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ABBI

It’d been right in front of me the whole time.

After the daywe’ve had, I’m excited to see our friends. In the two weeks I’ve been home, I’ve barely been out of Jace’s room. Not that I’m complaining, but it’s time we get this over with. Our first appearance, openly together.

It’s past ten by the time we arrive and I’m not sure if the kids will be up, or what I’m walking into. I’ve actually never been to Barron’s house he built on the south side of the ranch near the repair shop.

His home resembles more of a shop than a home, but it’s actually really cool. I guess they called them pole buildings and they’re made out of solid steel frames. Perfect for the wild weather that rolls through Amarillo from time to time.

Pulling into the driveway, I see the bay doors are wide open, a ragging bonfire near the covered porch. I see Barron, the girls, Lillian, Josie and who I think is Kacy standing next to the fire, all with drinks in hand.

Jace reaches for his door handle after grabbing a flask from the center console. “Open container… my baby daddy is a bad influence.”

He smirks. “You’re the only influence I’m under,” he teases, leaning in to kiss my cheek.

Desire rushes through me and I fight the urge to tell him fuck this party and let’s go back to his full-size bed. Oh, sorry, queen. Instead, I focus on the commotion outside. “Barron’s place is nice.” I reach for my phone, but then decide to leave it in the Jeep as we get out. Jace walks around the front and greets me, drawing me into his side with his arm around my shoulder. “How long has he lived here?”

“Couple years now. Not long after Tara left he started building it.”

I think back to when Tara was here. Every memory I have of Barron, Tara was nearby. Promiscuous beyond anything a cowboy could control, I always knew she wouldn’t stay in Amarillo long. When she wound up pregnant at seventeen, her future plans of leaving Texas seemed longer than the winter’s year, and I knew eventually, she’d leave. I just didn’t think she’d do it when Sev was only a few months old and leave Barron to raise two kids by himself.

I was seventeen when I first got pregnant by Jace, and to this day I wonder how different everything would have been if our story had played out like Barron and Tara’s. It hurts my heart to think of us not together now. My stomach rolls and I glance over at Jace, the bonfire lighting up his eyes as we slowly approach the house, Lee Brice bellowing through garage doors. I think about him dancing in the street earlier to earn a smile the memory imbeds deep, and I hope it stays there because he leaves me helpless to create more.

“I hope you’re not tired,” he whispers above the music, our feet crunching under the gravel.

“Why?” I look over at him, his side profile nearly as hot as his smirk these days. Sharp jaw line, dark lashes framing emerald greens that heat my skin to degrees I didn’t know was possible.

He groans and bites at my jacket collar playfully. “Because you’re not getting any sleep tonight.” He tugs the fabric between his teeth and then it slides through, his eyes locked on mine. “You had to wear leggings, didn’t you?”

“Nothing else fits,” I point out. “You’re right.” I push his head away. “It’s a good thing I’m pregnant. You weren’t this horny when we were younger. What’s up? We’ve literally had sex every single day since you—”

“Since I reminded you of where you belong.” His lips press to my temple when we enter the garage and all eyes are on us. I can feel Jace’s smirk against my skin.

I lift my eyes to the familiar faces around me. Jace is right. This is exactly where I belong.

“Abbi.” Barron sighs, smiling at me as he snakes his arms around my waist and shoving his hand in Jace’s face to separate us. Barron Grady has the ultimate Southern charm. He’s charismatic, a set of mysterious brown eyes that draw you into his alluring personality. I kissed him once. We were thirteen, and if you tell Jace, I will deny it.

I return the hug, a mixture of smoke and whiskey filling my lungs as my cheeks flush, no doubt from Jace’s earlier promises, because do you see those predatory emerald hues romancing over me like he can’t decide if he’s going to take me here in front of everyone or not? And while I can see the amusement when the heat in my cheeks spreads to my chest, I push thoughts of him aside. I breathe in whiskey smoke.

A knowing chuckle leaves Jace’s lips and my cheeks flame and I swat my hand in his direction, keeping my other on Barron. “It’s good to see you, B.”

Jace’s smile lifts into a grin and he takes another pull from the flask. Damn him and his black Carhartt jacket and torturing gaze.

“You too.”

My eyes drop when I notice the kids in the garage, running around between us, chasing a black cat that’s hell-bent on not being captured.

“Who’s you?” Sev peers up at me, wild blonde curls in her eyes, and I’m reminded the last time she saw me she was only a year old. Of course she doesn’t know who I am.

I kneel to her level and smile. “I’m Abigale Lockett.”

She looks up at Jace, and then me. “Why yous here?”

“Sev,” Jace groans, hauling Sev into his arm, keeping his left one at his side. “She’s my girlfriend.”

My heart drops to my stomach and I think I might have gasped too. Girlfriend? I never thought it’d hit me like that, but it’s like a weight slams into my chest. It’s one word, but it has a thousand different meanings to me. Why? Because I’veneverhad this title with him. I’ve had friend, and the girl he fucks around with, but never girlfriend.

“The slings off,” Kacy notes as Jace unintentionally favors it and holds Sev with this right arm to his chest as she wiggles around. “When did you get it off?”