Forever After All - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,19

that, all bets are off. I’m ready to make her mine.

Chapter 6

McKenna

My feet feel as though they’re filled with lead as I walk away from his truck. I made a mistake. I should never have agreed to stay at his place last night, and I should never have stayed in his bed. It took one night for all of those hopes and dreams for what we might one day be to come rushing back. Only this time, I’m not a teenager, and neither is he. We’re both adults, and my crush is heading into the “more” category. That’s an issue seeing as our lives are too entwined. I’m home for good, and this isn’t just a fling I can walk away from.

Walking into the house, I smell Gram’s baking something. “It smells good in here,” I call out.

“McKenna.” She smiles wide when I walk into the kitchen. “How was the bonfire?”

“Good. We all stayed at Rip’s instead of going back to Laramie’s.”

“Oh, well, that was nice of him to let everyone stay at his place. He’s such a nice boy.”

“Um, Gram, I wouldn’t describe Rip as a boy. He’s definitely all man.” Thoughts of waking up in his arms with his hard length pressed against me flash in my mind. All man indeed.

“Is he now?” she asks with a knowing smile.

Gram and Gramps raised me. They’re my only family, and we’re close, so of course, they both know about my past schoolgirl crush on Rip. “Yep.” I know that my face is flushed. I can feel the heat as it creeps up from my neck to my cheeks. I’m a grown woman. Talking about him shouldn’t make me blush.

“I didn’t expect you home. It’s been ages since you’ve seen your friends.”

“It’s been ages since I’ve seen you and Gramps. Speaking of, where is he?”

“He’s out back meddling in the garden. And you’re young, McKenna, and you work so hard. You deserve some downtime with your friends.”

“We’re going to the lake later today,” I say as the back door opens and Gramps comes in, carrying a couple of tomatoes.

“Look, Agnes.” He grins. “They’re coming on early this year.” He stops next to me, leaning in and kissing my cheek. “Mac,” he says affectionately, in a way only he can. “You feeling all right? You look flushed.”

“Oh, she’s fine. We were just discussing Rip,” Gram says, teasing me.

“Stop!” I laugh. “There is nothing going on with Rip and me. He’s Laramie’s brother. We were all close growing up. You know that.” I sound defensive even to my own ears. I don’t really know what’s going on with Rip. What I do know is last night and yesterday, that’s not normal for us. I’ve never slept in his bed, and he’s never called me beautiful.

“Nice young man,” Gramps adds.

“Enough about Rip. How’s the garden?” I ask Gramps.

“Good, good.” He nods. “These beauties will taste mighty fine on a juicy cheeseburger for dinner.” He sets the tomatoes on a paper towel on the counter.

“The homegrown ones do taste better than the ones you buy at the grocery store,” I agree.

“What’s this about the lake?” Gramps asks, taking a seat next to me.

“A group of us are going to the lake later.”

“It’s a good day for it. Why are you going later instead of while the sun is high in the sky?”

“I wanted to come home and see you and Grams. I feel like I’ve barely seen you since I’ve been home.”

“Go on, enjoy your day,” Gramps encourages me. “We miss you, Mac, but you deserve some fun. Remember, I went through law school, and it’s a lot harder now than it was back then. Call your friends, and go have some fun.”

“I want to spend time with the two of you too,” I tell him. “I’ll be honest, Gramps. I’m not really feeling the love right now.”

“Trust me, darlin’, there’s more love for you in this old heart than you could ever understand.” He taps his hand on his chest.

“He’s right, you know. You need to be hanging out with your friends and relaxing. I know you’re worried about the bar, but, honey, you have to take some time to breathe and soak up the sun. It will do wonders to clear your mind. We love you, but you’re home now, McKenna.” She smiles softly. “Go, have fun.” Grams waves her hand at me. “Have you eaten? I can make you something before you go,” she offers.

“Yes. Rip made pancakes and bacon.”

“Extra crispy?” she