Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan Read Free Book Online Page A

shoulders drooped a little. “The thing is, I don’t have sex.”
    “What, ever? I didn’t think Lutherans were that harsh.”
    It was supposed to make him laugh. It didn’t. “No. I would like to. I would love to, honestly, but—” He glanced up at Walter, then away.
    Holy. Fuck. First the boyfriend question, now this. “Red, are you trying to tell me you’re saving yourself for marriage?”
    “ No . I— Damn it.” Kelly took a sip of the beer, which was rather a hollow victory for Walter at this point. “Look, I get that it’s not special to you, but it is to me. You can make jokes about Mayberry and my perfect family if you want, but this is who I am, and I happen to like who I am, so you can just deal. I do want a boyfriend. I do want my first time—and my second, and all the ones after that—to be special. I don’t think that’s impossible, either. I’m not cynical, no. I believe there are good people out there, and I want to meet one of them and fall in love and raise a family. In fact, it’s what I’m going to do, and I don’t care what you think about my wanting that.”
    Kelly looked at Walter with so much conviction it would have been beautiful if it weren’t so tragic. Where the fuck the kid thought he was going to find this Prince Charming, even at Disney U, was his first challenge. That he’d find somebody remotely close on his second try—or third, or fourth, or fiftieth—wasn’t the point. That kind of thing didn’t exist.
    He couldn’t say that to Kelly, not a single word of it though, because he couldn’t work the cynicism past the lump in his throat he’d gotten from listening to that sappy, stupid speech. He couldn’t be the one to burst that bubble. Because then Red would stop smiling at him, and that would break his heart.
    Walter picked up his beer, clinking it against the one Kelly gripped so desperately. “Good luck.”
    He meant it too. He also knew there was no way in hell that fantasy would happen, but he hoped Red beat the odds. Fucking shame, though, because obviously the let’s-get-it-out-of-the-way, make-out session he’d been planning on angling for before bed was off the table. He supposed he could live without knowing what Kelly looked like when he came, but it seemed such a stupid waste.
    He nudged Kelly’s beer again. “Drink up.” When Kelly didn’t, Walter looked back at him and sighed at the glare he was getting. “No sex parties, okay? I’m not playing monk for you, but I’m not a dog. We’ll work something out. It’ll be fine. Now drink your beer.”
    Kelly kept glaring. “You’re mocking me somehow. I can tell, and I don’t like it.”
    “I’m not mocking you. You can do what you like.”
    “But you don’t like it.”
    “It doesn’t matter what I think, does it? Who knows. Maybe I’m wrong and your way is right.” He snorted and refilled his own glass. “Hell, you’d be number two, because so far Cara’s Exhibit A.”
    “Your friend who you lived with?”
    “The very same. Engaged to the guy she met here, and they’re off in Northbrook picking out china patterns. Happy as little clams in a sandbar. It’s not even disgusting, which in itself is disgusting.”
    Finally, Kelly smiled again. “See? It happens.”
    “Yeah. So does a lightning strike.” He held up a hand before Kelly could say anything. “Don’t even start about lightning rods. I get it. I just don’t buy it, and it’s not for me in any event. I’m going to get a good job, screw my way through whatever metropolitan area I live in, then buy myself a boy toy to amuse me in my old age. It’s all arranged. You can Skype me and show me the cutesy baby you and Prince Charming adopted, and I’ll send her extravagant presents. It’ll be wonderful.”
    Not just a smile but a laugh. “Okay.”
    Walter glanced at his phone. “Right. They’re going to start carding in half an hour, and while the owner might love me, he won’t stand for you not even having a