“I suppose I can take that.” Jerica’s mouth curled up on either side. “For now.”
“What do you mean for now!” Bridget teased. “What about tomorrow? Hell, what about at dinner time?”
Laughing, Jerica started in on her next project. “I still think you mean something else, but I’m not going to push you for it.”
Huffing, Bridget angrily stabbed the hot glue she’d put on the lid with the sunflower and waited for it to harden. “Well, what are your intensions, dearest Jerica?”
Jerica paused, then she leaned in so her lips brushed against Bridget’s ear. “My intentions are to eventually get you in bed, under me, using your body like you will use mine. My intentions are to never have to find someone else again because I’ve already found you.”
Bridget sucked in a breath, not quite sure where the hell to go with that. She eyed her, her mind spinning in so many different directions she wasn’t sure which path she needed to follow to get anywhere. She knew which ones she wanted to follow, but holy fuck, Jerica had just tipped her upside down on her head.
Jerica grinned and leaned in more, taking Bridget’s earlobe between her teeth and nibbling on it before swiping her tongue out to soothe the skin.
“Fuck, woman,” Bridget breathed out.
Jerica’s chuckle rolled around in Bridget’s chest as she pulled away. Bridget’s skin was on fire from where Jerica had touched. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one struggling with the lack of sex in their relationship so far. She honestly couldn’t wait for when they took that final step.
They went back to work, silence filtering between them, but it wasn’t awkward. It was wrought with sexual tension. Bridget wanted to be done with the fucking project Karen had given them and take Jerica downstairs right then and there. Except, she was pretty sure Karen would come down and find them and they’d end up back here doing this fucking project.
“So what do you want for the future?” Jerica’s voice was much lighter, much less seductive, thankfully. Bridget wasn’t sure how much more that she could handle.
Bridget shrugged, however. She didn’t really have an answer. Outside of her career, she didn’t have any hard and fast plans for her future. “I wanted to be Sheriff, and I got there well before I thought I would. Now I’d just like to keep the title and win reelections for years to come.”
“Ah.” Jerica rubbed her lips together, giving Bridget furtive glances. “But what about beyond a career?”
Sighing, Bridget stabbed another sunflower into glue. “I honestly haven’t thought about it much.”
“How could you not think about it? Didn’t you ever want to be a parent, have kids, get married?”
Bridget remained quiet, though her body was tense. She wasn’t quite sure how to explain to Jerica she hadn’t been given those opportunities. It was expected of her, but she’d known from such an early age that she would never be able to fulfill them that she had given up on that dream. She’d given up on the possibility even.
“Bridge,” Jerica’s said, so softly that it caused Bridget to turn and look her in the eye. “What are you thinking?”
“No, I didn’t think about kids or a wedding. Never have, really. I hated playing it when I was a kid and all the other kids wanted to play mommy and daddy. It just…wasn’t my thing. I wouldn’t play with them. Eli wouldn’t either, but I’m pretty sure it had more to do with me not playing than with her not wanting to.”
Jerica gave her a look of pity, which immediately got Bridget’s back up.
“It’s not a big deal, really.”
“It is, but we don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. What do you want now? Now that you’re an adult and know yourself better?”
Bridget had to think about that. She still hadn’t really spent a lot of time contemplating her future. She more went with the moment and wherever it took her, except in the last few weeks since being run over by a combine and a drunk farmer, she’d had a lot more time to think about shit she didn’t want ruminate on.
Jerica let the silence fall, which Bridget was thankful for. She made her way through two of the awful looking sunflower things before she finally spoke. “Now, I want to come out to my parents, even though I know how that’s going to go, and I want to see what life will be like not being so hidden. I’m tired of hiding.”
“Really?” Jerica raised an eyebrow at her, pressing her fingers into Bridget’s wrist.
“Yeah. I think…I know that it’ll be better if I do it. I never really cared much for my parents anyway, so I guess it’ll just be the nail in the coffin they’ve already been building for me.”
“That’s such a fatalistic view.”
“Oh, but they’re worthy of it, trust me. If it hadn’t been for Karen and Bob growing up, I’m not sure how I would have survived. And having them here these past few days?” Tears stung Bridget’s eyes, and she cursed them as she attempted to hold them back. “They love me, Jerica. They love me in ways I don’t think my parents ever will, and I’m okay with that.”
Bridget jumped as arms wrapped around her from behind, folding her into a hug. Karen’s short hair tickled Bridget’s cheek as she squeezed tightly and then planted a kiss on Bridget’s cheek, wiping her own tears away. “We do love you, Bridget. We always have, even when you make stupid mistakes.”
“Like letting your daughter go?”
Karen shook her head. “No, I think that was a smart decision, actually.”