right? Al that sex education bul shit was to get my attention?" Ed shook his head.
He turned and walked a few steps away, oblivious to the draft on his backside, then spun and returned to Lacey. "Why didn't she just tel me?"
Lacey's cheeks reddened. "I kinda talked her into the whole Sex Ed plan."
"You?" Ed ran his hand through his hair.
"Yeah. I figured it would give her one more chance to get your attention."
"Before what?"
"Before she moved to Austin and started over."
Al the air whooshed out of Ed’s lungs. He had never considered Kendal might move away. If he was honest with himself, he suspected his reluctance toward building his own house had a lot to do with Kendal sharing the one he lived in. "She was right. I refused to look at her as anything other than Connor's sister."
Lacey’s brows rose, a smile quirking the edges of her lips. "Yeah, but you never brought women back to your apartment."
"I couldn’t." He laughed. "Bringing another woman into the same house didn't feel right."
"And you haven't married any of the women you've dated."
"Again, it just didn't feel right."
"Now that you've been with Kendal ?"
Ed grinned. "She feels right." He slapped his hat on his leg. "Damn it, it feels so right I want to tel her."
Lacey frowned. "Tel her what? That it feels right?" She shook her head. "It'l take more than that to win that girl over. The big question is, do you love her?"
Ed's grin grew even wider. "Yes, ma'am. More than anything."
"Even more than disappointing your friend?"
Ed sobered. "I need to talk to Connor before I do anything."
"The sooner, the better." A smile lit Lacey's face.
"You're going to marry her, aren't you?"
"Damn straight. Before she gets anymore cockamamie ideas about sex education."
Chapter Nine
Kendal pushed her way through the crowd, angling for the door to the dressing room backstage.
Ed's punishment with the other women had gone on quite long enough. If Ed had come to 'rescue' her from Cory, Kendal hoped he acted because he was jealous, not just doing his brotherly-duty. Perhaps the Cory baiting had done the trick and made him realize he had a little competition, and that he'd better speak up or shut up.
Her efforts to get to the dressing room became more forceful, until she soon shoved women out of the way. What if he'd been about to declare his love when Big Joe yanked Kendal off the stage?
Ed might real y be in love with her and she wanted to know now.
When she reached the dressing room, she waited until the security guard left his post for a moment to answer a question of one of the bar patrons.
Kendal ran, grabbed the door knob and jerked it open. Once inside, she slammed the door closed behind her. Another song started, and the crowd of women screamed so loud, no amount of wal insulation could muffle the cries. Several of the men had changed costumes and were headed back to the stage. One by one, the crowd of men in the dressing area thinned until Kendal final y spotted Ed on the opposite end of the room.
He had his back to her, stil wearing the chaps that exposed his real y fine ass in the G-string.
Kendal 's steps picked up and she almost laughed out loud. She couldn't wait until she could pinch him. She had a smart-ass remark poised on her lips, ready for when he spotted her.
Ed turned to the side, his body in silhouette even more powerful and beautiful in Kendal 's eyes. He smiled and laughed at someone standing in the shadows.
Then a slim pair of arms wrapped around his neck and a woman with auburn hair flung herself at him, kissing him ful on the lips.
Lacey.
Kendal 's feet ground to a halt and she backed behind a stage prop, her little bubble of happiness exploding deep in her chest. How could she have been so wrong? Ed looked so happy, like a man in love. In love with Lacey, not her.
Cory passed in front of her, stopped and returned. "Kendal ? You're not supposed to be in here."
"It's okay, I'm leaving." Kendal spoke softly. She didn't
He turned and walked a few steps away, oblivious to the draft on his backside, then spun and returned to Lacey. "Why didn't she just tel me?"
Lacey's cheeks reddened. "I kinda talked her into the whole Sex Ed plan."
"You?" Ed ran his hand through his hair.
"Yeah. I figured it would give her one more chance to get your attention."
"Before what?"
"Before she moved to Austin and started over."
Al the air whooshed out of Ed’s lungs. He had never considered Kendal might move away. If he was honest with himself, he suspected his reluctance toward building his own house had a lot to do with Kendal sharing the one he lived in. "She was right. I refused to look at her as anything other than Connor's sister."
Lacey’s brows rose, a smile quirking the edges of her lips. "Yeah, but you never brought women back to your apartment."
"I couldn’t." He laughed. "Bringing another woman into the same house didn't feel right."
"And you haven't married any of the women you've dated."
"Again, it just didn't feel right."
"Now that you've been with Kendal ?"
Ed grinned. "She feels right." He slapped his hat on his leg. "Damn it, it feels so right I want to tel her."
Lacey frowned. "Tel her what? That it feels right?" She shook her head. "It'l take more than that to win that girl over. The big question is, do you love her?"
Ed's grin grew even wider. "Yes, ma'am. More than anything."
"Even more than disappointing your friend?"
Ed sobered. "I need to talk to Connor before I do anything."
"The sooner, the better." A smile lit Lacey's face.
"You're going to marry her, aren't you?"
"Damn straight. Before she gets anymore cockamamie ideas about sex education."
Chapter Nine
Kendal pushed her way through the crowd, angling for the door to the dressing room backstage.
Ed's punishment with the other women had gone on quite long enough. If Ed had come to 'rescue' her from Cory, Kendal hoped he acted because he was jealous, not just doing his brotherly-duty. Perhaps the Cory baiting had done the trick and made him realize he had a little competition, and that he'd better speak up or shut up.
Her efforts to get to the dressing room became more forceful, until she soon shoved women out of the way. What if he'd been about to declare his love when Big Joe yanked Kendal off the stage?
Ed might real y be in love with her and she wanted to know now.
When she reached the dressing room, she waited until the security guard left his post for a moment to answer a question of one of the bar patrons.
Kendal ran, grabbed the door knob and jerked it open. Once inside, she slammed the door closed behind her. Another song started, and the crowd of women screamed so loud, no amount of wal insulation could muffle the cries. Several of the men had changed costumes and were headed back to the stage. One by one, the crowd of men in the dressing area thinned until Kendal final y spotted Ed on the opposite end of the room.
He had his back to her, stil wearing the chaps that exposed his real y fine ass in the G-string.
Kendal 's steps picked up and she almost laughed out loud. She couldn't wait until she could pinch him. She had a smart-ass remark poised on her lips, ready for when he spotted her.
Ed turned to the side, his body in silhouette even more powerful and beautiful in Kendal 's eyes. He smiled and laughed at someone standing in the shadows.
Then a slim pair of arms wrapped around his neck and a woman with auburn hair flung herself at him, kissing him ful on the lips.
Lacey.
Kendal 's feet ground to a halt and she backed behind a stage prop, her little bubble of happiness exploding deep in her chest. How could she have been so wrong? Ed looked so happy, like a man in love. In love with Lacey, not her.
Cory passed in front of her, stopped and returned. "Kendal ? You're not supposed to be in here."
"It's okay, I'm leaving." Kendal spoke softly. She didn't
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