“I’m not seeing a whole lot of evidence of that lately. You take care of everyonebutyourself.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he kept right on going. “You stay right here while I go fix you a snack.” Tuck pinned me with a hard gaze. “You move a muscle, and I will paddle your ass.”
My jaw came unhinged, but simmering heat pooled low in my belly. My hands fisted.What the hell?Before I could regain any semblance of the ability to speak, Tuck had turned on his heel and strode towards the kitchen. Had I actually hit my head? Was I now in some sort of coma-induced alternate universe where Tuck threatened to spank me? And why the hell did some part of me like the idea?
I was clearly in some sort of hunger-induced brain misfire. That was the only reasonable explanation. I did all kinds of crazy stuff when I went too long without sustenance. Yes, those crazy things were generally something like eating an entire pan of brownies in one sitting. They weren’t typically the burning desire to climb one of my best friends since birth like a tree. But hunger could make you do lots of insane things.
Tuck emerged from the kitchen juggling a plate with the largest sandwich I’d ever seen and a tall glass of what looked like apple juice. He came towards me with what I could only describe as a swagger. Had his hips always moved like that when he walked?
Don’t get me wrong, I knew Tuck was attractive. Hot even. I’d had the requisite crush on him throughout my middle school years and even into high school. But he had always treated me like a little sister. Someone he liked hanging with. But never once had he given me even a single hint that he was interested in more than friendship. And I’d grown up. I’d put him firmly in the big-brother category. So, why, all of a sudden, was my body reacting to him?
It had to be my dry spell. Could it even be called that if it was as dry and vast as the Sahara? I needed to get laid and stat. Because the last thing I needed was to fall for a guy who was a walking one-night stand.
Tuck set the plate and juice down in front of me. “Eat.”
“Apple juice?” My voice squeaked on the second word.
Tuck studied me carefully. “You need sugar.”
I took a small sip. “I really just keep this in the fridge for Noah.”
Tuck shrugged. “If I have to come here and feed you an afterschool snack every day to make sure you’re eating enough, I will.”
And there went the flicker of lust. I narrowed my eyes at him. “The day got away from me, that’s all. I’m sure even the all mighty Tucker Harris has forgotten to eat once in a while.”
He shot me that infamous grin. “I am pretty mighty.” He winked. He freakingwinkedat me. Then his expression sobered. “But I’ve never forgotten to eat for so long that I almost passed out.” He paused. “I’m worried about you, J.”
There was something in his tone that made my eyes burn. It was so damn earnest. I swallowed against the emotion clogging my throat. “I’ll make sure I remember to eat.”
Tuck pushed the plate closer towards me. “Thank you.”
I picked up the sandwich. “What are you doing here, anyway?”
“Did you forget what tonight was?”
I searched through the filing system in my jumbled brain and then promptly dropped my sandwich. “Shit. Walker’s proposing. How could I forget that? I’m a really crappy sister.”
“You are not.” Tuck’s words had a bit of a bite to them. “You’ve had a lot going on lately. That’s why I dropped by. To make sure you remembered.”
“Thank you.” I glanced around the halfway tidied room. “I have to finish cleaning up and then pick up Noah at karate and—”
Tuck reached across the table to grab my hand. He tapped the back of it, bringing my attention to him. “I’ll clean up. You eat. And you’re not driving anywhere. I’ll take your SUV, and we can get Noah together.”
“I’m fine, Tuck.” I made an exaggerated show of biting into my sandwich.
“You just almost passed out. You are not getting behind the wheel of a car. I’ll drive you and then get someone to bring me back to get my truck after.”
“Fine.” I stuck out my tongue at him. “You can be my chauffeur. I’ll sit in the back with Noah, and we’ll call you Jeeves. And you’ll be required to speak to us only in a British accent.”
He shook his head. “Lord save me from smart-assed women.”
I hadto fight the burn of tears as I crested the rise. Walker had proposed to Taylor under a tree on top of a hill at the edge of our ranch. It was a place we’d come to as a family to watch sunsets and have picnics, and now Taylor would be part of that family.
Noah barreled ahead, launching himself at Taylor and Walker. He was absolutely ecstatic to be gaining an aunt. When Tuck and I told him what would be happening tonight on the drive over, I’d thought he was going to bounce out of his booster seat and right out of the SUV.
Tears filled my eyes as I watched Walker and Taylor laugh with my son. I was thrilled for them. I couldn’t think of anyone who deserved happiness more. But I also couldn’t help the trickle of longing that danced down my spine, settling somewhere deep in my gut.
I shoved it down. Locked it away somewhere no one would find it—not even me. Because if I didn’t reach for more, it couldn’t break me. I’d opened my heart to someone twice. And both times, I’d had my heart destroyed. I wasn’t sure I’d survive a third time.
And I had more important commitments. My first responsibility was to Noah. I had to build a safe and secure life for him. That meant not risking letting someone into our lives who had the potential to hurt us both. I looked around me at all the faces. I had plenty of love in my life. I could be good with just this. It was more than most had.
