Page 31 of A Rancher's Love

Tucker stroked his fingers up and down her arm in a gentle caress. “You okay?”

It was good to answer, once again, truthfully. “I think I am.”

She had good people around her. So many people willing to support her and help her, and that’s what she wanted to be for them. Supportive.

A seed of an idea began to grow.

Barely past sevenand already the day was lining up to be a doozy. Tucker curled himself into an upright position so that he and Ginny were face-to-face.

“How’s Dare?”

A true smile of contentment crossed Ginny’s face. “She’s good. Her three kiddos are adorable, and her husband’s so freaking head over heels for her that it’s kind of obnoxious to be in the same room as them. Plus, she’s got hordes of Coleman family at her beck and call.”

“Yeah, but she doesn’t have you anymore,” Tucker pointed out.

Ginny dipped her chin slowly. “I was glad I finished my journeyman program in time to be there when Dare had her twins. And while I have now had way too many sleepless nights for a nonparental human, I adored being there with the babies. But now it’s time to do the next thing. For both of us.”

“Which means you here at the ranch?” Tucker asked.

He really needed to know the answer to this. It had been hinted at yesterday, but never straight up said. All of his plans were for nothing if she wasn’t sticking around. Because as much as he wanted to help his uncle, as much as he loved Silver Stone…

Ginny was the deciding factor.

She straightened, her breasts pressed to the front of his T-shirt. He ripped his gaze back up to her eyes, and she smirked. “You are so easy to distract.”

“Answer the question, woman.”

“Yes.” She nodded firmly. “I’mhome, and I plan on being the best…something. I have no idea how to finish that statement right now, because there’s a lot of things up in the air, it seems.”

She had no freaking idea.

Tucker shook his phone. “Luke told me there’s a hockey game starting at eleven a.m.”

Ginny frowned. “Which teams have games on Boxing Day?”

A laugh escaped before he could stop it. “Ginny. Pond hockey. Your brothers, me. The poor Southern gentleman who’s probably never been on skates in his life.”

“Oh, that kind of hockey.” Mischief danced over her face. “I wonder if my old skates are still in the basement.”

“You can be goalie for my team,” Tucker offered.

Her jaw dropped with an exaggerated gasp. “Number one, no way am I standing defenseless while my brothers flick rock-solid pucks at me.”

When she didn’t continue, he frowned. “What’s number two?”

“There is no number two. Number one pretty much says it all. I like my teeth in my mouth, thank you.”

He curled his arms around her and rolled until she was on top. “I like the way you’re put together, too. Teeth, lips, spectacular breasts.”

She folded her hands over his chest and rested her chin on them. “Really? This is an interesting conversation twist.”

“Just continuing the one I mentioned before. Regarding sexing.”

She didn’t stiffen, but Tucker knew enough about Ginny’s body language to read she was in wait-and-see mode. A little cautious in case he threw something unexpected at her.

He wasn’t ready to lob the true grenade yet, but at some point, it was happening. Until Caleb gave them the go-ahead, Tucker couldn’t assume his place was a shoe-in. Which meant not changing his and Ginny’s relationship.

Yet.