by Toni Aleo
“You start that, and we’ll never leave.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“You are impossible,” she laughs, and when I hear Mawmaw giggle, I wish I felt bad, but I don’t.
“So Cataway won? My brother will be heartbroken.”
Delaney’s face changes. “I know, but don’t tell him.”
“I won’t, but good for her.”
“Eh, we’ll see if it lasts. She says he’s great, but it’s TV.”
“True.”
“Yeah.” She leans into me, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You ready?”
Oh, I’m ready to carry her up the stairs, caveman-style. Figure out how to get that onesie off and take her to bed. But then, I also want to take her out. Those shoes won’t work, though. “So, as much as this is going to kill me, I need you to change your shoes.”
Her brows draw in. “Why? I wore them for you.”
I groan. “I know. I’m sorry, but I’ll feel like shit if you break an ankle.”
She rolls her eyes. “If you’d just tell me what we’re doing, I could plan.”
“Nope.”
She kisses my jaw. “Fine.”
I watch as she climbs up the stairs, that ass provoking me to chase it. I turn to find Mawmaw watching me. “Could you be any more smitten with her?”
I give her a look. “What?”
“You heard me.”
I did, but I’m not touching that comment with a ten-foot pole.
So I sit quietly across from Mawmaw and wait for my date.
“Do you want me to try?”
“No, Delaney, I got this.”
“Reed, you’ve spent seventy bucks so far.”
“I don’t care. I will win.”
“You haven’t even hit a pin yet.”
“I have too!”
Delaney leans into me and grins, her laughter vibrating my body as I glare at the pins. “I know I said I wanted that pink flamingo, but I don’t want you wasting all this money on a ten-buck animal.”
“Shh, let me win.”
She rolls her eyes as she crosses her arms over her chest. The lights of the Spring Grove annual carnival go nuts around her, making her eyes shine like a diamond. She’s pulled her hair up since we got here. It’s warm, and I don’t blame her. Instead of the fuck-me-heels that I very much enjoyed and convinced her to bring for when we get back to my place, she’s wearing white canvas shoes and looks adorable. She brings back every childhood memory, and I don’t hate it. I enjoy it instead. Unlike when I was a kid and could win these stupid games with my eyes shut, I’ve practically thrown out my arm. But damn it, I will knock down all these pins.
One hundred and twenty dollars later, still no pink flamingo.
“Can I try now?” Delaney asks, and I glare over at her.
“You hit anything, I’m going to be pissed.”
She presses her finger to her chin, her eyes teasing me. “Can I buy you a corn dog to make it better?”
I look away, feeling mighty sorry for myself but shrugging. “You can suck my corn dog,” I mutter, and she giggles softly.
“Done,” she says before waving the guy down. “Excuse me, I have a gamble for you.”
The carnie with his two missing teeth, matted hair, and looking like he lives in a popcorn machine, he’s so greasy, leans toward us. “Yes, ma’am.”
“If I knock down all the pins, for each station, can I get all his money back?”
He scoffs. “Hell yeah, but what if you don’t?”
“I’ll give you another one-twenty.”
I give her a sideways glance, but I don’t question her. This is Delaney; this girl always has a plan. His eyes light up at the possibility of scoring another one hundred and twenty dollars. He looks Delaney over, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t believe she can do it. I know for a fact that she can, and I may be more than a little butthurt that I couldn’t. She may have to buy me a funnel cake too.
“Show me the money.”
She does as he asks, pulling a wad of cash out of her bra. His eyes light up once more before he lays down three balls. “Three balls, three sets of pins.”
“Yup, and I want that flamingo if I do it.”
“Honey, I’ll give you three.”
A few minutes later, we walk away with my hundred and twenty dollars and three flamingos.
I’m shocked and speechless. Delaney, she’s beaming as she carries all three of her giant pink birds.
“Can I ask how?”
I can’t see over the flamingos, but I can hear her as she says, “I worked at the carnival for two summers.”
I should have known. “Of course you did.”
She giggles softly. “I know exactly where to hit to make them all fall. I used to practice on dead days.”
“You’re insane.”
“Hey! I just won us back your money, a flamingo for me, for Wilbur, and one for you.”
I shake my head violently. “Birds. I don’t do birds.”
“A flamingo isn’t a bird!”
“If it has wings, that equals bird.”
She cackles beside me. “Whatever, freak,” she teases, and I laugh at the silliness of us.
When she stops suddenly, I watch as she walks over to a family that has two young girls. She talks to them, and I see their little faces light up before Delaney hands the girls two of her flamingos. The dad pulls out his wallet, but Delaney waves him off, and with the brightest and most stunning grin, she walks back to me.
Shit. I am smitten.
“You gave away Wilbur’s and mine? How rude.”
“No, I gave away ours. This one is Wilbur’s.”
I wrap my arm around her. “You’re a good egg, Delaney Kate.”
She leans her head into my chest. “I try.”
We walk a bit, checking out the rides and the games. We eat corn dogs and split a funnel cake for dessert. As I sit across from her, I can’t help but feel like this is the best date I’ve ever been on. I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone but her. The lights, the smells, her smile, it’s all too much to take. I reach over and pick up her hand off the picnic table. I thread our fingers together, and when she looks up to me, I smile. “You having fun?”
She beams around the big chunk of funnel cake she just stuffed in her mouth. “Best date ever.”
I kiss her knuckles, and all these feelings are swirling in my gut. I didn’t mean to feel like this. I didn’t want to, but I do.
I don’t want to leave her.
But that’s because you’re here with her now. You’ll be ready to go once the summer is over.
Yeah. That’s true, I tell myself.
Or you won’t go.
Yes, I will. I have to. I have a job waiting for me.
You have a job here—and Delaney.
I shake my head free of my inner dialogue and kiss Delaney’s hand once more. She licks off some powdered sugar, and I flash her a smirk. It’s all over her face. I reach over, wiping her nose and then her lips as she watches me. “This could be fun.”
I’m confused at her statement at first, but then I grin back at her. “We can stop and pick up some powdered sugar on the way home.”
“I wouldn’t say that’s a bad idea.” She winks at me, and I chuckle loudly.
“Well, before that, there is something I have to do.”
“The fish bowl game?” she asks, getting up as I throw away our trash.
“No.”
“The roller coaster? I don’t think my gut can handle that right now.”
“Nope,” I say, taking her hand in mine as we walk out of the dining area.
“Please don’t tell me you want another corn dog. You ate three!”
I laugh as I pull her along and we say hi to people we know, but mostly we stay together. Just the way we like. I know the guys and Gen are here and probably want to hang, but first, I want to do something.
When I stop at the big Ferris wheel, I feel Delaney’s gaze on me. “I kn
ow it’s not the Hamby Ferris wheel and it’s bigger, but I think I owe it to fifteen-year-old Delaney to ride this with you.”
I look down at her, and her eyes are little shiny with tears as she looks up at me. “Really?”
“Yup.”
“Is that why you brought me here? I was convinced we were going to Hamby for a fancy dinner and a movie.”
Ha, I win. With a satisfied grin, I say, “I want to kiss you on the fourth rotation, and FYI, I probably won’t stop.” She takes both of my hands with her free one and leans into me, kissing my shoulder. Her eyes are wide, lights flashing like mad in them as she gazes up at me. When she presses her chin into my shoulder, I kiss her nose. “Come on.”
I hand some tickets to the kid at the entrance and then a twenty. “Let us keep riding?”
He nods with a grin. “Have fun, kiddos.”
We get in and we’re off. First rotation, Delaney scoots closer, her eyes so playful and fucking sweet. Second, she wraps her arm around mine and holds on tight. Third, she looks at me, and I can’t help but stare back. The anticipation is there, and God, my heart can’t take it. I’ve kissed this girl plenty since we’ve started hooking up, but this time, it feels different. When the fourth rotation starts, she leans in, her lips right there, but our gazes stay locked. I don’t know why, but I feel her eyes are saying something. I think I know what they’re saying, but I have to ignore it. For her sake and mine.
But then her lips take mine, and everything fades away. All the anxiety of what’s happening between us. All the talk, all the fuss about what we’re doing. It doesn’t matter when I’m going home. Or what will happen.
All that matters is I’m kissing Delaney Abbot on a Ferris wheel.
Something I should have done fifteen years ago.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Delaney
I dig my spoon into the corners of the yogurt I’m eating as I gaze over at Reed. He isn’t far from me; my legs are in his lap, my ankle in his strong hand as he eats his sandwich. We’re on lunch, sitting in the back of his truck. Wilbur lies sweetly in my lap, snoring loudly as we eat. I’m actually surprised he hasn’t tried to eat my yogurt. Crazy dog. It’s funny how much I love the little pain in the ass. He eats everything, chewed up three pairs of my shoes, yet when I see him, I’m a puddle of goo.
Same thing happens whenever his daddy is around me.
I tip my lips up at the side as Reed looks over at me. He looks tired, but he still has a sweet, contented smile for me. We didn’t get to sleep until almost three last night, but neither of us is complaining. That’s how it’s been for a couple weeks now. I want to say it’s normal for me, but I’m still waiting to wake up.
It all just seems too damn perfect.
He squeezes my ankle, his brow perking up. “What?”
“I like your face,” I say, and his grin grows.
“Do you now?”
“I do, a lot.”
“Well, thanks. Yours is okay.”
I feign hurt and try to kick him, but his hand holds me in place. His laughter runs over me before he leans into me, cupping the back of my neck and pulling me to him. “Fine. I’m lying. Your face, it’s—” He pauses, and I see his eyes move across each of my features. When they settle on my lips, I take in a deep breath. He gives me those wild butterflies that go nuts in my belly. His eyes finally move up to mine, his gaze darkening as he leans closer. “If you were a puppy at the pound, I’d pick you.”
I snort, smacking his chest. “You’re dumb.”
His laughter kisses my lips, but his eyes don’t leave mine. “Fine.”
“Fine?”
He nods slowly, his nose sliding along mine. All I smell is the peanut butter from his sandwich as his gaze holds mine. My breathing has picked up, and in his eyes, I see the words I so desperately want to hear from his lips. “Delaney Kate…”
I snicker as I look at him. “You know I hate that.”
“You love it.”
I do, but I won’t tell him that.
“Your face is incomparable to anyone I’ve ever met.”
Swoon. “Stop.”
“No,” he says, shaking his head as he pulls back. He takes a big bite of his sandwich and then points at me. “It’s the truth. Write it down.”
I will, to keep it forever. I look down at my yogurt as I say softly, “You’re silly.”
This is getting harder. I keep telling myself that he is leaving at the end of July, which is only like two weeks away. Instead of locking my heart away, it’s completely his. I honestly don’t know what to do. Do I tell him how I feel? Ask him not to leave? Does he even want to leave? I don’t think he does. We are always together, and when we’re not, we’re texting. He’s becoming my everyday normal, and I don’t know how to part with that.
“So?”
I look up at him, and he’s watching me. “You have a date for this little block party you’re putting on tonight?”
It was his idea to have the block party. He even threw in the money for the food to feed hopefully the whole town. Perks of dating a vet. It’s gonna be a great time, but there is only one person I want to spend the night with.
Him.
A grin pulls at my lips. “Yeah.”
He gives me a sideways glance. “Oh yeah?”
I cuddle Wilbur to my chest. “Yup, me and Wilbur here are gonna go together.”
He scoffs. “Not if I lock him up and take you for myself.”
“You wouldn’t! From a sweet pup?”
“I will, so you’d be my date.”
He says that kind of stuff, and I just turn to mush. How can he want to leave? We have it so good. We’re happy, and we have a rhythm. We go to work, and we meet back at his cabin or we go out. We are solid. Why would he want to leave that?
Leave me?
Just like that, my insecurities magnify tenfold. Maybe I’m really not enough. Maybe I will be like Mawmaw, fucking around with the pastor to get to heaven because I won’t give anyone else the time of day after Reed leaves. Maybe I’ll be that pathetic girl who waits for Reed to come visit so I get to feel his lips on mine and taste him once more. To have that little piece of him to hold on to. Damn it, I should just tell him. I should be honest. He’s always been honest with me.
When his thumb slides to my jaw, I glance over at him. His brow is furrowed as he looks at me. “What’s wrong?”
Before I can even answer—and let’s be honest, I have no clue what I to say—his phone rings. His phone never rings. He gets texts every now and again but never calls. He leans over, getting his phone out of his back pocket. He nods when he sees who it is. “Sorry, one second.”
I go back to my yogurt as he answers. “Hey, man. Good. You, Cynthia, and the girls? Fantastic. Yeah, things are moving. I think the check should be cut at the end of the week. I’ll make sure to let you know the actual date. Eh, I mean, we’ll see. No, she isn’t happy, but she knew it was coming. So did my brothers and sister, but still, it’s gonna be hard.”
What in the world is he talking about?
I look over at him as he nods. “Yeah, things are still a go on my end as long as they are on yours. Good. Cool. Yeah, man. Okay, talk to you soon.” He hangs up and looks up at me as he puts his phone back in his pocket. He smiles briefly before taking another bite of his sandwich. I wait for him to tell me what he was just talking about, but when he says nothing, I stare at him until he looks back to me. “What? Oh no, sorry. What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
I narrow my eyes. “Who was that?”
“Oh, my buddy Noah, from the clinic I work at.”
“You mean the one in Lexington?” He nods curtly, his eyes tearing away from mine as he looks back in his bag, for another sandwich, I assume. “What did he want?”
“Um, well, he was verifying the date for the check I’m sending.” He laughs. “I think he was expecting it early. He likes paying off bills, and the money I’m giving him for half ownership of the clinic will do that.”
“Oh.”
I watch him, and he doesn’t look at me. “Yeah.”
A tense silence falls between us. I remember he was annoyed with his mom when I came over last night, but we didn’t talk about it. “Was that your mom you were speaking of when you said she wasn’t happy with you?”
He tears open a bag of crackers. “Yeah, I told her last night I need two checks cut when my inheritance goes through. One for Noah, and the other for me. She honestly didn’t think I was leaving.”
There it is. My heart aches as I stare at him. “Really?”
Reed still won’t look at me, and then I notice his hand isn’t stroking my ankle anymore. “Yup, she thought I was happy here and not going back.”
Another stab to my heart. “So, you’re not happy here?”
Now, he looks at me, and his eyes add another stab wound to my already damaged heart. “Of course I am, but it’s not my home.”
“Yes, it is,” I say, my eyes pleading with his. “Admit it… It’s not as bad as you thought.”
“No, but I want my normal.”
“Your normal?”
“Yeah, I want my apartment, my clinic, and my dog in Lexington.”
A sob gets caught in my throat, but I refuse to let it out. I swallow it back, but I feel as if I’ll puke when his gaze catches mine. “Where does your Delaney fit into that?”
Reed’s eyes widen. “Delaney—”
“No, it’s fine,” I say roughly, throwing my yogurt cup in his bag and then lifting Wilbur against my chest. “I need to go.”
“Wait. I think—”
“It’s cool, Reed. I knew where I stood before we started this. I must have forgotten over the last month and a half.”
Reed’s voice is low as he says, “If you’d give me a fucking minute—”
“To what?” I ask, turning around to face him. I didn’t realize that, when I got up, I knocked the trash all over his lap. He’s covered in leftover salad and what I think is mango juice, but his eyes are on me and his jaw is slack. “Tell me that this was fun but I’m not enough to stay for? I’ll pass.”
“It’s not like that.”