As kids, Leah and Tanner hated each other. To this day, they still do. Tanner Cole is tall, dark, tattooed, and insanely attractive, though his ugly heart drowns all of this out to Leah. At eighteen years old, all Leah wants is to go off to college...
"Just one sec. I swear I'm almost finished." She breathes out heavily. "Just promise me that if you do, er, if your relationship progresses further with him, you'll be careful."
Ironically, I'm more than prepared for having sex with Tanner.
"I promise." I push off the counter and head towards the door to get out of here as fast as I can. "Now that we've had this awkward chat, I'm gonna go."
She chuckles lightly. "Okay, sweetie. I'll join you guys soon. I just need to finish the food for the barbecue."
Once I'm out of the kitchen, I bury my head in my hands and silently scream. Thanks for the unprepared sex talk, Mom.
When I get myself in check, I head to the living room where I'm sure Tanner is. As expected, I spy him lounging on one of the plush couches watching a hockey game with my dad.
While I go to join Tanner on the couch, I look at my dad warily as he sits in his leather chair, wondering if he has had the same conversation with Tanner.
Tanner wraps his arm around my side automatically and fills me in on the game so far. When I don't respond to him, he looks down at me concerned. "Is everything okay?"
I chew the inside of my cheek, wondering whether to tell him what my mom and I were talking about. I nod my head slightly and lift my mouth to his ear so my dad can't hear me. "My mom just had 'the talk' with me again. It was so embarrassing."
Tanner squeezes my side tightly and snickers. "So, your mom thinks I'm stealing your virtue? I bet she sees me as a right villain," he jokes, clearly happy with himself.
I whack his leg with my hand. "Smug much?"
He raises his shoulders happily in response and then turns his head back to the game with an enormous smile on his face.
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By the time 6 p.m. rolls around, Tanner's parents, sister, and brother-in-law arrive. Because it's raining outside, we decide to move the barbecue to the pool house to have dinner. Thankfully, my headache has passed, so I can fully enjoy the evening.
My dad takes charge of the barbecue and fills it up with burgers, sausages, bacon, and fillet steaks while my mom sets up the tables with various salads, bread buns, and plates. The smell of cooking meat coming from the grill makes my mouth water, and I can't wait to dig in.
As the men stand around the barbecue chatting and sipping on their beers, I sit next to Maggie and Mrs. Cole on the pool chairs and discuss the baby's nursery. From the sounds of it, Maggie has got most of the room decorated with a crib, baby changing table, rocking chair, baby clothes, and plenty of stuffed animals. She invites me along to her baby shower next month, which should work out perfectly as I'll be on Christmas break by then.
It doesn't take long until the baby starts kicking, and I eagerly feel his power, finding it amazing how Maggie has life growing inside her. "Have you decided on a name yet?" I ask her as the baby kicks again.
