Page 104 of Hollywood

He lowered his eyes. “Sex. Right.”

There was something about the way he said it, the slight hint of disappointment that made me realize I wasn’t getting this right. I put a finger under his chin, raising his face to look into his eyes. “No, it’s not just the sex, darlin’. I want to do this right, okay? I want to take you on a date. I know we’ve done everything backward and out of order, so it’s confusing. Let’s start over.” I cleared my throat. “Hendrix, will you go out with me?”

He gave a startled little laugh. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. We’ll need a babysitter, though.”

“Consider it done,” Hollywood said, beaming. “I know a few guys who would be happy to do it.”

My stomach flipped at the thought of telling the rest of the guys. If we did this, my feelings for Hollywood wouldn’t be secret anymore. Everyone would know.

I waited for the panic, the nausea that used to rise whenever I thought of it. But it didn’t come. The guys would all be happy for us. They probably had their suspicions anyway with how quickly I’d moved in to help Hollywood.

I’d wanted him from the moment I’d seen him in that hospital looking overwhelmed.

No, even before that.

Ever since that first intoxicating kiss hepressed on me.

I had run because it was too good. Too inevitable. Because I’d still been afraid to accept the love in my heart.

It seemed silly now. To run from the man I wanted so badly. To fear someone who could make me so happy.

Two someones, really. Though I didn’t know Hollywood would have Ruby. I was damn glad he did, though. She’d brought us together.

She ran up with a happy squeal. Snagged another chicken nugget and said, with her mouth full, “Sing?”

She hadn’t quite mastered S blends, but it was easy enough to know what she meant when she pointed toward the swings.

“All right. Chew and swallow.” Hollywood stood and scooped her up. “Let’s go swing.”

I watched him carry Ruby. My two favorite people.

I smiled as I packed up the remnants of our lunch. To hell with what anyone else thought. This was my family now, and I could no longer pretend they weren’t my whole world.

CHAPTER 23

Hollywood

“So,where are we going for this date?” I asked as I buckled into Tex’s pickup truck.

“That’s a surprise.” A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “But you’ll find out soon enough.”

Nervous flutters tickled my stomach. I wasn’t sure why I was so jittery. It wasn’t as if we hadn’t had drinks together dozens of times before. Of course, never as a couple. Never where people could see us. Never on adate.

A Johnny Cash song came through the truck’s speakers. I leaned forward to turn it up. “Ooh, I love this.”

As the lyrics filtered out, I matched my voice to his drawl, dropping it a register, stretching it out a bit, adding some rasp.

Tex raised an eyebrow at me, but his eyes warmed as they always did when he caught me singing. I’d been a little embarrassed the first time he’d walked in to find me belting out Elvis while mopping the kitchen floor, Ruby clapping her hands and singing along off-key while absolutely murdering thelyrics.

She had good rhythm, though, and enthusiasm that couldn’t be matched.

Tex had laughed, eyes bright, and then taken a seat and told me to continue. My body had flushed hot, and I’d barely been able to look at him, but Ruby wanted to keep singing, so we did. We sang Elvis and Sinatra—even some Wiggles that afternoon, when Ruby wanted to take the lead.

“I didn’t know you liked country,” Tex said.

“Johnny Cash isn’t really country,” I said. “He blends genres. So does Elvis. I guess I just appreciate good music, regardless of genre. I love a lot of different things.”