“Oh man, that’s great. Hey, Tinley.” Matthew, Knox, and I became friends when Knox worked on a few songs for one of Matthew’s movie’s soundtracks.
“I’ll see you tonight, right?” His question surprises me.
“Of course, you know I gotta be there.”
“Well, seeing as you’re nursing a broken heart, I wasn’t sure if you’d be wallowing in ice cream,” he mocks.
“Funny,” I deadpan. “I’ll see you tonight. Let me know when you get in, and maybe we can grab a drink before.”
“Sounds good.”
We finish the call, and I go around the grocery store one more time. I stop in front of the jerky stand again and finally grab a few packs.
“Hey.” I spin around and stare at Poppy, standing in front of me with her hands tucked into her jean pockets, her hair in a messy braid, and a white sweater that drapes off one shoulder.
“Hey,” I furrow my eyebrows, unsure if I should run up to her or keep my distance.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt you, but I saw your car parked outside, so I came in to see if we could talk.”
“Yeah, of course. Let me pay for this, and I’ll be free.”
Poppy nods, her expression serious. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
I don’t argue. I don’t tell her to stay by my side. I watch her walk out of the grocery store and keep an eye on her through the window as the cashier rings me up.
“Looks like you two might make up,” the cashier attempts to pull information from me. I give her a terse nod and hand her my card, so I can pay and leave.
“Do you want to talk at my place?” I ask Poppy.
“I prefer neutral territory. I was thinking we could go to the gazebo and talk.”
“Sure.”
“Do you want to leave the bag in your car?” She eyes the plastic bag in my hand and looks back up at me.
“Yeah,” I nod, not smooth at all. I didn’t think she’d come around to talking to me. Now that she’s willing to hear me out, I don’t want to do or say anything that would push her further away. I’m treading lightly.
I pop the trunk and drop my bag inside before standing next to her. I sweep my gaze over Poppy. She’s chewing her bottom lip, looking away from me. Her nerves seep out of her, and I’m glad I’m not the only one feeling a bit on edge. It must be a good sign if she came to talk to me since she could’ve simply called.
“Lead the way,” I smile.
We walk in silence, each of us in our own minds. I open my mouth a few times to say something but close it when I see some people looking at us with raised eyebrows. It’s best to wait until we’re alone.
“I love this place,” Poppy sighs as we reach the gazebo.
I swallow hard and look at her. “I know.” I came around here a couple of times in the last two weeks, hoping I’d find her sitting here and we could talk. She was never here. She wasn’t anywhere, and all I wanted was to hold her, talk to her.
“Let’s sit.” I follow her up the steps and take a seat next to her on the bench.
Poppy’s chest rises and falls with a deep breath. “Harris, I don’t need protection.” My eyebrows twitch when she says this. She looks straight ahead instead of at me. “Faith told me what you did.” She finally turns her head and looks me in the eyes for the first time since she approached me at the grocery store. The space between her eyebrows is marked with a deep valley as she looks at me with pursed lips.
“I don’t need you to take on a fight for me when I have no interest in fighting it myself.”
“I’m sorry.” I bow my head and grip the back of my neck. “I should’ve told you.”
“Yes, you should have. Instead, you went behind my back and did something you knew I’d never be able to forgive.” My head snaps up, and I stare at her with wide eyes.
“But I didn’t really…” I shake my head slowly and close my eyes. What’s the point? I betrayed her.
“I know,” her voice softens. “I know you did it as part of some big scheme to end the bet, but you still broke my trust.” I’m tempted to reach for her hands, comfort her. Instead, I grip my thighs so I can keep myself in control. I need Poppy to forgive me first. I want her to understand that I did this to help her, not to hurt her.
“I hate that they think you’re a joke,” I hiss. “I hate that they think it’s okay to play with someone’s emotions that way, as if doing this would really lure you into dating one of them. You’re a person, Poppy. A kind-hearted person, and to know that people toy with your emotions and privacy that way irks me. They’re a bunch of dicks.”
When I met with Patrick, he didn’t trust me at first. He couldn’t understand why I would want to join them so far into my relationship with Poppy. I had to convince him I was serious by saying that my being with her would help build our label’s reputation if her dad would talk us up to his friends and colleagues outside of Everton.
Finally, he believed me, and introduced me to a couple of his friends. I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling them what I really thought, so I wouldn’t screw up my plan.
“I know they are, and the best way to deal with them is by ignoring them. They feed off of the attention, so I choose to pretend they don’t exist. That’s not me being weak, it's me choosing my battles. My battles, Harris, not yours.”
“Poppy, your problems are mine, too.” She shakes her head. “Listen to me, please.” I can’t help it, I place my hand over hers. “Everything that concerns you concerns me. I took it upon myself to protect you, and maybe you don’t need it, but I did it because you deserve to have someone who cares about you. You deserve someone who loves you for you, not for what your name can get them.”
Poppy tenses next to me, but I choose to continue while I have her attention. “I messed up, I know I did. I can’t go back and change my actions. I would if it were possible but time travel hasn’t been invented, and I’m not a character from Outlander.” Poppy’s eyebrows raise, in dare I say, amusement. “I’m human. I’m going to make mistakes, but the one thing I know for sure is that I’ll always take care of you.”
“I didn’t know that you were a fan of Outlander.”
“I like to keep you on your toes.”
The corners of her lips turn up, and she sighs. “I’ve missed you,” she confesses.
“Me too.” I give her hand a gentle squeeze.
“I’m scared that this is an excuse you came up with so that I’ll forgive you, and you’ll win the bet.” Her shoulders tense.
I remove her bottom lip from between her teeth with my thumb. “It’s not. I lied to them, not you. Granted, it wasn’t my best plan, but I really didn’t think you’d find out.”
“Not helping,” Poppy’s eyebrows fly up on her forehead.
“Bad choice of words. I meant that I thought I could get them to finish this bet, my heroic act, and all that. Did I mention I’m not a character from a movie that has things all figured out?” I furrow my eyebrows.
“Harris, even characters in movies go through challenges.”
“Does this mean you forgive me?” I cradle her face.
Poppy’s eyes fall closed. “I want to.”
“I’ll grovel, beg, give up jerky for the rest of my life.”
Her eyes widen. “Give up jerky?” She sounds incredulous.
“Yup, because I love you more than I love jerky.” I run my thumb back and forth on her cheek.
Poppy gasps softly, her eyes round in surprise. “You love me? Enough to give up jerky for the rest of your life?” Her words are a whisper.
“Yes,” I don’t hesitate. When Poppy leans into my touch, I begin to release some of the tension in my body.
A slow smile creeps up on her face. “I love you, too, you know?”
“You do?” She nods.
I let out a deep breath and hold the other side of her face as well. “That makes me so happy. I thought I had lost you.” I shake my head, dropping my forehead on hers.
“You almost did,” she admits
. “Had Faith not given you a chance to explain yourself, we wouldn’t be here right now.”
“I threatened to drop on my knees in front of everyone at Howdy’s and beg her to listen to me.” I chuckle as I recall the horror on Faith’s face when I said that.
“She didn’t mention that. Did you?” She sits up taller, curiosity in her aqua eyes.
“Nah,” I shake my head. “There’s only one woman I’d drop to my knees for, and it would either be to pleasure her or ask her to marry me.”
Poppy starts coughing, choking on the meaning behind my words. I smirk and caress her cheeks. “You’re blushing,” I whisper, so close to her lips, I can feel her light breath against my face.
“You caught me by surprise with that comment.”
“I meant it,” I lean forward and wait for her to meet me halfway. When her lips touch mine, I sigh and move a hand to her hair, tangling my fingers into her braid. Poppy pulls back before I can deepen the kiss, a crease appearing on her forehead.
“Promise me you won’t do anything like this again. Next time you think you have some genius plan to protect me, you’ll talk to me. We figure things out together, Harris. I’m not some weak woman.”
“I promise. And for the record, I don’t think you’re weak. I think you’re extremely strong and don’t let your pride get in the way of how you treat people.”
“I believe in treating people with respect and kindness. Who am I to judge if they deserve it or not? Besides, it’s the Golden Rule. The choices other people make is their problem and will result in their karma.” She shrugs with a crooked smile and stares into my eyes. I love this woman with every bit of me.
“Are you going to kiss me now?” she whispers with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.
I don’t respond with words. I brush my lips against hers, melding them together as my tongue enters her mouth and strokes hers. Everything is right again, having Poppy in my arms, telling her how I really feel, and knowing that despite my jackass mistake, she still wants me.
Poppy sighs into me, moving her hands around to my body and trailing her nails up and down my back. I angle her head to kiss her deeper, tasting her like a desperate man who’s just found an oasis after roaming a barren desert. Poppy is my oasis, and I want to live forever in her.
Poppy
“Miss Powell, Charlie doesn’t stop hitting me with his sword,” Stephanie calls out from her spot in line as we’re getting ready for the parade. I hold in my laughter as she exaggeratedly rolls her eyes and crosses her arms. Today is the kind of workday I love and hate. Holidays are always fun with my students, but it’s a hectic day with a lot of stress and making sure no kid is left behind in the parade. Not to mention, children are a million times more hyper on holidays than regular school days.
“Charlie,” I warn. “I told you that you could hold the sword if you didn’t bother anyone.” He drops his arm, keeping the plastic weapon by his side.
From the corner of my eye, I see Stephanie turn and stick her tongue out at him. Before I can call her attention, Charlie pokes her with the plastic sword.
“Leave her alone,” Scott, another student, yells, and tears the sword from Charlie. Both boys stare at each other. It’s like a first-grade love triangle, I giggle to myself. They both have a crush on Stephanie, each one just shows it differently.
I take the sword away from them and let Charlie know I’ll return it right before the parade. Then, I sigh and lean against the wall. It’s not even eleven in the morning, and I’m already exhausted.
“Miss Powell,” I stand straight and look at Claire.
“Yes?” I bend down to look at her in the eyes.
“You look pretty dressed like Mary Poppins.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.” I smile and stand to make sure everyone is in line.
“I’m sure your boyfriend would think so, too,” Claire adds, stopping me. I lift my eyebrows in a warning glare, but she just giggles. I’ve lost my teacher’s touch.
Shaking my head, I turn around so she can’t see the smile that pops up on my face. My boyfriend.
When Harris and I spoke a few days ago, I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. I was still hesitant to see him, hear his explanation for fear that it was just an excuse. Then, he told me he loved me, and his sincerity shone in his eyes. There’s a vulnerability when someone admits such deep feelings, that it’s hard to mistake it.
We get the okay from Faith that it’s our class’s turn to go into the gym, and I lead my students. Their whispers and gasps as they see the decorated space bring a smile to my face.
Parents from the PTA stand in designated spots, handing out candy to the students. The other parents and family members sit in the bleachers, taking photos and clapping. It seems like such a silly thing to do, but the children smile and wave as if they are walking down a red carpet.
As soon as the parade ends, the parents gather up their children, taking photos, and eating snacks. After lunch, we’ll have a big party in the gym with the entire school—DJ and all.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” the southern accent drawls behind me, and my face splits into a huge smile.
I turn around and find Harris standing in front of me, dressed like Bert from Mary Poppins, face covered in soot and all. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see the parade.”
“And you dressed up as Bert?”
“Well, what’s a Mary Poppins without her Bert?” He winks. “Faith helped,” he whispers sheepishly. “I wasn’t really sure what all I needed.”
I spot Faith across the gym and smile. She waves and moves on to make sure everything is running smoothly.
“Thank you for coming.” I reach for his hand. I’m still working on trusting Harris again, my insecurity about this whole bet thing occasionally sneaks in, but he’s been patient and understanding these last few days. He’s also promised every day since that he’ll never hurt me again.
“Are you free after work?”
“Yeah.”
He lifts our tangled hands and kisses the inside of my wrist. “Apparently, Clarke’s is having a Halloween happy hour. Will you go with me?”
“I’d love to,” I smile.
“Great,” he beams. “Call me when you get out. I’ll pick you up at home.” He leans in and kisses my cheek, his scruff tickling my skin.
We both turn when we hear giggles behind us, and Harris’s eyebrows shoot up.
“I better go before I get fired for inappropriate behavior and influence on these children,” I tease but feel warmth fill my cheeks.
“I’ll see you later,” Harris pulls me in for a hug and kisses the top of my head.
“Bye.” Harris begins to leave. “Oh, wait,” I call out. When he turns, hands in his black slacks and wide smile, I take a moment to look at him.
“Yes, Poppy?” He interrupts my ogling.
“Right.” I nod firmly and walk to the table with the snacks. “Here,” I hand him a chocolate chip cookie. “I made these.” I wink with a smirk.
As I watch Harris leave, I can’t help but smile. Things will be okay.
“Oooooh…” I look to my right to see Stephanie, Frances, and Claire making sounds and kissy faces.
“Girls,” I warn with wide eyes. “Finish up your snacks. We have to get back to class soon.” I shake my head and turn around, letting my smile reappear.
“So?” Faith sidles next to me.
“You’re sneaky, but thank you.”
“Of course.” She wraps an arm around my shoulder, and we look around the gym. Everyone is laughing, children are playing and running around. “You did a great job with this,” Faith compliments.
“It was fun, and I needed the distraction,” I shrug.
“But now things are good, right?” Faith turns to look at me.
“They are. I’m slowly letting my guard down. It might seem silly, but him showing up to see the parade meant a lot.”
“When he asked me if it would be okay to surprise
you, I told him you’d love it.” Hearing that it was Harris’s idea and not Faith’s makes the last little bit of insecurity melt away.
I have to believe him and trust him if I want a future with Harris, and there’s nothing I want more than to live my life with him.
…
“We’re about to make a statement walkin’ into Clarke’s in a couple’s costume,” Harris teases as he opens the car door for me.
“I’m pretty sure we made a statement on Saturday when I went to Knox’s live show with you. By the way, I still can’t believe you hadn’t told me you are friends with Matthew Barber.” After our talk on Saturday, Harris invited me to go with him to watch Knox perform. To my surprise, I saw Matthew and his wife, Tinley, there. When Harris gave them each a hug, my mouth dropped open. The joke was on me. They were so kind as we got to know each other.
When Ainsley arrived, she squealed and hugged me so hard, I had to gasp for air. Then, she scolded Harris and made him promise her as well that he’d never do something so stupid again.
“Yeah, but couple’s costume shows commitment, dedication,” he smirks.
“Kiss me,” I interrupt him.
“Do Mary Poppins and Bert ever kiss?” He lifts his brows, his lips twitching in amusement.
“I don’t know, but Poppy and Harris do,” I waggle my eyebrows.
“Oh, you like role-playing,” he winks. I throw my head back and laugh. Before I can respond, his lips are on mine, his tongue sweeping into my mouth. I sigh and wrap my arms around his neck, leaning into him.
Harris breaks away with a wide grin. “So, about this Poppy and Harris role-playing…” His eyes twinkle under the setting sun.
“Well, Harris is tall, handsome, sexy, talented…” I wink, causing him to chuckle. “He’s also sweet, caring, strong,” I grip his biceps.
Before I can continue on with my list, Harris interrupts me. “Poppy is the woman of my dreams. She's everything I’ve ever wanted.”
I tilt my head and look into his eyes. I feel myself smile, too caught up in his gaze. My heart beats in my chest to a peaceful rhythm.
“I like being just us.” I hug Harris, cuddling my face into the crook of his neck. His arms hold me, his fingers rubbing up and down on my back. I inhale his masculine scent of spice and a hint of woods.
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