Page 80 of A Rancher's Love

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, keeping the warm air inside as she pulled on her boots.

“My tastes run to beautiful women who wear clothes that make their eyes shine.” He caught her by the hand and tugged her forward. “Go dancing with me?”

“That’s the plan,” she teased.

He leaned in close. “Need to steal a kiss before we leave.”

She slid her hands up his chest and over his shoulders, easing closer until their torsos made contact. “Is it stealing if it’s freely given?”

He answered the best way possible. Hands sliding down to cup her ass. Mouth coming in contact with hers in a way that set her blood pumping and lit up every bit of anticipation possible.

He squeezed her butt gently before letting go and stepping back, reaching for her hand again and tugging her out the door. “Come on. I hear Ryan’s got something new happening tonight at Rough Cut.”

It was all kinds of incredible to have him help her into the passenger seat of his truck. To have him glance disapprovingly when she went to buckle up.

“Move,” he ordered. Then he helped slide her into the middle seat.

Yes, teenager Ginny would have totally approved of getting to sit next to him, their thighs touching, his arm around her shoulders as they drove into town to go dancing.

“Thank you for making one of my adolescent dreams come true,” she said impulsively.

Tucker chuckled. “I’m glad I had no idea you had a crush on me all those years ago. It would’ve freaked me out.”

“You should’ve heard my mother,” Ginny said. “She never came right out and told me I was too young for you at the time. Not in those specific words, but she definitely told me I had to wait.”

They were on the highway, a few other vehicles also headed into town. The red taillights ahead of them appeared and disappeared in intervals as the road rose and fell.

“Your mom was great,” Tucker said softly. “I hope she would’ve approved of us.”

“I’m pretty sure she did. Just not when I was still a kid.” She twisted so she could examine his face as he focused forward on the road. “One of the cool things about my mom was that she didn’t give you more than you needed at one time. But she was pretty clear on what she thought was important.”

“Have you been reading through her journal?”

“A bit,” she confessed. “Sometimes it feels unreal. As if any minute she’ll walk back through the door and give me hell for snooping.”

That got an actual laugh out of him. “I can see that.”

Ginny considered then figured Tucker was the one person she could absolutely trust with this. “I’ve been opening up the journal at random and reading bits here and there. I was trying to figure out why, and it suddenly hit me that if I start at the beginning and go all the way to the end, at some point I’ll be finished.”

He caught her fingers, linking them with his and squeezing gently. “You don’t want it to end.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. “I guess not.”

They sat in silence for the rest of the trip, and once again Ginny was thankful that this was Tucker and not some other guy she was attempting a first date with. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but a moment of sharing something precious and intimate.

When he pulled into the parking lot behind the bar, Tucker paused and turned to her to press a kiss on her forehead. “Your mom will always be part of your world. I promise.”

Which was exactly what she needed to hear.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely.

He dipped his chin.

Ginny took a deep breath. “Ready for this?”

“I was born ready,” Tucker drawled.

Which meant Ginny was laughing as he pulled her out the driver’s side door with him then tucked her fingers into the crook of his arm to guide her across the parking lot, up the steps, and into the bar.