CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT Luke

Stepping back, I admired the table setting. I had a surprise waiting for Tate when he returned home. He was at the Jefferson County courthouse, filing paperwork for his change in status as a self-employed attorney. After resigning from his previous job, he told me he needed to make sure he could defend me should the time come.

What he didn't know was that I'd had a job interview that same afternoon and now I wanted to celebrate with a meal I prepared. I had little experience with grocery shopping, only witnessing it while the sisters at the ranch had us drive them into town. Tate had given me a small plastic card to use to pay for the groceries, a way of paying I'd never seen or used.

"Ask the checker to help you," he'd recommended. "All you have to remember is these four numbers."

I burned those numbers into my brain, and after some assistance, the checker thanked me and handed me the bag of groceries. The plastic card was magic in my limited understanding of my new world away from the confines of Half Moon.

I heard Tate's keys in the door, and my heart skipped a beat, like every time he came home. My good news had me so excited I wasn't sure I could hold my secret in until dinner.

"Hey, handsome," he said, standing on his toes to kiss me. "Missed you today."

"I had a job interview today, Tate!" I blurted out, laying the towel in my hand on the counter, and folding immediately as far as secret-keeping went.

Tate was halfway up the stairs to our bedroom when I made my announcement. Stopping, he turned, descended the stairs, and came across the room until he was standing beside me.

"Say that again, mister man," he joked. "You're telling me you kept a secret and went on a job interview?"

I was practically jumping up and down in excitement, grinning like a fool when I reached for his hand. He jumped back, acting offended by my secret.

"It's good news," I proclaimed, feeling quite proud of myself.

"Well then," he said, allowing me to grab his hand and yank him toward me with force, where my puckered lips waited.

I tapped my mouth with a finger. "Kisses first," I demanded.

"If I kiss you, Luke. We could be awhile," he teased, hugging me tight as we spun around the kitchen. "Hey, you. What's all that?" he asked, finally noticing the dining room table.

"I told you I had good news," I said. "And to celebrate, I'm making you spaghetti."

His eyes narrowed even more. "And who taught you how to make spaghetti?"

I lifted a narrow box of pasta noodles from the counter, flipping it over and facing it toward him. "Right here on the back," I stated. "You did know I can read, didn't you?"

"And apparently go on secret interviews."

Tate leaned closer and kissed me lightly, most likely avoiding what usually happened when we kissed. The past three weeks had been wonderful for me. Tate was even more than I imagined he could be. He was kind and patient, quick to encourage, always loving and positive in his approach to me. We'd discovered a few new things in the bedroom that I took to like a duck takes to water. And thanks to his coaxing and the care with which he went about exposing me to what pleased him, I felt safe and loved.

He sat on a barstool and beamed at me. "Don't leave a single thing out, cutie."

"I went to Wilson's Feed and Hardware today," I began. His eyes raised in question as I spoke, probably worried about how the visit had gone. "I asked for the manager and they actually went and found him for me, Tate. They treated me respectfully and like I mattered. I was so happy."

I noticed his eyes filling. Tate was an emotional and loving man. His emotional reactions weren't always about sad things, either. Often, good news or sweet events, had the same effect on him. Loving Tate was easy because he was such a thoughtful man.

"And?" he asked, swiping at his eyes.

"And… the manager came out, and I said, ‘I came for a job.'"

Tate's head tilted, his nose scrunched up all funny-like, confused about something. "Really, Luke? That was the first thing you said?"

"Yep! ‘I came for a job,' Tate. What else would I say?" I asked, turning the stovetop on for the big pot of water I needed to boil.

"Well, perhaps you could've introduced yourself, said hello, even?"

"Oh, shoot!" I remarked. "You're right. I should've done that."

"Next time," Tate said. "We'll practice some good conversation starters to use. I'm proud of you, Luke. This was a big step."

I stuck out my lower lip in an exaggerated pout. "I'm not done," I protested.

"You're not?" he asked. "What else did you learn today?"

"I learned that being prepared is a good thing," I replied.

"In what way?"

"So, I tell the manager I came for a job, right?" Tate smiled politely, listening to my story, probably hoping it had an ending. "He says nothing to me, but instead, he points at a pallet stacked high with 50lb bags of horse feed. ‘Can you pick that feed up?' he asked me. And do you know what I said?"

Tate shook his head, sitting up straight on the stool like he was anxious for an answer. "I walked to the pallet, grabbed a bag with one arm, and another bag with the other. Then I looked at him and said, ‘Where do you want them, sir?'"

"Nooo," Tate whispered.

"Yep!"

"And then what?" Tate asked, standing and heading around the island to where I was.

"And then he looked at the lady at the cash register and told her to hire me."

"Just like that? They hired you?"

"I start next week," I announced proudly.

Tate stared at me for five seconds or so, a smile lighting up his handsome face. "You, my love, are truly something, you know that?"

I reached for his hands and faced him. "I'm something because of you," I said. "You make me feel like I can do anything."

"That's because I believe you can do anything, Luke."

"They're only paying me thirteen an hour to start," I admitted. "That's not a lot, I know, but more than I've ever made. And now I can help out with expenses here."

"I think that's a fine start," he said. "Look at you out there doing your thing. I'm so incredibly proud of you, Luke."

"Maybe I can work for a year and then think about college?"

"You never told me you wanted to go to college."

I patted the countertop, asking Tate to jump up on it. Once he was situated, I moved between his knees to face him. "I want to be the best I can be for you," I began. "I have a promise to keep to you and it requires me to be an equal in our relationship, Tate. That goal is important to me."

"I'll never base relationship equality on how much money one of us makes, Luke. You know that's not high on my list for a great partner. But, with that said, I'm impressed with your goal."

"I need to earn your respect, Tate. I love you and never want to lose you," I specified. "I waited a lifetime, and yes, I know it's a short lifetime so far, but still, I waited my whole life for you. I will not take a chance and lose you."

"When did you get so wise, young man?" he asked. "Come here."

Our mouths collided. Tate had his arms around my neck from his seated position on the island, while I wrapped mine around his lower back. Kissing Tate felt like home every time we did. He belonged to me and me to him. A feeling I hadn't known existed met me each time we connected.

He held my face as we kissed, my reaction becoming apparent in my gray sweat shorts. "I'm ready. I want to do that now," I whispered.

"You want to do what?" he asked.

"What you explained last night," I said nervously. "You know, ‘the be inside you' thing."

I was embarrassed telling him what I was ready for, but Tate made discussing sex easy. And we had agreed to always discuss our wants and needs. He'd said that he felt it would help me be confident and find my voice when it came to sex. So far, his plan was working to perfection.

"Really?" he whispered. "And you're sure?"

"I'm very sure," I stated, glancing at my swelling shorts.

"What about dinner?"

I reached over and turned the stovetop off, moving the pot away as well. "After!" I exclaimed. "I want to feel what being inside you feels like, Tate."

His hand slid down my stomach and he gripped my penis. "You're bigger than I've had," he said, rubbing me through the gray material.

I buried my face in his neck and nibbled my way to his ear. "I'm patient. Just like you," I offered. "And only if you want to," I added.

"Have you showered?"

"Just before you got home. I've kinda been thinking about this before now," I confessed.

Tate tugged on the waistband of my shorts and slid his hand inside, quickly looking up at me, wide-eyed. "No boxers?" he gulped.

"Nope!" He moved my hand to his privates. He was as hard as me. "Is that a yes?" I asked.

"Give me fifteen minutes exactly," he said. "Then come up to the bedroom, big boy."

Tate hopped off the counter and quickly moved toward the stairs. I grabbed his hand and pulled him back and into my arms, smothering his mouth with my own. I kissed him passionately, my hands unbuttoning his dress shirt and exploring his chest as he struggled for breath. After basically manhandling him, I stepped away.

"Fifteen minutes," I acknowledged.

Tate backed up a step at a time, watching me, stepping back, watching me, until he turned and sprinted up the stairs.

I wanted to make love to my man. Another first for me on my journey of discovery with the person who awakened the man in me.