Page 119 of Small Town Firsts
“I was looking for you two.”
I whirled at the voice behind me. Beckett stood in the open barn door. My heart dropped. “Beckett…” The words seized up into my throat.
Excuses for my behavior bubbled and tried to come, but there was no real way I could talk myself out of this one.
Ronan came up behind me. I could feel his warmth even before his big hand settled on my waist. I could feel the tension in him, but as usual, he was an immovable monolith.
The urge to ignore and downplay what we were just wouldn’t come anymore. Instead I cupped my hand around his. “I’m seeing Ronan,” I blurted out.
Ronan stiffened behind me, but was silent.
“It won’t interfere with work—well, much. And okay, yes, we were in here alone and definitely not working, but we ended up talking about work. That counts right?”
Beckett tucked his hands into his pockets and didn’t say a word.
“I can do my job and still have a relationship with someone. It happens all the time in the world, right? And we work so well together. Even when we fight, we still do our jobs. I mean we don’t fight a lot, but sometimes because he can be an idiot.”
Beckett’s eyebrow rose.
“Thanks, Sunshine.”
I looked over my shoulder at him. “I mean, you can be an idiot. You didn’t sleep all night and then started day drinking.”
He just grinned at me. “It’s called a tasting.”
“Yeah, right. The color in your cheeks says otherwise.”
I released Ronan’s hand and stalked toward Beckett. “I bust my ass and give everything to the orchard, but I think I can have both. I deserve both, dammit.” I poked him in the chest when he didn’t say anything. I was just babbling at this point, but the boulder in my throat started to dislodge with the rightness of it all. “I hope you’re good with that, because I’m not giving him up.”
Beckett grabbed my finger. “Stop poking me.”
My chest was heaving as I stared into his blue eyes. The man gave very little away at the best of times, but right now he was a blank slate. Suddenly he grinned at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “It’s about damn time, Key. He seems like a good guy.” He looked over my shoulder at Ronan. “He better be.”
I reached behind me and found Viking right there. The nerves evened out at how real and right he felt behind me.
Ronan drew me back to stand beside him, our fingers linked. “I think we make a pretty good team, especially since I plan on marrying her as soon as she gets comfortable with the idea.”
My head swiveled to him. “Pump the brakes, pal.”
He grinned down at me. “There’s no brakes when it comes to how I feel about you, Sunshine.”
“Okay, I’m out. I’ll be at the taproom if you guys can tear yourselves away.”
I moved to follow him, but Ronan held me beside him. “We’ll be right there.”
“Viking, we have so much to do.”
“Just another minute.” He drew me in front of him. “It’s not every day my girl tells her best friend she’s into me.”
I curled my arms around his waist. “Beck and I don’t exactly talk about that kind of thing, but I don’t want to hide us. You don’t deserve that.”
“But it was a big step.” He dropped a soft kiss on my mouth.
“And would you stop talking about marrying me?”
“Never. At least until you’re at the end of the aisle walking my way.”
“How can you be so certain so fast?” I would probably be asking that until the end of time. At the same time, I didn’t want to let go of him.
