I copied.
He sucked in a breath.
I copied.
Our lips met in a flurry of pressure.
It was over.
It’d been the same sort of kiss Ren had given me time and time again. There were no secrets, no answers, no wisdom to be found.
“Again?” I asked, tugging him forward, bitterly disappointed but determined not to stop until I understood why others seemed to enjoy it so much.
“Ugh, you said only one.” Liam exhaled, yanking his hand back. “This sucks.”
“One more and then you can go.”
“Promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.” I drew an X on my flat chest.
“Fine.” He leaned toward me, looking bored.
I leaned toward him, trembling eagerly.
And just as our mouths met a second time, our little experiment was shattered.
“Liam! Della! What on earth do you think you two are doing!?”
Liam squealed and took off.
And all I could do was turn around and stare at Patricia Wilson’s sandal-covered feet, naked as the day I was born and still just as lost.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
REN
* * * * * *
2008
“DO YOU WANT me to talk to her?”
I hugged myself against what Patricia Wilson just told me. “No. I can deal with it.”
How, I had no clue?
I had a mind to spank her. To pull her dress up like she’d done today and smack her bare backside until she understood that being naked around boys was never going to be an option for her.
I groaned under my breath, rubbing my face and trying to rid the images Patricia had put there.
Liam and Della.
Naked under the willow tree.
Kissing.
Goddammit, how the hell did I deal with this? She was eight, for God’s sake, not eighteen. It had never crossed my mind that she would be like me and start seeking answers to her feelings inside. I’d been older than her when my first urges appeared, and I’d had the benefit of already knowing that two animals climbing on top of one another equalled a baby a few months later.
I knew that lesson so well, it was the main reason I hadn’t let Cassie tempt me any further than fingers and tongues.
I did not want a baby.
I already had one.
And I’d ruined her by keeping information away from her.
Keeping my eyes downcast, I mumbled, “They didn’t…have sex, did they?” I winced, already dreading her answer. The thought of someone touching Della, even if it was Liam, made things inside me hiss and howl.
Did that mean Della was pregnant just like the Mclary’s ewes after one visit with his ram? And if she was, how the hell would we deal with this? How the hell would I get over the sick feeling inside?
“No, nothing like that. It was just kids being kids.” Patricia shook her head, clutching a tea towel stained with berry juice from making jam. “They’re curious, and it’s my fault that I left the talk with Liam so long. I’ll sit him down tonight and make sure he understands everything about sex and body parts and make sure it never happens again.”
The minute I’d come in from the fields, Patricia had asked me to share a cup of coffee with urgent things to discuss.
I’d wanted to refuse.
It’d been a long day, and I suffered a little of heatstroke and wanted shade, cold water, and quiet in that order.
But now, Della had screwed up my plans by being as loose as Cassie was.
Perhaps, I better pack a bag right now and leave.
If Cassie’s tendencies were rubbing off on Della, no way would we stay here. No way would I stand by and let her open her legs for the local boys and riff-raff in this town.
No fucking way.
My nostrils flared as my temper grew hotter.
The thought of it.
The images.
God—
Patricia noticed, standing up and moving into the sugary-smelling kitchen. “It’s not the end of the world, Ren, and I’ll gladly talk to Della as well as Liam. I’ve got a book with illustrations. I’m not embarrassed to answer any questions she might have.”
My heart pounded.
A book?
I still couldn’t read very well.
How the hell was I supposed to teach Della from a book?
As much as the thought of talking to her petrified me—worse than any farm incident or even a Social Services visit—I couldn’t allow myself to pass the responsibility onto Patricia.
Della was my problem.
I’d deal with her.
“Like I said, I’ll take care of it.” Stalking toward the back door, my hand barely wrapped around the handle before Patricia said, “Be gentle on her, Ren. She’s not being naughty. She’s being a young girl transforming into a woman.”
Great. All the things I’m not equipped to deal with.
Moving toward an overflowing bookcase by the fireplace, Patricia pulled a book free with a title in green and a man and woman smiling on the cover. “This is the book and has graphic pictures and explanations.” She practically had to force it into my hand, patting my knuckles as she moved away. “She wants to know what her body is going through. She needs to be prepared for when her breasts start growing and pubic hair starts appearing and periods start hurting.”