Walter had followed up, clearly amused as all get-out at their flushed faces. He’d given them each a box of condoms and the strict admonishment to never go without.
Dustin would have been too young to have had his parents explain the facts to him, but the next generation? Caleb had a healthy sense of right and wrong when it came to sex. Neither Luke nor Walker had been hound dogs, but they hadn’t been dismissive of the women who enjoyed getting together with the men on the circuit. Tamara didn’t seem the wilting-flower type when it came to straight truths and facts.
Blunt it was. Tucker figured if he considered himself a substitute Luke at this moment, things would work out fine.
“I can’t believe you never said a word about you and Ginny getting together for all those years.” Dustin’s frown deepened. “I can’t believe you thought it was a good idea to sleep with her.”
“Why?”
Dustin paused. “Why what?”
“Why wasn’t it a good idea? We’re adults. We spent time together in a way that made us both happy, but private enough it didn’t need to be shared.”
If ever a man seemed uncomfortable with a topic of conversation…poor Dustin all but twitched. “But you shouldn’t have slept with her unless it meant something,”
“Now you’re digging yourself a hole.” Tucker gave the young man his driest possible glare. “You’re saying no one should ever have sex until they’re in a long-term, committed relationship like marriage?”
Dustin was more indignant than embarrassed. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Are you saying that your sister isn’t allowed to make responsible adult decisions about whether she has sex with someone who cares enough to make sure she has fun and stays safe? Do you think she shouldn’t have sex, period?” Tucker paused but didn’t give up, because this was a point about more than the sex. “I really hope you can untangle your brain around this one, because Ginny and her friends need to make choices that are right for them. Fitting their behavior into some antiquated ‘men can enjoy sex, but women who do the same thing are whores’ idea just makes you look bad.”
Dustin looked as if he were debating between crawling into a hole or punching Tucker in the face. Or both at the same time.
Before the kid could decide, Tucker shrugged. “Also, I wasn’t just having sex. It definitely meant something.” He paused. “But if nothing permanent comes of it, we still did nothing wrong. Understood?”
“Stop being all reasonable. You’re making me twitch,” Dustin complained.
“Sorry to be the voice of reason, but this is important. Both in how you treat Ginny and how you deal with this in the long-term.”
“I’m not going to call her names,” Dustin insisted.
“No, you’re smart enough to know she’d kick your balls through your spleen if you did. But this isn’t just about Ginny. Great that you know better than to insult your sister.” Tucker looked the young man over. “You know enough to not insult other women? Or better yet, you ready to tell any of your friends who are being jackasses and making rude comments to stop, even if it’s not your sister involved? Because when I see that, I’ll know you’ve learned this lesson.”
Dustin sighed, his shoulders all but caved in. “You’re right.”
“Of course, I am,” Tucker said dryly, hiding a smirk when the kid’s head snapped up to see if he was kidding around. Then Tucker deliberately raised his arm and examined his watch. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”
Dustin noted the time and swore softly, snapping upright. Before he took off at a sprint, though, he paused and met Tucker’s gaze straight on. “You’re okay.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Tucker meant it.
The kid was already gone, probably now doubly scared that he’d be late for work.
Life was damn funny at times, Tucker thought. Ginny was totally going to get a kick out of knowing Dustin went to bat on her behalf, misguided as it was.
Tucker headed back to his own unending to-do list.
Once again, whistling.
18
Ginny stared at the hard cover journal in her lap. She stroked her fingers over the surface then slowly opened it to a clean page.
Pen in hand, she started writing, fully aware that she’d chosen a spot about a third of the way through the book. Deliberately avoiding page one. The same way she’d still avoided reading the opening pages of her mother’s journal.
She shoved all that aside and put pen to page.
I’m dating Tucker Stewart.
* * *
Even writing that makes me feel squiggly inside, because I think back to all those notes I used to write to Dare, gushing about how handsome he was. How strong and muscular—and that’s when my teenage brain couldn’t quite understand exactly what fun all those muscles could add to a relationship.
* * *
It’s been a week since we officially became a couple in public, and things have gone quite well. No trouble reported yet from Tucker in terms of smartass remarks from the men. My brothers have all been strangely well behaved, the mystery of why solved the other day when I discovered Tamara’s younger sister Lisa had, at some point in the recent past, laid bets that Tucker and I would become an item in the future.
* * *
That woman is freaky. Based on nothing but stories she’d heard over the years, she somehow put two and two together and made a hundred bucks. She’s either very, very smart or very, very lucky.
* * *
Anyway, I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to write in this journal. I’ve read through some of the stuff mom wrote, and it wasn’t a daily here’s what’s happening/here’s what needs to be done kind of thing. More about the aha moments, I suppose.
* * *
So what’s my aha reason for writing today?
* * *
I like dating Tucker. He’s sinfully sexy, and any time we can get physical, it’s hot and yet special. But being with him has become about more than sex.
* * *
I catch him looking at me sometimes, and I just want to ask him what I can do to make him happy. I hate that his parents weren’t there for him when he was little. I might hate that my parents died when they did, but I got to have them for some very important years. His parents aren’t dead, but for how much impact they had on his world, they may as well be.
* * *
I am a tangle of emotions.
* * *
Maybe that’s my aha moment today, because I’m very happy about many things, and still so confused about what the next step is.
* * *
How did you decide, Mom? How did you know when it was time to change direction in how you guided us? To let us fly or to guide us back to the nest a little longer?