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Rosemary to me. But at that big party they had out at the farm when she graduated from law school? I don’t know, I just looked up and saw her and she wasn’t like a sister anymore. She was a woman and all the love I’d had for her was still there, only different. Better because I’ve known her forever and I know she’s good and kind and thinks family is important like I do. She’s a girl from a farm, even with a suit on, she’s still one of us and she’s not ashamed of it.” Rafe kicked the dirt a moment.
    “And the kiss?”
    Rafe gave him a general update on the kiss and brief overview of the night before. “I think I realized, the first moment I, um, yeah, anyway, I think I realized this morning when I was operating on a few hours of sleep and wanted to be sure her tire was okay, just how much I want Belle the woman. I know her and that’s special. I want something with her.”
    “But?” Gabe always had read him well.
    “But she has dreams, Gabe. You know how she is. Even when she was like eight or nine she had these freaking flowchart things for every little decision in her life. She wants the letterhead and the office and I want that for her. But I don’t know if there’s room for me and for that.”
    “I take it you haven’t spoken to her about any of this.”
    “I’ve been thinking about it all day. I just came to the decision to pursue her for real only about two hours ago. It’s one thing to want her, it’s another thing to go after it for real. I had to mull it over and think on it.”
    Gabe slapped his shoulder and laughed. “Mom saw that kiss. She loves Belle, she loves the Taylors. She’ll make sweetbread until Belle is so fat she can’t fit in her car to leave town if she has to. Hell, Mom would be happy with anyone other than Sarah.” His brother snorted at the mention of Rafe’s ex. “But Belle is family already and I have no doubt Mom’s in there right now planning her little heart out.”
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    Lauren Dane
    “Good. I fight dirty, Gabe. I want Belle Taylor and I’m willing to share her with a job she loves and deserves. But I think she deserves more than what she’s got. I think she knows it too.” Rafe shoved his hands in his pockets. “I have to go clean up. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”
    Rafe drove the short trip to his house and thought of Belle. Thought of the way she’d been the night before. Of her taste and the sounds she made as she came. Of the passion in her eyes and the way she’d touched him. Of her revelation that she’d had a crush on him for ages. He’d known of course, that she looked up to him when she’d been younger and yeah, he’d caught a few of those fifteen-year-old moony faces but he hadn’t given it much thought. He was four years older than her so she’d not been on his radar at the time.
    Even the way his heart had felt when she’d fallen into sleep after he’d gone down on her.
    Protective. Satisfied he’d been the one to relax her and help her rest.
    Still, the idea that she’d had teenaged fantasies about him really turned him on.
    They’d have to explore that one in detail. In the meantime, he needed to go home, shower and change to get rid of the smell of the dairy before he went back over to his parents’ for dinner.
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Chapter Four
    Belle sat, her legs tucked beneath her, and looked at the long garland of dried apple slices and cranberries her nephews, aided by her father, had hung on the tree. She’d made garlands like this for the Taylor Christmas tree since she was three and the act of doing it every year, of that ritual, calmed and comforted her.
    The house smelled like cookies and fresh pine, Nat King Cole sang Christmas carols in the background and all was right with the world exactly in that moment.
    How she’d missed this kind of thing! Her family had done this without her for the other holidays and birthdays and the idea made her stomach clench.