Page 156 of Love in Riverbend
Bite the bullet.
That’s what I tell myself.
It’s not like kissing Devan is a bad thing.
We both lean forward, our lips touching. The millisecond kiss was not one of our top ten, but that doesn’t mean I don’t return her smile. “Hi.”
“Justin,” Ricky yells from outside.
“I’m going to guess,” I say, “that you told him.”
Devan nods. “I told Mom last night. She told Dad. It didn’t seem right for Ricky to be the only one who was caught off guard.”
I completely understand. I also wish I would have been the one to do it. I turn from Devan to Janet. “If you’ll excuse me.” My smile ramps up. “Maybe one of you should get the nine and one dialed onto your phone to be ready.”
“Dinner will be ready when you and Rick are,” Janet says.
With a sigh and a nod, I push open the door, stuff my hands in my front pockets, and stand on the porch. Ricky is waiting, standing beside his truck, his arms crossed over his chest. When I’m close enough to speak at a normal tone, I say, “Go ahead and hit me.”
“My sister?”
I nod.
“She’s a kid.”
“No, she isn’t. You’re the one who said that. Remember? We were on our way to her apartment, and you were talking about how she’s grown up.”
Ricky kicks the gravel by his bare feet. When he looks up, he asks, “The girl you mentioned, the one you met at the hog roast, the one you kept asking people about” —his expression saddens— “she was Devan?”
“She is Devan,” I correct.
“No, you didn’t describe my sister.”
“I described the way I see her.” I take a deep breath. “I didn’t know she was the girl until we showed up at her apartment to help her move.”
His gaze narrows. “The closed bedroom door.”
“I’m the one who closed it.”
Grunting, he looks down at the gravel. When he looks up, he says, “I’m remembering that time Cory and I had to pull you off Richards.”
I nod.
This is not the same thing. Instead of trying to explain the differences, I sigh. “Go ahead. Give me your best shot. I won’t hit you back.”
“I’m not fucking hitting you. You’re my friend. My best friend.” He lowers his arms. “I don’t know what to think.” His expression turns as if he’s eaten something sour. “Fuck, I don’t want to think about you with her. Together. Dating…”
“Yes.”
His grin quirks up on one side. “You haven’t dated in a long time. Do you even remember how?”
A smile lifts my cheeks. “I’m not that fucking old.”
He lifts his hand. “Don’t tell me.”
“Are we good?” I ask.
“No.” His gaze meets mine. “We’re not bad.” He wraps his arm around my neck and pulls my head down, the way we used to do. “I’m not hitting you now, but I reserve the right to do it if you deserve it.”
