Page 62 of Breathless

“Logan Carter, I do declare that you’re blushing,” I announce like Scarlett O’Hara. “First the tampons at Target and nowthis.”

He rolls his eyes with an awkwardlaugh.

Pushing up on my tiptoes, I kiss him and whisper, “Maybe I liked that part of our shower and maybe I’d be okay if you did it again.” His eyes heat, and now it’s my turn to laugh when he yanks me against his truck and sticks his tongue in my mouth. We make out like the world might end tomorrow until someone clears histhroat.

“All right, love birds. Break it up.” Ethan smirks at us, and Logan shrugs and kisses me again, not giving a flip that his brother is standing five feetaway.

Logan points at Ethan. “This is payback for that time I found you and Tori in the flatbed of your truck,in our back yard, on a Sunday morning.” He clicks his tongue. “Doing the dirty on the Lord’sday.”

I slap a hand over my mouth to mask my giggle, but it still squeaksout.

“Laugh it up, chuckles,” Ethan chides. “Your turn willcome.”

Logan pulls me closer. “We’ve been totally respectable. Well, mostly.” He scratches his jaw. “In public at least.” His eyes meet mine. “Right, babe? Except for the last little smooch-fest.”

“Totally respectable.” I noddutifully.

A smile resides on my face for the rest of the drive. We’re almost back to the farm when I figure out why I’m sogiddy.

It feels good to be claimed by someone. And not just by anyone. By my best friend. After feeling left behind by my family, the sense of belonging settles over me like rain after a long drought. I never want it toend.

I’m drowsy but so content when we pull up to Ethan’sdriveway.

Bev greets us at the door, the weariness on her face making me pause. “Did y’all have fun? Please tell me no one got arrested.” She seems to pick up speed as she doles out hugs to everyone, and I shake off my concern. Bev’s a powerhouse. Nothing gets herdown.

It’s not like things with Mama,I chide myself. My mother had dark circles under her eyes for months before my father thought to ask her if something was wrong—and it was only when his dinner was late to the table. He’d ask out of his own inconvenience and not genuine concern for hiswife.

When Bev reaches me, looking as spry as ever, she squeezes me tight and whispers, “Glad you finally got to go to the coast with our family,sweetheart.”

That she remembers how I begged my parents so long ago squeezes myheart.

When Logan catches my expression—no doubt I look emotional—he stalks over to me. “You okay,Jojo?”

Nodding, I smile up at him, sighing contentedly when he takes me in his arms and presses a kiss to myforehead.

I freeze when I see Bev studying us closely, her lips curling upslowly.

A hot flush of embarrassment rises in my cheeks at the thought of the many naked things I did with her son this weekend, and I glance down, afraid she’ll see it on myface.

I brace myself for her to say something, to call us out on the PDA or highlight the obvious change in our BFF status the way Ethan has, but she doesn’t. Just gives me a wink before pointing a finger at her son and barking, “I need to talk to you later,” before walkingaway.

Oh,God.

Leaning closer to Logan, I lower my voice. “Is Bev going to give you a hard time about us being together?” It never crossed my mind that she might be against us having arelationship.

He shrugs. “I doubt it. You’re like a daughter to her, so it’s not like this is astretch.”

That warms me from head to toe for tworeasons.

One. Logan expects me to stick around. He might have said this wasn’t just a vacation fling, but it’s taking time to let my guard down and trust him. Which makes me sound like a crappy friend, but it’s been tough to reconcile the heartbreaker I grew up with and the man I’ve been bunking with for the lastweek.

And two. Bev’s fondness for me isn’t just my imagination. That she considers me a daughter is a compliment of the highestorder.

Ethan and Tori hug the kids, who are jumping around and excited to see what Ethan brought back forthem.

“Ma, did my heathens behave?” he asksBev.

“Mostly. We only had to do one public flogging,” she jokes, looking tired once again. I’m sure hanging out with the kids the entire weekend did her in. Even if she had Tori’s cousins to help, Mila and Cody have a lot of energy toburn.

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