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Link didn’t spend a lot of time giving anyone advice, least of all Mitch. He’d been making the drive to church alone for a while, but he couldn’t change what he felt or what he believed. So he said, “Maybe it’s time to just put your head down, work hard, and let God guide you.”

Mitch nodded, sniffed, and wiped his eyes as he looked away. I’ll miss you, he said, his face and fingers and entire being full of emotion. Link imagined his voice if Mitch could use it, and it would be torn, ragged, and anguished.

He grabbed onto him and hauled him into his chest. “I love you, brother,” he whispered, though Mitch wouldn’t be able to hear him. Somehow, Mitch knew he’d spoken, because he nodded and pressed this hand in the I love you sign against Link’s back.

They separated, and Mitch drew a deep breath and signed, Have fun on your second first date.

Link smiled and reached for his belt. He didn’t want to go through all of his reservations about starting something with Misty he couldn’t finish, so he simply ran his hands through his hair while Mitch left the bedroom they shared.

“It would be nice to have my own place,” he said quietly, not that Mitch would overhear. At the same time, if he lived in the Top Cottage, he wouldn’t have had this conversation with his cousin. His best friend.

He settled a cowboy hat on his head as he left the bedroom, and he grabbed his keys from the hook in the kitchen. No one had cooked tonight, and he didn’t see Cutter anywhere. Mitch had already left, and Link exited through the front door.

He’d gone halfway toward his truck before he remembered he wasn’t driving down to the Ivy Ridge apartment complex to pick up Misty. He did an about-face and started down the lane toward her cabin.

Before he could go up the steps and knock on the door—these cabins didn’t have doorbells—Misty came outside. She wore a pair of dark blue shorts that went halfway down her thigh and a tank top with fluttering sleeves and a blue, white, and green floral print.

“Aren’t you the prettiest thing on the ranch tonight?” Link came to a complete halt as she skipped down the steps. She wore a bright smile to go with her stunning radiance, and Link didn’t care if he was starting something he couldn’t finish.

Everything inside him wanted to be with this person, be next to this woman, have Misty in his life for as long as possible.

“You look amazing,” she said as she moved right into his personal space. She slid her hand up his chest to his collar, where she gripped the fabric in her fingers. “Smell great, too.”

“Thank you,” he said. Misty had always been great at complimenting him, and she made him feel so good about himself.

His hands went around her easily, holding her against him. She smiled up at him, and Link lost his mind for a moment. With his ranch dogs watching, he leaned down and touched his mouth to Misty’s.

She drew in a breath through her nose and kissed him back, which only made Link happier than ever. He kissed her and kissed her, only remembering he stood out in the open when someone catcalled loud enough for the sound to penetrate the high he found himself floating on.

He pulled back and filled his lungs with air. “Remember that time I kissed you before the first date?”

“Yeah,” she whispered back. She ran her hands through his hair, which sent a tingling sensation through his whole body. “Remember when we had the most amazing first date ever?”

“Hmm.” He leaned his forehead against hers, breathed in the clean, fresh scent of her skin, and straightened. “Okay, let’s go then.” Link took her hand and led her back down the road to his truck.

“Hungry?” he asked.

“Around here, no one goes without food,” she said. “But somehow, yes, I’m hungry.”

“Great,” he said. “Because I think you’re going to love this place we’re going.”

“Where are we going?”

“Okay, so remember how we were going to eat at every little place around town?” He glanced over to her as he drove, barely catching her nod. “I’m not sure if we’ll ever accomplish that, but?—”

“Positive thoughts,” she said.

He didn’t bring up that they only had another year, and they couldn’t possibly get through all the eateries in Three Rivers by then.

He cast her a smile. “I’m pretty sure we were somewhere in the Cs,” Link said. “And you were excited about trying Castleton, so….”

“Castleton?” Misty made a little shriek and gripped his forearm. “Link, they have the cornbread cookies this week.”

“They do?” Link grinned at her.

Misty half-rolled her eyes at him. “You knew that.”

“I may have looked it up.”