Page 102 of A Rancher's Love

“Finally.” Luke came forward with a hand outstretched to welcome him in. He called over his shoulder into the kitchen. “Pull the food out. Tucker's here.”

“You shouldn't have waited for me,” Tucker scolded. But he pulled Luke into an embrace and patted him firmly on the back. “Happy birthday, old man.”

“You're such a jerk,” Luke muttered. “Old man, my ass.”

Tucker let him go and handed him a wrapped package. “I hear old people start to lose their eyesight. All that squinting into the sun. Maybe this will help.”

Walker stepped forward, greeting Tucker and laughing softly. “I always heard it was something else that made guys lose their eyesight.”

“Not as much ofthatneeded these days, for any of us,” Luke quipped before groaning dramatically as he smacked a palm against his forehead. “Dear God, I just made a sex joke to the man involved with my sister.”

“I told you, you have issues.” Ginny’s voice carried across the room along with a whole lot of feminine laughter.

Luke ignored her and unwrapped his present, whistling softly when he discovered a set of compact binoculars. “Very nice. Thanks.”

“Leave them in your saddlebag. Then you won’t have to keep asking me to identify our animals when we're more than twenty paces away,” Tucker suggested with a drawl.

Luke patted him on the shoulder, then turned him into the crowded room.

There were a lot of familiar faces. People Tucker had gotten to know over the past months, including Tamara’s three brothers-in-law.

Ginny came and tucked herself under his arm. “Glad you made it.”

“No way on earth was I going to miss this.” He pressed a kiss to her temple and spoke softly, for her ears only. “This is a milestone. Getting to be here, I mean.”

She gave him a squeeze then pushed him toward the kitchen where everyone loaded up plates. It seemed the first order of the evening was to eat as much pizza, chicken wings, and other teenage menu items as possible. Dessert was individual-sized dirt cakes—chocolate pudding mixed with rich cake, with gummy worms and candy insects scattered on the surface of each cup.

It was only after they were sated that the rest of the presents came out.

Tucker paid barely any attention as Luke unwrapped his gifts, more interested in watching Ginny. She sat in his lap, speaking quietly to Tamara’s youngest sister, Julia.

Tucker was warm and relaxed, belly full of food that could only be considered high calorie treats. His woman leaned against his side as she chatted. Comfortable, as Tucker trailed his fingers up and down her thigh in a teasing caress.

Every time he stroked a little higher, until he slid his fingertips over her ass on every pass. Her cheeks slowly brightened with heat.

Oh, yeah, this was fun.

“Hey, Tucker.”

Tucker glanced away from Ginny’s flushed face to find Luke rolling his eyes. Annoying Luke was a bonus if anything. “Yeah?”

His friend thrust forward a package. “This one's gotyourname on it.”

What? “Really?”

“Really.” Luke shook it slightly, rising to close the distance between them. “Here. It's your name, see?Tucker. Plain as day.”

Tucker eyed the box with confusion. “Yes, I understand it’s got my name on it. But why?”

“Hell if I know, but I’m not opening it.” Luke shoved the thing against Tucker’s chest then let go, forcing him to grab it or let the box fall.

A small sound escaped Ginny.

Tucker glanced at her, suspicion rising. “What did you do?”

She pressed a hand to her chest, jaw dropping slightly to an O position. “Moi?”

“Yes,toi. Malicieux.”