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. It s nothing. It s Jaxi, I bet. Blake jerked.Joel leaned back on the worktable, his arms crossed in front of himand a knowing expression on his face. Listen, Jesse told me to talk to you, so remember if you havethe urge to punch me out you have to save half of the pounding for him.What do you think of Jaxi? Blake hesitated.What could he say in response to that kind of open-ended question? She s a good friend and it s going to help Ma a great deal to have her here.I appreciate herkindness. He looked around the shop for something to do with his hands.There was no way he couldstand here and talk about Jaxi without fidgeting, and Joel was no dummy.He d know Blake waspissing into the wind with his good friend comment if he fidgeted. You sure? Why are you asking? Blake found a table leg that needed hand sanding, and he sat to smooth thepiece as he spoke. He s asking because he and Jesse are hoping to sweet-talk the girl into kissing them.I m right, ain tI? Daniel asked, joining them in the workshop.Joel grinned. We want more than kisses, but I d settle for starting there.She s the sweetest kisser How do you know? Blake demanded.Daniel snorted. You missed that one? The boys hogtied her back in high school, what was it, tenthgrade? I heard about it for weeks, couldn t get them to shut up about how much fun they d had, howsoft her lips were, how she fit between them so well. Daniel shook a finger at Joel. This habit you two have of going for the same girl at the same time isn t very socially accepted around these parts,you know.You better step real careful around the girls daddies until you know for sure they don tplan to shoot one of you. You say that as if we re the only ones in this family who ve shared a woman.Bullshit on that. Daniel grinned. Yeah, well, that might be true.But you boys take it to the extreme do you evenknow what to do with a woman without a backup? Joel shot him the finger, and they both laughed. You and Jesse kissed Jaxi? At the same time? Blake was still reeling from the thought. Was thisbefore or after she went out with Travis? Before. Joel plopped on the bench next to Blake. I still don t understand why she ever dated him.Iknow he s our brother and all, but sometimes he s such an ass.Of all the guys she could have gone toGrad with, why d she pick him? I still don t believe she kissed you and Jesse.Together. Well, it wasn t her idea, Blake.We were rather insistent.And she kissed us one at a time.It s not asif I want my lips right next to Jesse s.I m not into that. Daniel sat across from them on a stool and joined in. I kissed her once. Blake barely stopped hisjaw from hitting the floor. Yup, only it was kiss her or kill her.She rode Thunder withoutpermission, and when she managed to get him back into the barn without getting killed, I kind of lostmy head. Daniel winked at Joel. You re right, she is a sweet kisser. Joel poked at Blake. You ever kiss her? No! Course not.She s just a little girl.I m surprised at you, Daniel.She s five years younger thanyou. If I had been fifteen and her only ten, it would be have been a problem, Daniel said. She was oldenough and she knew what we were doing.I didn t give her much choice in the matter either.Lookslike you re the only Coleman boy she hasn t kissed yet, Blake.Maybe we d better set you up orsomething. Joel bristled. Hey, Jesse and I When did Matt kiss her? He s been going with Helen forever, Blake interrupted.All his brothershad kissed her.He didn t quite know what to think.He didn t expect her to be some kind of saintwho d never kissed anyone, but& all five of them? Oh, that.Matt kissed her when she was thirteen.She told me about it. Joel shrugged. We were alldown at the swimming hole, and Travis was teasing her how she didn t need to wear a girl sswimsuit yet, that she could still join them like she had as a little tyke, shorts and nothing else.Mattstopped the ass from being himself, then escorted her home.Jaxi told me he talked about changes, andhow she would be a beautiful woman and not to worry when and where things would grow.Then hekissed her.She didn t remember exactly what he said because she d been surprised but it wassomething about a kiss for the woman she was going to become. You talk to her a lot, Joel? Daniel asked. Until she finished school.She s been so busy since, it s been like trying to track wildfire.Now thatshe s here, right in the house with us, Jesse and me figured it was a good time to make a move.We reall old enough. Old enough for what? You weren t planning to do anything under Ma and Dad s roof you wouldn tdo in front of them, right? Daniel demanded. Blake kept his lips buttoned tight
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