DEACON"Since when do we have goats on this farm?" I looked up at Gram, who was standing on the porch steps grinning down on me. My ass was in the sparse grass, and five baby goats romped around me, each one vying for my attention. "Blame Emma!" Gram chuckled. "She and Pop got to talking one night, and she told him about how she wanted to eventually have chickens and goats, but she doesn't feel she can handle them on her place yet, since the hospital takes up so much of her time. Next thing I knew, your grandfather was offering to get goats that the two of them can share, with the understanding that we'll house them here, and Emma will participate in their care and support, too." "Huh." I reached out to stroke the bumpy head of one of the babies, and he butted against my hand. "If I were the insecure sort, I'd wonder if maybe Emma was replacing me as your favorite." Gram smiled at me sunnily. "And if you were the smart sort, you wouldn't have let her get away from you, so that w
DEACONMiss Sissie and my grandmother disappeared through the door, leaving Emma and me alone with the bleating goats. "I hear you're the one responsible for the new residents at the farm." I raised my eyebrows. "Just so you know, I petitioned for years for horses or lambs. I was told we were not that kind of farm, and they were too much work. I'm not sure how you managed to sweet-talk Pop into these rascals." She laughed softly. "It was an ongoing conversation over the course of several months, and I didn't use sweet talk. I used facts, ideas and common sense. In the end, Jimmy made up his own mind, thank you very much." She stroked the velvety nose of the nearest kid. "But you have to admit that they're darling." "They're not bad," I admitted grudgingly. I watched her as she petted each one in turn, crooning to them and giggling when they climbed all over her. She looked so relaxed and completely natural, at home in this place that had always been so much my own. I remembered
EMMA"Okay, babe. Your choice tonight is Thor:Ragnorak or Guardians of the Galaxy: II. What'll it be?" "Hmmm." I tapped one finger on my pursed lips. "Decisions, decisions. On the one hand, Chris Pratt is adorable and super funny, and I love Groot." I sank down on the sofa and curled my legs under me. "But then there's Thor. Chris Hemsworth is a god-I mean, literally. He is so hot." I hummed and waggled my eyebrows, just to drive home my point. "Chris Hemsworth? Baby, how can you be all hot and bothered about him when you have me right here?" Noah tapped his chest, glowering at me. "Why do you need to watch that Australian god-wannabe on TV when you have the legit deal at your fingertips?" "Mmmmm, that's so true." I scooted down the coach toward the corner where Noah was sprawled, his knees wide and his arms draped over the back and the arm. "But that's actually another point in Thor's favor. Because as I watch the movie and get all worked up about him, I can snuggle up to you a
EMMAA grin split his face. "Don't let me stop you, baby." I laughed and angled my head, lowering my mouth to his and pressing my center to the ridge beneath his pants. Noah grunted slightly and slid his arms around me, holding me close as he nudged my mouth open and began stroking my tongue with his. We broke the kiss just long enough for him to pull my shirt over my head. "Take yours off, too," I urged. "Your chest is gorgeous. I want to set up camp and live there." "You're welcome to do that any time you want." With one hand, he reached back, grabbed the neck of his T-shirt, and wrenched it over his head and off. "Any of my body parts are at your disposal." "Good to know." I flattened my palms against his pecs, reveling in the feel of the hard muscles beneath. "You are built like a sculpture, Noah. Just utter perfection." "I'm not perfect, baby, but if my body makes you hot, I'm happy about that." Two of his thick fingers curled around the cup of my bra, gently easing i
EMMAMy bedroom was still shadowed when I opened my eyes. I blinked, disoriented despite the familiarity of my bed. I lay there for several long moments, trying to find my way back to reality. I'd had a vivid dream, I thought, one in which Noah had rocked my world to its core, making me come so hard I hadn't been able to stay awake after. It had felt so real that I could almost feel the wetness of my own arousal between my legs. I stretched my legs, and my toes grazed over a long, hard and hairy leg . . . and I figured out several key bits of reality very quickly. Noah was here, in my bed.What I'd thought was a dream had actually happened last night. Noah had made me come, bringing me to orgasm with his mouth and fingers. It had been fan-fucking-tastic. And then afterwards, instead of returning the favor, I'd fallen asleep. He must've carried me to bed, I decided. I was still naked, and that was a very sensual way to wake up. Also, I was supremely glad that he had stayed
DEACONIt was only just nine o'clock by the time I arrived at the hospital, but I already felt as though I'd lived through an entire long day. I was exhausted and grieving, a particularly nasty combination; I knew I had no business thinking about practicing medicine today, not in my present state of mind. Still, I didn't want to go home to my empty, silent house, nor did I feel like driving out to the farm to be with Gram and Pop, both of whom were heartbroken over the loss of their long-time friend. Neighbors and friends would flock to be with my grandparents, and the idea of sitting around for hours while they all reminisced and offered up their casseroles, cakes and cookies didn't appeal to me. Even if I didn't see patients, at the hospital I could be around people who would understand my need to keep busy. And then there was Emma, who I knew had jumped in to cover for me but who was also mourning our friend, I was certain. As I'd stood in Miss Sissie's kitchen early this morni
EMMA"I am the luckiest man in this whole place." I glanced at Noah over the top of my menu. He was looking mighty fine, this man who sometimes I still struggled to believe was my boyfriend. Dressed in khakis and a light green dress shirt open at the neck, the cuffs turned up to display his broad forearms, his hair newly cut and his shave fresh, he was so damn sexy, he hurt my heart. "Oh, you think so? Why?" I closed the menu and set it down in front of me. "Well, duh, babe. Clearly, it's because I'm with the most beautiful woman in the world. The one who also happens to be the most intelligent, the kindest and the . . ." He grinned. "The spunkiest." I laughed. "Wow, someone's a charmer tonight. I'd ask you what you want, but I think I already know." In the ten days since Miss Sissie had died, I'd been crazy busy, trying to fill in at the hospital so that Deacon had time to work on funeral details, spending time with Anna and Jimmy, who were understandably still very sad, an
EMMAWe ate in silence. Or rather, Noah ate, and I poked at the food in front of me, which included breaded eggplant, despite my request. At least there wasn't any cheese on top, so I was able to try some of the pasta and sauce. My stomach was rebelling, though; between the audience around us, the tension of our conversation and the food issues, I wasn't feeling well at all. I'd just managed to choke down a few bites when Noah tossed down his fork onto his plate with a clatter."Fuck!" he muttered, staring out the window. "I was afraid of that." "What is it?" I was afraid to look outside. "What's wrong?" "That woman from the bar-she said she saw us on social media. So did some reporters, I guess, because there's a group of them at the door to the restaurant." Any appetite I'd had disappeared. "What are we going to do?" Noah shook his head. "I guess we'll have to just get through them and say no comment. Once we get home, we'll be all right. I think so, anyway." He was quiet f