Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 87298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 436(@200wpm)___ 349(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
“Seriously?” I lean my elbows on the bar to get closer to her. She does the same, and our faces are close. “When does this start?”
“Tomorrow night.”
Leaning in a little further, I press my lips to hers. “What are we going to do?”
She shrugs. “We can just hang out. We don’t have to make a big production over it.”
“A big production over what?” Orrin says, interrupting us.
“I’m off tomorrow night.”
“Really? Then we should all go out,” he suggests.
“Where are we going?” I look over Orrin’s shoulder and see Archer and Ryder, two of his younger brothers, standing behind him.
“Yeah, I picked up a few stragglers on the way. Well, they called and asked what I was doing, and well, here we are.”
“And what are we doing?” Archer asks again.
“Nothing.” Ramsey laughs. “I’m off tomorrow night for the first Friday night in forever, and I was just telling Deacon that we could just have a quiet night in.”
“Rams, come on.” Ryder grins. “You can’t spend Friday night just sitting around with this guy.” He points to me.
“Yes, I can,” she counters, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Babe, you never get Friday nights off. We should go out.”
“I never get quiet Friday nights at home either,” she counters.
“What about Friday night?” another voice asks.
Glancing over, I see it’s Rushton, another brother of Orrin’s. “We’re trying to talk my girl into going out tomorrow night.”
“What’s the deal?” Brooks asks Ramsey.
“No deal. I just thought it might be nice to stay in and have a quiet night with my boyfriend. However, if you want to go out with the guys, go right ahead.”
“Baby, if you think for a second that I’m letting you spend your first Friday night off in months without me, you’re wrong.”
“Come on, Rams,” Rushton encourages her. “The guy is practically begging for your time. Put him out of his misery,” he says, smacking a hand down on my shoulder.
“I’m clearly outnumbered.” She shakes her head, a smile playing on her lips.
“Why are you all hounding my best friend?” a voice that I know belongs to my baby sister asks.
“Palmer, help me out here.” Ramsey waves her hands at our group. “Tell them it’s fine for me to want to spend Friday night at home.”
“You work on Friday nights,” Palmer answers.
“Not tomorrow. I’m off.”
“Then hell yes, we’re going out. What are we doing, boys?” she asks, placing her arm around Archer’s shoulders. They graduated together and have always been close.
“Fine.” Ramsey holds her hands up in the air. “Tell me where to be and when,” she says, moving down the bar to serve someone who just walked in.
“Seriously, what are you all doing here? Is this some kind of Kincaid family reunion?” Palmer teases.
“These jokers follow me around like lost puppies.” Orrin points at his brothers.
“We’re all bachelors, and we’re starving,” Archer counters.
“Fair enough. Let’s grab a table. You coming, Deacon?” Palmer asks.
“I’m good here.”
“Come on.” Palmer grabs my hand and pulls me from my stool. “We need to make plans for tomorrow night. You can go sit with your girl after.”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” I tell her, waving her off. She smiles and shakes her head. I know she loves that Ramsey and I are together. I have a feeling she’s never going to let me live it down that she introduced us.
“You’re not going to contribute to the planning?” Ramsey asks after serving her customer.
“If you really want to stay home, we can. I just thought you deserve a night out of fun.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind going out. I just hate that you always insist that you pay. You don’t have to spend your money on me to make me want to be with you.”
“That’s not what I’m doing. Not at all. I’m paying because I want to take care of you, and before you say you don’t need me to take care of you, I know that too. It’s not because you need me to do it. It’s because I want to do it. I like doing nice things for you.”
“You’re a good man, Deacon Setty.”
“I’m your man,” I say, leaning over the bar to press my lips to hers.
“All right, you crazy kids, break it up,” Tabitha jokes.
I settle back on my stool. “I got you something last night.”
“You did?”
I nod. Reaching into my pocket, I grab the item and slide it across the bar to her. “This is yours.”
“A key?” She takes it in her hand and tilts her head to the side.
“To my place. If there are any nights you get off work and you want to come home to me instead of home alone, use that.”
“Giving me a key to your place is a big deal.”
Leaning over the bar once again, I kiss her. I can’t seem to help myself. Thankfully, there are only a couple of small groups, minus the Kincaids and my sister. I hope they’re not paying us a bit of attention. I don’t want to get her into trouble, but I can’t not kiss her either. “Don’t you know we’re a big deal, you and me?” I wink and stand from my stool. “I’m going to go see what they’re planning for tomorrow night. Is there anything you absolutely don’t want to do?”