Page 52 of Adoring Delaney

“Laney baby, we’ve been together since the day you kissed me on the beach and told me you loved me.”

“Yeah, and did Lorraine Beck know that when you took her to the football game and I saw you kissin’ her by the bleachers? Or what about Allison Lawson? I didn’t see it but I heard all about it. Did she know?”

“You want a rundown of what I did in high school, I’ll gladly tell you. But it will be tonight, after we’ve spoken to your parents and we’re lying in bed. But just to answer, everyone knew. I was in high school, I was young, I was fighting against the pull of you, struggling with wanting you so badly but having too much respect for your father and you to go there. So, yes, I played the field. But none of them were you. None of them had a chance. And none made me doubt what I felt for you.”

“So then, we weren’t together. And it must’ve been nice, you getting to play the field. Considering no one dared asked me out in fear of getting their asses kicked by you and my brother. Maybe since you got your Lorraines and Allisons now’s the time for me—”

“So help me God, you finish that sentence, your father standing here or not I’ll haul your ass back into my truck and I’ll remind you of what I already warned. You do not ever talk to me about another man. It is a pointless, ridiculous conversation that will only piss me off because it is never gonna happen.”

Shit, shit, shit. Carter had me so angry I’d forgotten my dad was standing there listening. I chanced a look in his direction and he was looking at his feet smiling.

“You can’t say that to me,” I snapped at Carter.

“Just did, Laney baby. You wanna stand out here and fight all day while my truck’s running, burning fuel, with the possibility of every green peace-er in a hundred mile radius coming here to protest me not having a care for the environment, or can I get to work and talk to Brady about the system he’s gonna set up? And you can go about your day, no doubt coming up with ways to further piss me off and plot my murder.”

“I’ll be here at six to pick you up. But the conversation isn’t over, Carter. When we get home, it’s my turn to talk and you’re gonna finally listen.”

“Looking forward to it. See you at six. Now, give me a kiss so I can get to work.”

“I’m not—”

I didn’t finish. His lips crashed into mine and kissed me hard. It was closed mouth but no less intimate and it was done in front of my dad.

Kill me now.

“Love you, Laney. Stay safe and alert. You see something that doesn’t feel right, you call me.”

I nodded.

That’s all I could do. I was still reeling from him being bossy, the kiss, and hearing him tell me he loved me. Again, all done in front of my dad.

“See you tonight,” my dad said on a smile.

“Yeah, tonight.”

I didn’t smile. I walked around Carter’s truck, hauled my ass up, adjusted the seat and froze.

When we get home, it’s my turn to talk and you’re gonna finally listen.

When we get home.

Home.

Shit.

17

My day had started with Delaney cuddled close, progressed into an early morning conversation that was so normal, I didn’t care it was about something as mundane as her driving me into work. An ordinary discussion an ordinary couple would have. Which meant it was about nothing, but that nothing meant everything.

We were starting over.

Sort of.

In her anger she’d slipped back into calling her place our house, which meant something, too.

We were mixing old with new and making it work.

I wished she hadn’t brought up Lorraine and Allison from high school in front of her dad. I was skating on thin ice with him and he’d given me a clock to fix this shit with his daughter and make her happy. I didn’t need him to be reminded I had indeed been around the block. All of them were before I’d taken Delaney’s virginity. All of them before I’d given in to the knowledge that no matter how hard I’d tried, she was it.

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