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then
finger her….she won’t like that. But caress her sides and lower back. Read her
signs and then move to her breasts and so forth.” He paused. “You’ve had
foreplay before, right?”
    “Yes. I’m just slow, and I don’t want Courtney to know.”
    “Nothing wrong with slow, but I can see what you mean. If
you do too much, she’ll stop you, don’t worry.”
    “Should I tell her?”
    “Tell her what?”
    He hated to say the words. “That I’ve never had sex.”
    Tucker’s carefree smile disappeared, replaced by a shocked
expression. “Oh God, I forgot about that. Oh, man.” He squeezed the bridge of
his nose.
    Braden hated to discuss the fact he was still a virgin. It
was like the white elephant in the room. “I have to tell her, don’t I?”
    “Dude, I don’t have advice. Ask Lauren. I have no clue if a
woman would want to know right off the bat or not.”
    Braden turned the water off. “You ask her. I don’t want to
talk to your wife about that.”
    He shrugged. “I’ll see what she says.” Tucker grabbed his
gloves. “I’m excited you got the girl of your dreams though. That’s pretty
cool.”
    “It still feels like I’m dreaming.”
    “Yeah well, that never ends. I still worry I’m gonna wake up
and find out Lauren was just a dream myself.”
    “Don’t you dare wake up since my dream’s mixing with yours.”
    “Deal. Now let’s finish up. Nathan and Angie are due late
morning, and I want to be cleaned up before they get here.”
    * * * *
    Courtney handed a frozen glass to Bailey, the newest
bartender she’d hired just this afternoon. It had been a rash decision, but if
she wanted to start spending more time outside of the bar, she was going to
have to begin hiring. So far, Bailey was fitting in nicely. She was older and
had bar experience previously.
    “This place is filling up.” Candy placed her hands on her
lower back and stretched. “Which is good. I need the tip money tonight. I broke
my phone and need to get a new one.”
    “It’s Friday, so it’s possible you’ll make enough tonight.”
Courtney walked toward the door that led to the back. “I’m going to get more
beer so we stay stocked. You two okay up here?”
    “Peachy,” Bailey said.
    Truth was, she needed a moment to breathe. All she could do
was wait for Braden to arrive. It was crazy that she was so hung up on him. It
reminded her of when she was fourteen and had her first boyfriend. He’d been
her whole world until he dumped her two weeks into the relationship, the day
after her very first kiss. After that, she never liked a man again with
everything in her. She watched them for any signs they were tired of her then
ditched them before they could do it to her. The less attached she got, the
easier.
    Her daddy didn’t do broken hearts. He told her to suck it up
and move on. Hell, when did he not say that? She’d cried her heart out when she
got pregnant and her boyfriend took off. Her father told her to quit crying and
put her big girl panties on. She was gonna be a mom regardless.
    His way of thinking had made her feel cold throughout the
years. She often wondered if she lacked empathy. When Anna cried, it usually
irritated her more than wanting to solve the problem. But then came Braden, who
was awakening things in her…even away from him. Anna had fallen on the sidewalk
earlier in the day, and Courtney had kissed her tears away instead of telling
her to get up and shake it off. This was just weird.
    Courtney picked up a box of the night’s special and wandered
to the front. Once back behind the bar, she knelt down and refilled the small
fridge. When she stood, she saw him. His whole family was there, even Nathan
and his wife. Had Lauren given out the news that she was pregnant yet? It wouldn’t
be long before the news swept around town.
    “Excuse me,” Courtney said to her two co-workers. She wiped
her hands on a towel and then went over to the Carvers. “My, my. Look what the
cat dragged