Page 90 of Kiss and Tell

Lucy met him halfway, kissing him with every bit of the desperation and sorrow she felt. His hands were strong on her back, her fingers clenching his upper arms, wishing she could drag this kiss out forever.

When they parted, she looked over at Joey, who was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. She’d felt his gaze on her and Miles as they kissed. She was grateful he wasn’t so angry at her that he looked away.

“Joey,” she said softly.

He pushed away from the wall, grasping her with an aggression that was zero parts scary and a hundred parts hot as hell. “I’m going to miss the fuck out of you.” He backed those words up with a rough, hungry kiss that fired her libido to dangerous levels. Her girlie bits were about to be in for a whole world of disappointment because all she had to offer them from now on was some alone time with a lousy vibrator.

When they parted, she placed her hand on the side of his beloved face, soaking him in, drawing her thumb over his scruffy beard that tickled her whenever he kissed her.

“Thank you for everything,” she said.

Joey swallowed heavily, nodding. This time, he did look away.

Lucy grabbed her backpack, camera, and laptop cases, tossing them over her shoulders. She wanted to say more, but her throat had closed completely. What else was there to say besides…

“Goodbye,” she whispered, opening the door to the RV and walking to the front porch, refusing to look back.

She couldn’t. If she did, Lucy knew there was no way in hell she’d be able to stop herself from running back to them.

The second she stepped inside, she heard the RV engine start and the crunch of gravel as Joey turned it around in the driveway.

She remained in the front foyer, leaning against the closed door as if barring herself from leaving to chase after them, not taking a breath until she couldn’t hear the vehicle anymore.

Lucy dropped her bags on a chair near the door.

She glanced up when Nora came downstairs, carrying an empty tray.

“What do you need me to do?” Lucy said, shutting down all thoughts of Joey and Miles, ignoring the painful thudding of her heart, digging deep to wrap herself up in the numbness setting in. Shutting her mind to all the misery, she opted to focus on her family. They needed her.

Nora, God bless her, had a list.

For the next five hours, Lucy rushed around the farm, checking in with Levi and Everett regarding the vineyard, winery, and hops yard, taking temperatures and giving medicine to her sick relatives, feeding dinner to the guests at the B&B, and relieving Theo from his brewery duties because he really did look like shit.

By the time she made it to her own bedroom, it was well after eleven. While she was utterly exhausted, she couldn’t bring herself to crawl into her lonely bed just yet, so instead, she unpacked and even started a load of laundry.

When there was absolutely nothing else to do and every part of her body ached, she finally gave in to the inevitable. Crawling between the sheets, Lucy stared up at the ceiling, not bothering to stem the tears that slid down her face.

All the thoughts and bad feelings she’d managed to hold at bay since Joey and Miles drove away hit her, dropped into her mind like a barrage of missiles.

She should have invited them to come visit over the holidays.

They should have given the long-distance relationship a chance.

She should have continued the adventure.

Every single one of those wishful thoughts was destroyed by reason and logic.

They’d known each other less than a month. Upending their lives over a short affair would be the height of madness.

She shoved the insanity aside and forced herself to view things from a practical angle, to look at it without emotion.

Occasional visits would never be enough for any of them, and at the end of each one, she would have to go through another painful goodbye like the one she endured today.

When she recalled their conversations about what came next, she realized they hadn’taskedher to keep traveling with her. Not really. Joey had only said it once in jest. All they’d truly offered her was the road trip and future visits.

None of them had used the L word or referred to themselves as boyfriend or girlfriend.

They’d engaged in a casual threesome affair.

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