Page 29 of Breathless

He licks his bottom lip. “What if you got the pink top and those bottoms tomatch?”

“You like thesebottoms?”

“I think all of mankind will like thosebottoms.”

My face burns because I have some junk in my trunk. “I do likedonuts.”

“Ain’t no shame in having a great ass, Jo. I’ll have to beat away the assholes at the beach, but whatever.” He frowns before he shakes his head and points over his shoulder. “Why don’t I meet you in the electronics in half anhour?”

I nod slowly and watch him walk away, wondering what just happened. Didn’t he want to see what I pick out? I’ll never understand this boy, plain andsimple.

Twenty minutes later when I give the attendant the clothes I’m not getting, she fans herself with her hand. “Your boyfriend is sohot.”

With a deep sigh, I pile up the rest of the outfits on my arm. “Logan’s not my boyfriend. We’re just friends.” Words I’ve said a million times. I wish my heart would believethem.

Her eyebrows spike up. “Are you sure? Because the way he was looking atyou…”

My heart beat spikes. “Really?” I’ve been wrong about Logan so often I’m afraid to read into anything he says or doesanymore.

“Oh, yeah, girl. Get onthat.”

I want to be brave enough to find out if that’strue.

11

Logan

For a three-day weekendat the beach, our caravan is bringing way too much crap, and it’s spread across my brother’s front lawn like his housevomited.

I have a duffle bag in one hand and a cat-sized dog in the other. Years of traveling to cutting horse competitions have taught me I only need the bareessentials.

Speaking ofessentials…

Joey grins up at me and takes Rambo from my arms. She’s the bright spot rightnow.

I’ve enjoyed having her at my house the last few days, even if I am spontaneously sporting wood whenever she wanders around in those tiny sleep shorts. Seeing her in that damn swimsuit was like squirting toothpaste out of the tube—now that I’ve seen her like that, I can’tforget.

At this point, I’m not sure I wantto.

Coming home to her after work and spending time together—uninterrupted by my niece and nephew or mother or brother or friends—it’s been giving me ideas, thoughts I shouldn’t behaving.

When I got home last night after shoveling horse shit all afternoon, Jo had dinner on the table, a smile on her face, and a cold beer in her hand for me. After I showered, she sat me down to eat, and we talked and laughed and then kicked back with a movie, and for a second, it hit me. This could be us. Late-night dinners. Horseback rides in the meadow. Old eighties movies in thedark.

Having her in my house feels right. I don’t know shit about domestic bliss or serious girlfriends, but if I ever attempt anything that crazy, I have to admit I’d want it with Joey. This girl gets me, and sheknowsI’m an idiot and do dumbass things often, but she still cares forme.

And it’s obvious to me now that I care more about her than I’ve ever let myselfbelieve.

Would it be so bad if she and Ihappened?

I’d need to tell her so many things. Too many goddamn secrets to count. Would she be hurt I’ve kept them fromher?

As if on cue, a text from Samantha vibrates myphone.

Our internet went out. Can you come over and fixit?

I swipe it away. I can’t deal with her right now. I feel like I’m always dealing with her. She knows I’m leaving town for the weekend, and yet she texts me anyway as though I’m at her beck andcall.

The thought of getting this shit off my chest, of telling Joey everything, is such atemptation.

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