Page 12 of That Kiss

“Not directly, no.” We pause as our waiter comes back and places our food. “I think he’s catching on, though. He’s noticed I’m more tired lately from running myself ragged.” Her head hangs. “I just feel selfish, like I’m leaving my brothers to do all of the work while I jet off to Denver to go live my life.”

“That is absolutely not the case and you know that—they know that. Don’t feel like a failure. I settled in Boulder after college thinking that was it—that that was where I was going to stay—and then one day, it just hit me: I wanted to move back home. There’s no set path or right way to live your life, Mil. Just do what’s best for you and Kent.”

She laughs. “And just like that, all my worries are gone.” She closes her eyes and runs her hands down and away from her body. “But seriously, every time I talk to you about something I’m in knots over, you talk me right off that ledge.”

“So other than Kent and you figuring out where you want to live, how’s married life?”

She blushes. “Amazing. Kent is just so . . .” she shakes her head, her cheeks growing more red as she sighs, “real is the word I want to use, but that sounds so unromantic and boring. He’s just a genuinely good and kind person all around, and it’s so refreshing. I know he’s so different than all the rough-and-tumble cowboy types around here, but I love that about him.”

“You two feel made for each other. Every time I see you together or catch either of you looking at each other, it feels like love, if that makes sense. It just feels like what love should be.”

Her eyes fill with tears and she fans her face. “And you’re so sweet! You always make me cry.”

We share funny stories about what we’ve been up to and how things are going with my dad’s garage. She tells me all about the fun adventures she and Kent have gone on and how he tried to scare off a moose by saying shoo! loudly.

“Yeah, I think it’s best Kent doesn’t venture too far out into the Colorado wildlife.” We cry with laughter as she tells me more stories about him attempting to ride his first horse several months back.

“Are you doing anything for your birthday? And don’t say this brunch,” she cuts me off before I can answer, because that’s exactly all I’d planned to do to celebrate. “We have to go out! Kent and I are in town this coming weekend for the Fall Fest committee meeting—along with every other Slade, since they all participate—so this would be the perfect time!”

I do miss going out with my friends. Almost every weekend, we’d hit up one of two bars in our hometown to play pool and dance, or we’d hang out at one of the Slade boys’ houses. It felt like those days would never end, but with most of them married with kids now, it makes sense that most have moved on from the good ol’ days.

“That does sound like fun, but I don’t know . . . I’m just so tired lately and everyone probably has plans.”

“Just sent out a group text.”

“Okay, guess we’re going out for my birthday.”

“You should invite your boyfriend! I’ve been dying to meet him since Ranger mentioned you were seeing someone.”

I swallow down the guilt. “About that,” I poke at the last two bites of my omelet, “we aren’t . . . um . . . there isn’t a guy.”

“Was it a long-distance relationship?” She gives me a look of pity. “Trust me, been there, and I totally get it. Sometimes it’s just not worth the effort, but it still sucks to make that decision. How are you doing?”

“Yeah,” I attempt to smile, “I’m okay.”

“Well, you know Deck moved back to town.” She doesn’t say anything else—just gives me the look all my friends give me when mentioning Decker Slade. I guess I should be glad that my legacy here is just having a crush on one of the Slade brothers and nothing actually terrible.

I give a halfhearted laugh and reach for my water. “I do know, but I think that ship has sailed.”

“What? Why?”

“I dunno,” I shrug, “just feels like maybe it’s time to get over my childhood crush and grow up, move on. Deck is amazing and I love him to death—you know that—but let’s be honest, he’ll only ever see me as Juney Riley. To him, I’m just that 16-year-old with braces and a really unfortunate pixie cut who was always trying to catch a glimpse of him at the Fall Fest or one of your family cookouts.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, as much as I love Deck, he’s an idiot if he can’t see how amazing you are. But a tiny part of me,” she hesitates, leaning in closer to me, “is relieved, because we both know he has a reputation with women, and the last thing I’d ever want is for him to break your heart because he’s thinking with his dick.”

I quickly maneuver the conversation away from my love life . . . or lack thereof. It’s not that I want to hide my ever-growing feelings for Decker, it’s that I don’t want everyone else involved. My entire life, my crush has been an ongoing joke, and for once, I want to be seen as an adult, not just the younger-than-everyone-else groupie who tags along because she has a crush on her friend’s brother.

Call me crazy or naive, but I fully believe in true love and happily ever after, and I feel deep in my bones that someday I’ll experience it.

Chapter 7

Decker

“We’re gonna need to move the cattle from pasture seven down to two before the end of the month.” My oldest cousin, Tyler, points to me. “You can head that up, Deck. Make sure you take a few extra cowboys with you; that herd has been giving us trouble.”

“Done.” I sip my coffee slowly. It’s at that temperature where it’s just too hot to fully enjoy.

“And Ranger, you’re still heading down to Texas in a few short weeks for the next cattle auction. Is your dad going with you?”

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