“I like books. They’re better company than people sometimes.” Although he and Tate arrived five minutes before five, more than a dozen vehicles already lined the first row of parking in the field. He followed the unobstructed drive to the garage and parked inside. As the door closed behind them, he shut off the engine and pulled the keys from the ignition, all while reciting the first twenty elements from the periodic table to occupy his brain. “Ready?”
Her frown suggested she wasn’t. “Maybe. I just got a text from Levi. He saw us driving in and wants to know if I’m your date.”
Jim’s stomach rumbled, whether from nerves or hunger he wasn’t sure. “What did you tell him?”
“I’m thinking of pretending I didn’t see the message. My brothers can be so annoying. I bet they’re all here and ready to stick their noses into our business.”
“I can’t disagree with that. Beau came by with Corey earlier and wanted to know if I was picking you up because it was a date.” Telling her the rest of what her brother had said didn’t seem like a good idea.
“I hope you told him it is, because…it is.”
Elation coursed through him, but he bit his lip to keep from letting out a whoop. “Wait here. I’ll come around and help you down.”
She dropped her phone into the tote and unbuckled her seat belt, wearing the same happy-go-lucky expression her niece shared with her. “I promise not to fall on you this time.”
“That’s too bad. I’m prepared for it now.”
Her easy laugh cured the heartache he’d tried to ignore when Beau had announced the news of her engagement and marriage a decade and a half ago, even more than finding out she’d divorced the idiot and planned to return home. His chance had finally arrived, and he would do everything in his power not to screw it up.
He exhaled to calm his nerves as he rounded the back end of the truck, but spotting Beau, Archer, Levi, and Everett through the garage-door window wound them back up again. “Your brothers are all here and headed to the house.”
When he reached the open passenger door, she placed her hands on his shoulders, reminding him of cowboys helping women down from wagons and stagecoaches in the old Westerns he’d watched growing up.
Mischief laced her smile. “If they want to butt into our business, we’ll give them something really good to gossip about.”
Grasping her waist, he lifted her out of the pickup and held on far longer than necessary after she stood facing him. The ability to touch her sent his pulse hop-skip-and-jumping again, but he preferred that to nervousness. “Like what?”
“Just follow my lead.” She tunneled her fingers into his hair, distracting his dick from its impending nap. “Pull my shirt from my waistband a little in the back and loosen my ponytail some more.”
“You want them to think we’ve been fooling around in here?” As much as he wouldn’t have minded the real thing, he didn’t like the idea of her brothers teasing her for the next three hours.
“We are fooling around. Now untuck my shirt and make this look real. They’re going to be here any second.” She stepped closer and pressed her lower belly to his waking erection.
A groan escaped as he tugged her blouse free from her jeans and then rocked his hips forward. “You want real? I can do real.”
“Mm, then kiss me. I like kissing you.”
She met him halfway, her tongue diving into his mouth the moment he melded his lips to hers. The world stood still while he let himself drown in the sensation of having her in his arms and savored the way she tasted him, like she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He’d waited his whole damn life to express his feelings, with the hope that she might feel the same.
His dream had come true.
A herd of footsteps carried from beyond the door leading into the kitchen.
Your timing sucks, guys.
Tate broke the kiss, but she nibbled a path to his ear instead of pulling away. Each deliberate caress added fuel to the bonfire already raging in his veins. Her whisper tickled his neck. “Ignore them. Put your hand up my shirt.”
Feel her up in front of her brothers?
“Touch me like you mean it. Focus on me, Jim.”
His name spoken so softly, so desperately by the woman of his heart against his ear sparked a shiver that raced through his entire body. Who in their right mind could refuse her?
He slipped his hand past the thin fabric, praying his palm wasn’t sweaty. The silken plane of her skin drew his fingers upward until he reached into a wide strip of lace traversing her back.
Flat. No overlapping ends. Hooks in front, thank God.
Temptation might’ve proven too much if he’d had access to the fasteners. Even so, her tongue on his earlobe tested his willpower.
“Ahem.”
She sighed and tilted her head away from his, but she maintained the nonexistent space between them. “What are you guys doing in here? Can’t you see we’d like some privacy?”
“Auggie wants to know what to do with the extra order for Jimbo.” While the voice sounded most like Archer, any of her brothers could’ve spoken. “We offered to find him.”
“He’s busy at the moment.” She twirled her fingers through his hair again and rubbed her cheek against his beard stubble. “Aren’t you, Jim?”
With every cell and nerve ending humming, he barely managed a grunt.
“Hey, Tater, you know this is a family event, don’t you? Lots of kids.”
She pressed her kissable lips to his and then rested her forehead against his chest. “God, can’t you boys take a hint? And don’t call me Tater.”
Archer stepped into Jim’s peripheral vision. “Get a room if you’re going to do PG-13 stuff. Or worse. Not that you should be doing that already. Isn’t this your first date?”
“Out. What Jim and I do, and when and where we do it, are none of your business, especially when we’re trying to do it without an audience.” She wiggled against his erection and peered up at him with a wicked smile that added to the snugness of his khakis. “Right, big guy?”
Unable to speak through the flood of lust short-circuiting his brain, he nodded. Never before in his life had a woman made him consider picking her up and carrying her off to his bedroom like a caveman instead of taking care of his responsibilities.
“Did you find him?” The gruff tone meant Auggie had joined their audience. “Dude. You didn’t tell me you had a new girlfriend. When did that happen?”
Jim fought a growl, but it got loose anyway. Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand from Tate’s blouse, skimming it along the curve of her bottom as he put several inches between them. “Not now since we can’t seem to get a few minutes alone. Put the extra package in the pantry and make sure you close the door. Everybody else needs to go outside while I show Tate where to put her overnight bag.”
Everett crossed his arms in front of his chest and planted his feet shoulder width apart. “Overnight?”
From the way his voice rose an octave at the end, the oldest of the brothers clearly hadn’t expected their big sister to have a sleepover on a first date.
“Yep.” She grabbed her tote from the truck and closed the door. Then she linked her fingers with his. “Lead the way, Big Jim.”
Hoping his confidence looked stronger to her brothers than it felt, he led her through the gawking men gathered at the doorway. Not slowing, he continued through the kitchen, across the living room, and up the stairs to his bedroom. His pulse drummed in his head by the time he stopped next to the bed. Not in his wildest dreams had he imagined Tate Madison in his bedroom.
Maybe in my wildest dreams. But not today.
She tossed her bag on the covers and grinned. “You were brilliant. That’ll teach them to mind their own business.”
Juggling the ball of fear in his gut, he sucked in a fortifying breath and slowly exhaled. “So…will you? Stay the night, I mean.”
Tate adjusted her green cap so the bill blocked the early evening sun and concentrated on not tr
ipping over her own feet instead of the comfortable way Jim’s hand molded around hers as they mingled with his guests. The last thing she needed was to fall on top of him in front of his friends, neighbors, and business associates plus her entire family, many of her customers, and all but one of the members of her new book club. She was already in danger of falling for him.
He gestured toward the coolers and giant thermos jugs lined up along one side of the shaded picnic tables with his free hand. “Want to get something to drink?”
“Sure, but I need to go find the bathroom first.” After all the curious looks and knowing grins from her parents and brothers, a few minutes of alone time would hit the spot. Luckily, her bladder kept her from fibbing, unlike her attempt to escape speculation during Thursday’s THC Book Club meeting.
“You can use the one upstairs instead of a porta potty if you want. Iced tea? I’ll get it for you while you’re in the house.”
“Yes, thanks.” She held her breath as she slipped her fingers from his and turned toward the deck. The absence of his touch brought a momentary pang each time he let go, adding serious concern to her nervousness. “Back in a few minutes.”
“I’ll be right here waiting for you.”
The pang morphed into a near swoon. Her ex-husband had never treated her with such reverence and thoughtfulness, not even while they were dating. Why was a sweet guy like Jim still single?
She jogged up the steps, hoping to outrun the silly desire to experience romance and falling in love with a man who treated her like a treasure. That kind of head-over-heels and swept-off-her-feet fantasy didn’t happen to a forty-something woman with a jaded view of marriage and happily-ever-after. Did it?
Telling him she’d think about staying the night seemed foolish now, even though she genuinely liked him—far more than she’d expected. The what-ifs had hounded her from the minute they’d greeted the first round of guests and developed into a fantasy of co-hosting the event as his wife and the mother of their child with every rapt look he aimed her direction. Equal parts of exhilaration and fear accompanied her across the deck.
“Hey, wait up, Tate.”
A groan rumbled in her throat at Riley’s demand from behind, but she swallowed it and paused at the sliding door. The harder she tried to avoid a private discussion, the more insistent and persistent her friend would become. “We’ve barely had a chance to talk. Are you having a good time? The food is amazing. Don’t you think?”
“Yes and yes.” Riley waltzed past Tate, her wedge sandals every bit as high as the spike-heeled shoes she normally wore. “Have you asked him yet?”
Straight to the point. Tate hurried past the crew loading dessert trays at the kitchen table, hoping to keep the gossip to a minimum. The remainder of the path to the stairs seemed uninhabited, but Tate waited until they reached Jim’s bedroom to speak. “Not yet. How do you approach someone about fathering your baby?”
“It shouldn’t be too difficult since he already invited you into his boudoir.” Riley checked her reflection in the dresser mirror, turning this way and that. “Seriously, you should just sleep with him and let nature take its course. No doctor’s office. No turkey basters. And the bonus? You might actually enjoy the sex.”
Heat flared on Tate’s neck and cheeks on her way to the bathroom. “But…”
A giggle-snort carried through the gap as Tate closed the door. “Yeah, getting to feel his butt is another bonus. Aren’t you even a little curious to know if he’s big all over? I’m sure it’s nothing to be worried about.”
Not as scary as falling in love with the wrong man again.
Chapter 7
The mouthwatering aroma of slow-roasted pork still hung in the air, but if Tate ate another bite, Jim would have to roll her home—if she went home. She leaned back in the glider, letting the wispy clouds inching across the color-washed sky lull her toward sleep. The day’s warmth faded with the setting sun, and she zipped the jacket she’d layered over her blouse when her date had headed to the barn for a last check on his pigs before bedtime.
A date.
No one at the picnic could’ve come to any other conclusion since he’d stayed by her side with his hand wrapped around hers almost the entire time. He possessed every quality she wanted in a man worthy of helping her create a child—kind, generous, handsome, athletic, down-to-earth. A few years older and a lot less her brother’s best friend, and she might be able to consider exploring a relationship with him, but she couldn’t risk creating a rift between him and Beau, no matter how strong the attraction. Could she?
The security light on the end of the farrowing barn buzzed and flickered on, illuminating the only man she’d wanted to get to know better since her not-so-perfect life had taken a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn. Saying no to his invitation to stay the night after the last of his guests departed had taken far more resolve than she’d expected, and the disappointment still smarted. He’d been far more understanding than she deserved, especially after their make-out session in the garage.
His easy gait carried him closer, giving her adequate time to appreciate his physique and wallow in her regret. If circumstances had been different, she might’ve agreed. Their chemistry had surprised her, allowing her to fantasize about a happily-ever-after, but too many obstacles stood in the way—her wariness among them.
“Everybody’s tucked in for the night.” He sat beside her and set the glider in motion. If her answer had disappointed him, he hid it well. “Do you want to watch the stars come out? I can turn off the deck lights so they’re easier to see.”
She smothered the urge to cuddle up next to him and rest her head on his shoulder. Her willpower didn’t stand a chance if she touched him again. “I should get going. Bedtime is nine thirty with these early mornings at the café.”
The glider abruptly stopped and he nodded. “I’m an early riser too.”
Just ask him. The worst he can do is say no.
She grasped his forearm when he started to rise. “I, um, want to talk to you about something first.”
“Okay.” He sat and sent them rocking back and forth again.
“You don’t have to answer right away. And it’s fine if you don’t want to.” Just be honest. “So…a little background for context. When I was married, I wanted to have a baby. For reasons I’d rather not go into, I didn’t get pregnant. But I still want a baby, even though I’m not married anymore.”
He stretched his arm along the back of the wooden seat, looking far more relaxed than most men would if a woman mentioned marriage and pregnancy on a first date. “You’ll make a great mom. Anabelle loves working for you, says you’re patient when she’s learning new things. And your nieces and nephews always talk about their favorite aunt, especially Corey.”
“Thanks.” Lifting her feet from the ground, she tucked them under her as she faced him. “I was wondering if you might help me. Not financially or anything like that. With conception.”
His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Like contribute half my DNA?”
“Yes, exactly. Will you think about it?”
“I don’t need to think about it. The answer’s yes. When do we start?”
Relief and gratitude spread through her insides like the heat his kisses and caresses had inspired earlier. “I’ll call my doctor on Monday to see if we can set up an appointment for sperm collection and insemination when I’m ovulating. It should be soon.”
His eyebrows dipped into a deep vee, creating shadows across his cheekbones. “Sperm collection and insemination.”
“Yes. It sometimes takes several attempts before fertilization, so I’d like to start trying as soon as possible.”
His frown and an abrupt end to the gentle gliding, sure signs he’d changed his mind, triggered a twinge of deep disappointment.
“Two things. I suppose three, actually.” He huffed out a noisy sigh. “Okay. One. Speaking from experience, intrauterine insemination isn’t a particularly enjoyable experience for any of th
e parties involved. Even my pigs get to try on their own first. And they’re successful more times than not. Two.” He cleared his throat. “I like getting off as much as the next guy, but I don’t really want to do it in a doctor’s office while a bunch of people are sitting there waiting for me to, uh, finish. And three. If we’re going to make a baby, we ought to at least have fun while we’re doing it.”
Tate wants to make a baby with me.
Although her silence was better than an immediate refusal, it also meant she hadn’t accepted his offer.
Jim leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his fists, as he waited for the bout of lightheadedness to pass. Maybe Tate hadn’t agreed to stay the night or have sex with him, but asking him to father her child had handed him the opportunity of a lifetime. Had he sounded as desperate as he’d felt when he had spewed out his counteroffer?
What else would convince her?
“Oh, and I have a doctor’s report saying I don’t have any sexually transmitted diseases. My last girlfriend asked me to get tested and then we didn’t even…” Too much information? “Anyway, that was a while ago and I haven’t been with anybody since.”
The faint hoo-hoo-hoo of a screech owl echoed the question he didn’t dare ask. Who, if anyone, had she slept with after her divorce?
She unfolded her legs, setting off a moment of panic that she’d decided to walk home. “I haven’t been with anyone since my marriage ended, and I went to the doctor right after I found out my ex-husband was having an affair. We hadn’t used protection in years, so he could’ve passed all kinds of stuff on to me. Luckily, I only had the beginning of a urinary tract infection. It could’ve been a lot worse.”
“Do you still love him?” The question slipped out too quickly to stop it.
“God, no. Truthfully, I can’t remember what I ever saw in him. I saw what I wanted to see, I guess.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay. Water under the bridge and lessons learned. I haven’t forgiven him for all the lies, but I’ve moved on and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.” She stood and walked to the porch railing, her red hair gleaming in the moonlight. When she faced him, indecision etched barely visible lines around her eyes and mouth. “It was selfish of me to ask you—”
Makin' Bacon Page 5