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I let out a sigh. “I kissed Maggie last night.”

The pickup got so loud with their cheers I had to cover my damn ears.

Tyler roughed my shoulder. “Dude, that’s awesome! Why aren’t we doing shots or something?”

Cooper tilted his blond head toward the steering wheel. “Probably cause we’re driving.”

“You know what I mean,” Tyler said. “You’ve been pining after her ever since she left.”

I slouched down in my seat, covering my face with my ball cap. “I’m probably pissy because Fletcher’s cop brother drove by in his cruiser and told us to get a room. And the first thing Maggie said was, ‘Do you think he’ll tell anyone?’”

Their grunts and moans were enough to tell me they got it.

“I don’t want to be her dirty secret,” I said. “I want her to like me in public and in private. If you know what I mean.”

Tyler smirked. “Annnd he’s back.”

Fletcher looked over his shoulder at us. “You gotta give her some time. You’ve been thinking about your relationship for years. She might need awhile to get used to the idea.”

I frowned. “I hate it when you make sense.”

Cooper said, “It seems like if it’s just you and her, things go okay. Other people keep fucking it up.”

“True,” I said.

Fletcher tilted his head. “Well, that’s easy enough, right? Just go somewhere no one will find you.”

Tyler chuckled. “That sounds creepy as hell.”

I reached over and shoved him. “But Fletch has a point. Maybe I’ll take her fishing.”

All the guys gave me looks.

“What?” I asked.

Cooper said, “All the chicks I’ve dated talk too much for fishing.”

I waggled my eyebrows. “If I have it my way, we won’t be doing much talking.”

Tyler’s cheeks tinted pink to match the red hickey poking out from his collar.

“Look at that,” I said. “Your blush matches your love bite.”

Tyler flipped me off, and Fletcher said, “Annnd he’s back. The only thing you need to do is prank Knox to get even.”

* * *

After the rodeo,the guys and I went out for drinks and dinner instead of going to a bar. Cooper was adamant that he not fuck things up with Camryn, even this early in their relationship, and the other two were married.

Sitting there with them, eating overpriced steak, felt like entering a new era of my life. And to be honest, I was tired.

I wastiredof bringing different girls home just to have an empty bed the next night. I wastiredof working day after day and still not being where I wanted.

I was ready for the next step. And I needed to remind myself to be patient while I hoped Mags would be ready someday too.

I drove on the way back home as Cooper sat in the passenger seat texting Cam while Fletcher, Tyler, and I talked about the Little League team. Tyler had some ideas for drills I could run with them, and Fletcher filled me in on how to talk to little girls without having their parents want to wring my neck after.

The highlights? Quit saying “fuck” so fucking much.