“So, you used to come up here, too, and escape all the girl drama?" I said and chuckled when his cheeks turned a little red."Nah," he refuted. "It was always these two the girls wanted. The Jacobsons are hot commodities around here.""Bull crap! You had them eating up those stupid 'I'm a cowboy' stories and you know it," Kyle yelled. "The one about you saving your sister from the bull was classic. Classic!""Eat me," Rodney said, embarrassed.”

“What are you doing here, Bish?" I asked as Caleb asked Kyle the same question but with much more edge to his tone."I'm your chaperone," Kyle said grinning in clear enjoyment of the situation and Caleb's reaction."And I'm his," Bish muttered and glared at us. "They couldn't spare anyone else so I volunteered to come. Kyle insisted on coming too. So here we are. What are you doing?""We were just about to go to the beach," I answered."Great. I'll go put on my suit," Kyle said chipperly and flung his duffel bag on the club chair before running upstairs.”

“He pulled my face up with his hand cupping my cheek and kissed me on my trembling mouth. He smoothed his hands down my arms, my back, my hair, my cheek, soothing me. “There’s a picture of you two in the dictionary under ‘get a room’,” Kyle said from behind me.”

“I turned my face to let his nose rub my cheek. "Mason, let's just stay here," I told him breathlessly.He chuckled, huskily and dangerously. "Oh, no, absolutely not. I'm not to be trusted with you alone right now.”

“You know any single girls in their twenties that would go for Bish?" I asked Caleb."Sure, I know plenty. But would Bish go for it? He doesn’t seem tobe attracted to anything that walks, talks, eats or breathes except my sister.”

“What makes you think he won't freak? He is my father and I'm his only little girl.""Betcha five bucks.""Deal," I said with a laugh. "He is gonna freak and I'll take your money and buy a honey bun with a diet cream soda and I won't share with you," I sang.”

“you may never remember the way you used to be with them, I have no doubt that you'll figure out a way that works with them one day. And when you do, when you figure everything out and decide with no regrets who you want to be, if you still want me, I'll be right here waiting for you.”