Page 6 of The Hardest Part

“Night, Jake.” Smiling up at him, Emily went to kiss his brother’s hand in return, but he moved away before she could.

Idiot.

Her smile frozen in place, Billy felt her limbs tense up beside his. She bit into her lip, and rubbing them together, turned to him. He took her by the hand, offering a gentle squeeze, and opened the door. “C’mon, babe. Let’s get you inside.”

They stood on the front porch, the cold November wind blowing through her long chestnut waves. Taming it with his fingers, Billy tucked it behind her ear and held her body snugly against his. “I love you.”

“And I love you.”

He kissed her. “Jake loves you, too, you know.”

“I know.” Her fingers rubbing the front of his jacket, she sighed. “But sometimes it sure don’t feel like it.”

A touchy-feely kind of girl, Emily craved physical affection. And his brother couldn’t give her that. Not for now, anyway.

“It’s hard, Em, but Jake does the best he can.” Taking her chin in his hand, Billy bent to kiss her gently on the lips. “Five more months and you’ll be feelin’ it. You won’t have any doubt how much he loves you then.”

“And then I have to go without you.” Pained green eyes looking up at him, she swallowed hard. “I don’t know how I’m gonna survive it.”

Truth be told, he didn’t either, but those were the damn rules. If they failed to abide by them, they risked losing favor, and Billy wouldn’t allow that to happen. Come her eighteenth birthday, Emily couldn’t let him kiss her anymore. Or touch her the way he loved touching her. Not until he came of age, too, when he and his brother would meet her at the stones.

“It’s our test, baby.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms to soothe her—and himself. “Just one year of our whole lives together. For Jake, it’s been a helluva lot longer.”

His brother, being almost twenty-three, hadn’t so much as kissed her yet.

“Well, it’s stupid.”

Billy couldn’t disagree. They loved each other, and they were going to be married, for chrissakes, so what difference did a year make?None.But the rules said it did. And so, they would endure the senseless waiting, just as every other triad had before them.

“But we’ll appreciate what we share even more for it, Em.” That’s what Jake always told him. “Now, give me a kiss.”

Her luscious lips, soft and full, melted into his. Sliding his fingers into her hair, Billy slipped his tongue inside, tasting her as if his life depended on it. Because it did. His dick stiffening in his jeans, he groaned, and holding her even closer, he kissed her until the need for air forced him to stop.

“We love you, Em. This is from the both of us,” he murmured, out of breath, pressing a parting kiss to her forehead. “G’night.”

Thumb tapping against the steering wheel, looking straight ahead, Jake stared at nothing through the windshield. Even after Billy got back inside the truck, his gaze did not waver. “Let’s go.”

“Right.” As if clearing his thoughts, he gave his head a quick shake. “Emily get in okay?”

“Yeah.” And he looked his brother square in the eye. “You gotta love her more.”

His brow furrowed, but otherwise, Jake didn’t respond.

“Show her, I mean,” he said as the truck turned toward town.

“What the hell? You sayin’ I don’t?”

“You do, but…” Scraping a hand through his hair, he cleared his throat. “Could be I said it wrong. You gotta let Emily loveyou, brother.”

“Heh. I think maybe you had too many glasses of Grams’ cider.”

“And you’re supposed to be the older, wiser one.” With a furtive glance at Jake, Billy crossed his arms. “You pull away from her all the damn time.”

“I do not.”

“Yeah, ya do.” His voice rose a notch. “I ain’t blind. Our Em’s an affectionate girl, Jake. She needs hugs and kisses.”

He didn’t even pull over. Jake stopped the truck and then turned to look at him. “I can’t.”

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