Chapter 12
TWELVE
BIRDIE
“Please tell me you’re almost here?” I ask my best friend once I’m out of bed for the day. I miss her and Rocky terribly. She should have already been here, but hiring a moving company at the last minute proved to be harder than we thought.
“Not so much. Am I going directly to your mom’s or Lane’s?” If we were on a FaceTime call, she’d be wiggling her eyebrows, doing some weird kind of thrusting with her hips. Clearly, she has an older brother.
“Mom’s. Lane is working, and I’m feeling much better.
I swear he’d wrap me in bubble wrap if he could.
” I was surprised to find him on the porch this morning before work.
He’s usually in the kitchen or out front.
There was something heavy on his mind, a subject Lane wouldn’t share with me, and while it made me second-guess our relationship, I had an internal debate with myself.
I thought about all the moments I’ve had with Lane, the way he put his birthday party and birthday on hold to come to me.
How he’s taken care of me since the moment his eyes landed on mine.
Then there’s before I left, when I gave myself to him in every way possible.
He’s my first love, my first partner, my first everything.
And when I went to college, my heart stayed here in Arrowleaf with Lane.
So I took a deep breath while he held me, and I got my thoughts unscrambled.
My heart is Lane Johnson’s, and his heart is mine.
“From the stories you’ve told me and the texts you’ve been sending, I wouldn’t mind a cowboy like him.
Tell me again, how many brothers are there?
” The sip of coffee I’m taking goes down the wrong way, and I almost spew it all over myself and the kitchen counter.
Today, I’m able to sit on the barstool without wincing in pain.
My ribs and sternum are barely noticeable.
My pussy, though, that’s another story. Lane tried his hardest to keep me still, to keep me from pulling him over the edge with me, but there was no way that was happening.
The first time, yes. The second time, absolutely not.
My body craved his, and once Lane allowed himself to let go, it was a thing of beauty.
I kept my eyes open the entire time he came deep inside me.
Watching his powerful thrusts, his muscles tightening, his sweat coating our skin, the way his head tipped back, his body locking up.
And how he breathed my name when he came deep inside me.
My core clenches, wanting to relive the moment, yet knowing today is going to be busy for both of us.
Maybe Lane keeping me to himself wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
“There are six Johnson brothers all together. Lane is obviously off-limits. From oldest to youngest, you have Lawson, Trey, Dean, JW, Ryland, and Lane. Their ages start at thirty-seven and end at twenty-seven.” Mrs. Catherine and Mr. Russel surely did a lot in a ten-year time span.
“And do all of them have Lane’s looks?” Thank goodness she’s asking me about this while Lane isn’t around.
He’d lose his shit if he heard me talking about another man, let alone his brothers.
The one thing about these Johnson men, they love hard and protect harder.
They also do not share what’s theirs, especially Lane.
I know he let me go for a reason. I also know he was never home when I was for the same exact reason.
It sucked, but our love for one another ran deep enough to weather the storm.
“Well, first of all, Lane is the hottest, but all of the Johnson brothers are good-looking. I can’t say for sure how their personalities are since coming home this time around.
Lane quite literally kidnapped me the day I came home and has sequestered me away at his house.
” Yes, I know it’s only been a couple of days, but other than my mom, it’s only been the two of us since I parked my car in the driveway.
“And you’re complaining?” Tully snorts her reaction, and then I hear him. I hear my baby boy doing a yip in the background.
“Not at all. Okay, for real this time. How much longer till you’re in Arrowleaf?
” I’m still in Lane’s shirt, my hair is a knotted mess, and I need to do a few things around the house.
Then there’s the fact I’ll have to walk to my mom’s, or I could make a call to either my mom or Lane.
Hmm, I really need to think this through.
“Um, considering we’ve had to make several stops after the amount of coffee I’ve consumed, it’s safe to assume I won’t be there till around lunchtime. Rocky and I are also enjoying each pit stop by stretching our legs, aren’t we, boy?”
“Fine. If it must take you that long, I suppose I’ll clean up around here and head to Mom’s.
I’ll make sure lunch is ready. Promise me you’ll call when you need to?
” I make it sound like a question. Tully knows it’s more of a you better, or else I’m going to be pissed.
She’s been there for me. Now it’s time for me to be there for her.
“Yes, mother hen, I will. Between you and my mom, I don’t think I’ve had the chance to listen to a whole chapter of my audiobook.”
“We love you, so suck it up, buttercup.” I wish audiobooks did it for me like they do for Tully.
She can read on her e-reader or listen to an audiobook and soak up every single detail.
I’m more of a paperback girlie, and on the rare occurrences a thick book is too much to carry, I’ll pull out my own e-reader.
Usually, when the latter happens, I’m in bed for the night, my eyes are tired and heavy, then the next thing you know, my face is feeling the gravity-forced e-reader bopping me in the face.
I get annoyed and vow to only read paperbacks until the next time.
“Yeah, yeah, smooches. We love you, and we’ll see you soon.
” I start to respond, but this bitch of a best friend of mine hangs the fuck up on me.
I mean, sure, sometimes I’ll extend the conversation on a different subject.
It’s a habit of mine and usually ends up being a tangent about nothing.
Still, it would have been nice to say bye.
“Freaking brat.” I place the phone on the counter, pick up my cup of coffee again, and take a sip.
I’ve got a decision to make. As much as I wouldn’t mind walking to my mom’s, even I know it might be a bit too much on my body.
There’s always the side-by-side in Lane’s garage I could take.
Maybe I’ll leave a note and tell him where I am.
I shake my head. Nope. I’m not trying to be denied an orgasm.
He’d do it, too. Especially given that even I know my body is still healing.
A bumpy ride would be bad, which also means walking that far is definitely a no-go.
I’m dialing his number without another thought.
This way, I’ll get to steal a kiss or two from him in the middle of the day.