Forever After All - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,66

from Rip.

“Hey, she’s mine.” Rip reaches out for me, but Laramie moves to stand, blocking him.

“Nope. She was mine first. I need time with my best friend. You are not going to continue to hog her. Now, go away. Corbin and Colby are back at the pool table. I think Russ is there as well. Sara, Mac, and I are having a girls’ night.”

“That wasn’t the plan.” Rip glares at her, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I knew what I had to say to get you both here. Now go.” She waves her hand in the air.

“Kenna.” Just the sound of him saying my name sends fire through my veins. I step back and out of Laramie’s reach and rush to him. He wraps his arms around me and holds me close. When he pulls back, he slides his hand behind my neck and presses his lips to mine. “Have fun. I’ll be over there if you need me.”

“We’re at the Silver Star. What could happen?” I say, barely containing my smile.

“I just need you to know that you come first. You’ll always come first.”

“Go. Have a few beers, shoot some pool.”

“Why do I miss you already?” he whines.

“Oh my God. McKenna, what have you done to my brother?” Laramie steps beside me and links her arm through mine.

Rip leans in and kisses me again. This time it’s just a quick peck, but the effect it has on me is all the same. My knees are weak, and my smile is wide. “Have fun, beautiful,” he says before bopping his sister on the nose and sauntering to the other side of the bar.

“Girl, you must have some magic going on downstairs,” Sara says when we reach the table.

“What?” I ask, sputtering with laughter.

“I’ve never seen Rip like that before. Never.”

“Um, we’re not sleeping together,” I confess.

“Do what now?” Laramie asks. “He’s into you.”

“I’m into him.”

“Are the two of you official?” Sara asks.

“Yeah, we are.” I fight the urge to glance over my shoulder to seek him out. “We slept together in Vegas, but neither one of us really remember it. Not the actual act, that is.”

“All the more reason for a repeat,” Sara insists.

“We’ll get there.” What I don’t tell them is that our make-out sessions every night this week are a dead giveaway that we will indeed get there. Neither one of us has talked about the fact that we’ve yet to have sex. I think we’re both silently on the same page that we needed some time to get used to this new dynamic of our relationship.

“Enough about me. One week. You’re getting married in one week!” I say to Laramie.

“Finally,” she sighs, sitting back in her chair. “I was good with us taking our time. We started dating when we were so young. We both wanted to make sure that this was it for us. I mean, we both knew, but we wanted to give it some time. From the moment he proposed, I can’t stop this… urgency. I know it’s crazy considering how long we dated, but I’m just ready to be his wife.”

“You’re glowing,” Sara tells her.

“Love will do that to you.” She points at me and then at Sara. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed a glow about the two of you.” She grins, taking a sip of her beer.

“Corbin is… unexpected. I thought we were just having fun at first, but it’s more than that.”

“Have you guys talked about it?” Laramie asks.

“Yeah. He wanted to make sure I knew we were exclusive.”

“I’m so excited for you. I knew that once that boy fell, it would be hard.” I raise the beer that they had waiting for me at the table, and we all cheer.

“He’s great,” Sara says, blushing.

“I have a feeling it won’t be long and the two of you will be right behind me.”

“What do you mean?” Sara asks.

“Marriage.”

“No one is talking about marriage,” I tell her.

“Oh, come on. You’ve already married my brother twice.” She chuckles. “They say the third time is a charm.”

My heart rate kicks up. I’m still coming to terms with the fact that Rip is my boyfriend. The thought of being his wife? It sends a thrill through me. “Yeah, let’s not go getting ahead of ourselves.”

“Right? Corbin and I have been dating a hot minute,” Sara chimes in. “Too early for that kind of talk.”

“I’m telling you, ladies. I know these things.” Laramie taps her index finger against her temple. “Case in point,” she says, and I