face. “For how long?”
“A month. Maximum.” I held my breath.
He nodded slowly. “One month maximum. Then we come clean.”
“If we’re still together,” I said. He raised his eyebrows at this, and I continued unwisely. “If we’re not we just continue as usual. This way we don’t disrupt our family dynamic.”
His eyes lit in a way that I could not identify, and he leaned over me and bit my bottom lip hard enough to get my full attention.
“So, tell me, curly, how’s it going to be if I give up on you and bring another woman around to our next family barbeque? Sit with her on our bench at Mara’s? Dance with her at Baranga’s? Send her drinks when I’m onstage?”
I flinched, hard, and he pressed his lips together in grim satisfaction before continuing. “I’ll tell you right fucking now I won’t be around to watch you with someone else. Not now, not ever.”
I slumped. “So, it’s already ruined.”
He kissed me gently this time. “Or it could be the best thing ever. I believe it’s the best thing ever. I’m not waiting a month to see if this works out. I’m waiting a month to give you a chance to accustom yourself to our new reality.”
I relaxed back into the bed, and he smiled down at me before kissing my nose.
“Let’s get ready. I’ll be back to pick you up in an hour for our drive-out.”
Monday morning Minty was set up like the Spanish Inquisition when Junie and I walked into the office.
“Spill, ladies. I haven’t heard from either of you all weekend.”
Junie flopped down into her chair. “I met a nice guy. I think.”
I eased myself into my chair as well, preparing to come clean with these two at least.
“Oh, yeah? Tell me about him,” Minty prodded, smiling.
“Well, you know how Willa and I were meeting Barrett and his friends to see live music on Saturday?”
“Yes,” Minty replied.
“As it turns out, Barrett and his friends were the live music!” Junie finished, delighted at the look of surprise on Minty’s face.
“Barrett’s in a band?” she asked me.
I nodded, then confirmed, “Electric guitar and lead vocals.”
Minty’s perfectly groomed eyebrows lifted as her chin dipped and her perfectly made-up lips popped open. “That man,” she paused and emphasized, “that man plays electric guitar and does lead vocals in a band?”
I blushed and Junie laughed.
“And?” Minty composed herself but raised an imperious brow in my direction.
