A Pumpkin and a Patch

by Jennifer Peel

“If ever we wind up in Greece together, you can kiss me hello.” “What are you doing for fall break?” He was quick on the draw. “Helping out on the farm.” “That’s too bad. I have some frequent flyer miles we could use.”

My imagination told me it was oh so yummy.

There was no doubt in my mind he would do a thorough job and more than likely ruin me for life.

“No. I was thinking more along the lines of, kiss me, and see how important you are.”

“Kiss me, and see how important you are.”

dead. Reece was a god—with a little g, but a god all the same.

Man, would I like to get dirty with him right now. You know, like actually dirty, not dirty dirty. Well, maybe a tad dirty.

“Why would you want to be thrown into the blender in order to mix in with the masses, only to get cut by the blades?”

“For years, I let others cut me with their words and insults, but I realized it was because they so badly wanted to be in the mix. When I finally learned it was okay not to be, it changed my life. From then on, I didn’t give a damn about what anyone thought of me.”

He threw off his cowboy hat before leaning in, his lips skimming my neck.

He tasted like teen fantasies and mint.

I was important to him—as implausible as it seemed, I knew it was true. Never had a kiss conveyed so much.

“This is crazy, Reece.”

“No. This is right.” He wasn’t wrong.

“This is what I want. You’re what I want, if I didn’t make that abundantly clear earlier.”

“Good night, Josie. Sweet dreams.” “Good night, Reece. Thank you for making my awake better than any dream I’ve ever had.”

All his extra time was going to be spent sneaking around with me, thank you very much.

“Josie, you should always be the first person to stand up for yourself. I’m always happy to play backup for you, but the first step to getting out of the blender is to see your worth—and to realize you’re worth fighting for.”

Her little bump was just starting to show. I really wanted one of those.

well, I wasn’t sure what to call him—other than the most gorgeous bane of my existence.

They all went from Ex-Filers to Reece Cavanaugh Fan Club members.

I had never seen so many eyes bat at once. Meanwhile, I was rolling mine.

That was my show, and Reece was my man. There, I said it. He was mine, all mine—so back off, ladies.

For a moment, my heart felt at peace. I longed for it to last.

“I don’t know how this day ends, but what I can promise you is that falling with you will be the thrill of a lifetime, and I will swim with you until you make it safely to the shore. Once there—”

“Does it hurt?”