I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face because I totally get a visual of that sort of calendar.
“I’m not going anywhere, Kylie. Even if you decide you want to push me away and keep your distance, I’ll still be right here. However, I’ll never let you date anyone else, because…I’ll be here.”
Just like that, I realize how right Lilah was. I was right to choose stupid instead of stubborn. I just should have stuck with it instead of second-guessing myself.
Without saying anything else, I bend over and pull my beaver flag out of my bag and slide it over to Liam.
“What’s this?” he asks, then grins. “Why’d you bring your flag?”
“Because Vick said if I’m staying here for a while, you have to raise that flag every time I’m here. But he reminded me it was only temporary.”
“I’ll install a flag pole first thing in the morning,” he says with that smile lingering, amusement sparking in his eyes.
“Then let’s find out if our crazies match,” I tell him, quoting Lilah’s married-life advice.
His grin takes up his whole face. “I have no idea what that means, but it sounds a little dirty.” His gaze dips to my shirt, and he quirks an eyebrow. “Feed the beaver?” he asks.
“Sure. Why not?” I ask, standing and pulling my shirt off over my head.
I start laughing when he playfully tackles me, and my grin spreads when his lips come down on mine. My arms go around his neck, and he carries me to the bedroom.
Between really awesome sex, a lot of laughter, and listening to his tales of Tomahawk since landing in the town of madness, it turns into what is probably the most perfect night.
I try to think of the last Friday that was this good.
None come to mind.
Something crashes in the living room, and Liam curses as he pushes off me and runs out of the bedroom, still naked. Is he going to club whatever intruder there is over the head with his penis?
Has he not ever watched a scary movie?
“Damn it, Cooter!” I hear him shout, seconds before the sound of dishes breaking and a barking bloodhound collides.
Laughing to myself, I listen and watch as a naked Liam streaks by, chasing the “damn Vincents’ infuriating dog.”
Yeah. Nothing tops this Friday.
Chapter 20
Wild Ones Tip #912
You can sit with us if you really wanna. Bring a helmet.
KYLIE
Dad is milking one of the cows when I step into the barn, my backpack on my shoulder after collecting a few things I need over at Liam’s. I borrowed his boat while he was still sleeping, mostly so I could talk to Dad alone.
Dad looks up at me, cigar hanging from his mouth, and grins around it when he realizes it’s me and no Liam.
“Well, how’s things going on the Vincent side of the lake?” he asks a little haughtily.
Rolling my eyes, I drop my backpack to the floor, and scoot him off the stool so I can take over milking the cow.
He stands and stretches, and I blow out a breath, wondering how to broach the very important thing I need to ask. I don’t want to just blurt it out. It’ll make me sound immature and insecure.
But…why the fucking hell has no Malone threatened any bodily harm to Liam yet? It’s not fair.
Hale and Killian were ready to murder Benson.
Not one Malone has even cracked his damn knuckles in Liam’s direction.
“Kylie?” he asks, sounding more serious. “Where’s that boy?”
The bite of anger in his tone has me grinning. “He’s in bed. I snuck out to talk to you about Mom. Wondering if you think Liam might be anything like her…”
I’m so going to hell.
I may be the first girl ever to want her father to threaten the guy she’s dating. Seriously, why hasn’t he? Liam isn’t that perfect. Maybe I should bring up the forgotten girlfriend thing…
No. Then dad would just literally kill him.
“Figured you might eventually come to me with that question,” he says, walking over to take the bucket of milk out from under the cow. He pushes Betsy May—I’m not the one who named the cow and turned her into a cliché—toward the back, but I remain on the stool.
“You’re worried about Liam running off the way your momma did, right?” he asks with his back still turned as he puts the cow back out to pasture.
Sighing dramatically, I nod, then realize he can’t see me. But before I can answer aloud, he turns and starts speaking like he somehow saw my non-verbal answer.
“Kylie, if you go comparing every person not from Tomahawk to your mother, you’ll end up bitter real fast. Chester Perkins, for example, has never trusted a woman outside of Tomahawk, and no woman from here would ever be stupid enough to date him.”