Page 89 of Tagging Bases

“I heard you two last night. You and Harrison.”

“You heard us?” I squeak out, my face burning hotter than the sun overhead.

Dad nods, looking way too amused for my liking. “The house has thin everything, Charlie. Walls, ceilings, floors. And you boys weren’t exactly quiet.”

I bury my face in my hands, hoping that I’ll become thefirst person to die of embarrassment. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t think?—”

He waves a hand, cutting me off. “It’s fine, son. You’re both consenting adults. As long as you’re being safe and using protection, your mother and I have no issues with you two having fun in the house.”

I peek at him through my fingers, not quite believing what I’m hearing. “Really?”

“Of course,” he says, grinning. “Where do you think you and Roy were conceived?”

“Dad!” I yelp, dropping my hands and staring at him in horror.

He laughs, the bastard. “What? It’s true. Your mother and I were quite the adventurous couple back in the day.”

I clap my hands over my ears, shaking my head vigorously. “La la la, I can’t hear you!”

Dad rolls his eyes, still chuckling. “All right, all right. I’ll spare you the details. But the point is, we’re not naive, Charlie. We know you’re a strapping young man. It makes sense that you’re sexually active—unlike your brother.”

I snort, some of the tension easing from my shoulders. “Yeah, well, maybe he’s waiting for the right person.”

Dad raises an eyebrow. “Or he’s found it…with Rosie Palm and her five sisters.”

He wiggles his fingers, and that’s all it takes for me to pass out. Whether it’s due to the heat, embarrassment, or the mental image of Roy and his right hand that frightens me half to death, I couldn’t say.

Nothing saysrelief like the coolness of an air-conditioned diner. It’s a hell of a lot better than passing out in the middle of a field, I’ll tell you that much.

My stomach rumbles in protest as a fresh plate of BLTsandwiches on a silver platter passes me. Daniel snorts as we’re led to a corner booth in the back. The server, a thirty-year-old woman named Darlene, places three menus down on the table and then leaves to tend to another group of walk-ins.

Harrison slides into the booth after me, and his thigh brushes against mine. His arm drapes itself behind me, and even though it’s cold in here, the temperature between us skyrockets.

Daniel takes the seat across from us, stretching out his long legs and accidentally brushing his foot against my ankle. Or at least, I think it’s an accident until I hear his flip-flop slap the floor and feel his big toe tracing lazy patterns on my skin.

I try to focus on the menu in front of me, but between Harrison’s closeness and Daniel’s sneaky footwork, it’s almost impossible. My brain’s about as scrambled as the eggs I’m pretending to read about, and I can’t help feeling like a deer caught in headlights.

I blink at Daniel, trying to telegraph a silent message ofwhat the fuck?But all he does is cock an eyebrow and continue his gentle assault with the toe of doom.

“I’m stretching my legs,” he chuckles.

I narrow my eyes. “You’re about to stretch them right back outside if you’re not careful.”

“Promises, promises,” Daniel says with a wink.

The sounds of the diner swirl around us—forks clinking on plates, the murmur of other customers. But all I can focus on is the fact that I’m sitting here withmy boyfriends.

“What can I get y’all to drink and eat?” Darlene asks, appearing out of nowhere.

“Water,” I blurt out, my face burning. “Lots of water. And a cheeseburger and fries, please.”

Harrison and Daniel snicker, then order their drinks and food like the well-behaved gentlemen they definitely are not. Darlene nods and disappears again.

“So,” Daniel says, leaning back in his seat and fixing me witha stare that has my stomach doing flip-flops. “How was your morning on the farm?”

I shrug, trying to play it cool as Harrison starts playing with the strands of hair on the nape of my neck. “Oh, you know. Milking cows, fixing tractors, learning my dad overheard me nailing Harrison into the mattress last night.”

Harrison stiffens, stopping his ministrations, and I smirk.Take that, fucker.

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