by Kimi Flores
“Well, I don’t know what you have in mind, but I’ll have you know, I’m not the kind of girl who accepts a root beer from a guy and goes home with him.”
Her sass was back and I fucking loved it.
With a stupid grin on my face, I asked, “Well then, what would it take for you to allow me to take you home? Two root beers maybe?” I opened the door and helped her in.
“A large container of Cookies and Cream Dippin’ Dots.” She was adorable as she added, “And they just so happen to be at the festival tomorrow,” she answered before I closed the door.
Laughing, I made my way around the front of my car.
I know which booth I’m hitting first tomorrow.
Chapter Eight
Andie
“I’ve gotta admit, Andie, when you first told me you used this little trailer as a traveling boutique, I just couldn’t picture it. But now...” Blaine was standing in front of my squeaky clean, red and white camper, with his hands on the waistband of his cargo shorts and a look of admiration on his face. “I think you’re a genius.” Moving in closer, he kissed my cheek. “An incredibly beautiful genius.” He had the softest lips and I didn’t mind that his kiss accompanied a compliment.
“Why thank you very much. You aren’t so bad yourself.” I smiled before taking a step back to make sure everything was set up exactly how I liked it.
What could I say, I was a perfectionist.
The sparkling earrings were placed in pairs, creating an inviting pattern sure to catch the attention of a few customers. My eyes were drawn to the necklaces I’d hung with precision in the open window. I personally chose each stone that would reflect the sunlight, creating a radiant glow to allow their true natural beauty to shine.
I had learned early in my career, presentation sells my items as much as the high quality of each piece. I took pride in my work and I wanted to showcase that.
Angel’s voice pulled me away from my mental inventory. “Hey guys, are you ready for me to set up my things?” She wheeled herself to our spot with a small box on her lap as Kyle, with his movie star good looks, trailed behind, carrying a larger box.
He was oblivious to the few teen girls who had followed him, giggling from a distance. Even though he’d lived in Hope Falls for several years now, his fans in town were in awe of him as much as any other place.
“I’ve got this spot all set up and ready for you right here, little lady.” Blaine ran his palm across one of my prettiest table cloths, turning my heart to mush as he did it.
Earlier, I’d frantically tried to rearrange things when I realized I hadn’t made room for her. He’d stepped in, kissed my forehead and told me he’d take care of it. I prided myself on being independent and flexible enough to jump over any obstacle in order to reach my goals, but it felt so natural to let Blaine help.
I needed to stop dwelling on that, though.
Aurora followed quickly behind her husband. “Thanks again for letting Angel join you today. I still can’t believe I missed the sign-up deadline.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I flicked my wrist, thankful that my pain level was at its lowest today. “You know she’s always welcome on my team.”
Blaine took the box from Angel’s lap and started removing all the crocheted items. “Hey, what’re these? The designs are really cool.” He held a few up.
Angel took one from his hand, slipped it around an empty coffee cup and secured it with a few buttons. “This box has the mug cozies and that one...” She pointed to the box Kyle had dropped next to Blaine. “...has mason jar cozies. I saw them on the internet and figured I could crochet them to raise money for our charity.”
I picked one up, fondly running my fingers over the intricate stitches. I was amazed, not only with her talent, but her desire to help others in need. Not many kids her age think about anyone but themselves. Angel was the perfect name for her.
I caught Blaine’s astonished expression and knew he was thinking the same thing.
“Tell me how you’d like to display them and I’m happy to help.” Beaming with pride, he jumped in to arrange her items.
Aurora bent down to kiss Angel on the top of her head. “Okay, sweetie, I’ve got to head over and help Sue Ann set up for the pie eating contest.”
Blaine’s head perked up. “Pie eating contest? Wow, this really is a small-town festival.” He scoffed, even though it was clear by his childlike grin that he didn’t want to miss out.
“Would you like her to put your name down?” I goaded.
Continuing to empty Angel’s boxes, he responded coolly, “I’ve never been in a pie eating contest before. Might be fun.”
I widened my eyes and smirked teasingly. “I don’t know. Martin Rigby is our undefeated champion. Are you sure you're up to it?”
With a cocky grin, he yelled over his shoulder to Aurora, “Put me down. I’m up for a little competition.”
Laughing at our battle of wills, Aurora strolled toward Kyle and gave him a peck on the lips. “Should I put your name down, too, handsome?”
“Oh, hell no. I’ve seen Rigby compete.” Kyle shook his head. “He’s the smallest guy in town and can eat all of us under the table. I’ll leave that humiliation to my bro-mate here.” He clapped Blaine on the shoulder, and my heart squeezed.
How could something as simple as my best friend’s husband accepting Blaine as his friend affect me so strongly? They’d been spending time together running since the first day they met. Blaine had even gone over to Kyle’s to help him build something for Angel the other day. He’d come home in such a good mood. It made me wonder if he had many friends where he lived.
Not your business, Andie. Get out of that rabbit hole.
Everything was ready to go by the time our first customers stepped into our area. It didn’t take long before Kyle asked if he could steal Blaine to show him around. Apparently, he didn’t want his new friend to feel shortchanged for not getting the full experience.
Blaine was trying to hide his excitement when he said, “I’d planned on staying here to help out.”
Patting his arm, I assured him, “I’ve done this plenty of times by myself. Plus, Angel and I are here for each other. Go get your fill, and if you do the pie eating contest, I want pictures. Tons of pictures from all angles.” I gave him a goofy grin.
“Only if you think you guys won’t need my help.” He sounded almost apologetic. Was he actually feeling guilty about leaving me here?
“Goooo...” I playfully shoved him away.
“Fine,” he sighed. “I know when I’m not wanted. Plus, there’s a certain ice cream booth I’ve got to find anyway.” Blaine let out a breath like he was nervous and waved as he and Kyle strolled away.
I rolled my eyes at Angel. “Men.”
“Yeah, my mom says the same thing whenever Kyle hovers.” She continued to arrange her goods around on the table.
I reached into the bucket I kept all my personal belongings in and pulled out a tube of pain relieving gel. If I kept moving today, I should be fine, but my hands were a bit stiff after setting everything up.
Rubbing a dab of the gel into my hands, I took a minute to look around. There was no way to deny the childlike thrill that coursed through my body as I listened to the sounds of bells ringing in the distance and silly songs being played.
The smells of different foods filled the air around me. Although I avoided most festival-type foods as an adult, I had fond memories from when my mom had taken me to the county fair as a child. I hoped Blaine would find something here that would be memorable for him as well. Maybe meet some new people, make a few friends.
Just as my heart began to hope, reality reared its ugly head again.
He was leaving in a few days.
Looking through the crowd, long strands of wavy dark hair caught my eye and I knew it could only be one person. Karina kissed her husband, Ryan, before leaving his side and strolling up with excitement in her dark eyes. “Please tell me you have something ne
w to show me. I need a few pieces to wear in New York next week.”
Her dark beauty from her Indian heritage was breathtaking. The first time I’d met the ‘pop princess’ and heard one of her many sarcastic comments, I knew we’d become longtime friends.
I was thankful for all the support I’d received from everyone ever since I’d opened my jewelry company, but if it hadn’t been for Karina, I wasn’t sure I’d be as successful as I was. She’d worn several of my pieces to highly publicized events and promoted my business every time it was possible.
“Of course I do.” Wrapping my arm around her, we headed to the camper. “Step into my little shop, my friend, but don’t forget to take a look at the adorable cozies Angel has set up.”
Angel looked from the customer she was helping for a brief time to wave and give Karina a huge smile.
“Ohmygod, Andie, these are beautiful.” Karina held a pair of newly designed earrings to her ears in front of a mirror.
“I had you in mind when I made those yesterday. The onyx matches your eyes and the pennant on that necklace you got last time.”
“I definitely have to get these. Oh, and this amethyst bracelet, too. It’s gorgeous.” She picked up several more pieces. “These are all new and I just saw your inventory not too long ago.” The chain from one of the necklaces was wrapped around her fingers when she pointed at me. “You’re working way too much again, Andie. You need to take it easy, maybe spend a little time with the male population to relieve some of your stress, if ya know what I mean.” She wiggled her eyebrows.
I chuckled politely. “My passion is with my jewelry, not the men of Hope Falls.” Peeking over at Angel to see if she was doing well, I caught her attention and made a drinking motion. I wanted to make sure she wouldn’t become dehydrated in this heat.
Karina drew my attention away from playing mother hen when I felt her hand touch my arm. As soon as I looked at her, I saw her impish expression. “I don’t know. I heard you were at JTs last night and planted your lips dab smack on that guy who’s staying with you. I saw him wandering around with Kyle earlier, and I’d say he’s very much a part of the male population.”
“Wow, that didn’t take long to get around.” I said under my breath as I reached over and rearranged the items to fill in the empty spaces created by my recent sales.
“Did you really think it would?” She picked up another pair of earrings and waited for me to answer.
“Nope.” I shrugged as I reminded her of my motto. “No regrets, right?”
“I don’t know. You tell me.” She smirked and looked past me. I turned and saw her husband pointing to his watch then she rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you got lucky this time. We’ve got to be somewhere in fifteen minutes, but I had to come by and see you. This conversation isn’t over, though.” She held the jewelry in her hand out to me. “Save these for me, I’ll come by and get them later.” She turned and stepped out of my boutique, then yelled over her shoulder, “Angel, save some of those cozies for me, sweetheart. My favorite colors are teal and red.”
“Will do,” Angel yelled back with a smile.
I saw Kyle making his way to us with two bottles of water and some food in his hands. Stopping by Angel first, he handed her one of the drinks and a plate, then handed me the other water and a bowl of fruit.
“Thanks.” I looked around and noticed someone was missing. “Where’s Blaine?”
“Over there.” Kyle pointed to where Doctor Hanson and Blaine were talking in the shade.
It wasn’t obvious, but I caught Blaine holding his stomach like he was uncomfortable.
“Is he okay?” I tried to conceal the worry, but I was sure it was evident in my voice.
Kyle glance over and snickered. “No, he’s not feeling very well. He came in at a close second to Martin Rigby. By the way, I think he made his first enemy in town.”
Was he okay, though? He wouldn’t have been the first to suffer from festival food binging. “I wonder why he’s talking to Doc. Hanson.”
“Not sure.” Kyle frowned. “Probably just talking shop since he’s got that big test coming up.” Patting me on the back, he acted like he was confident it was no big deal.
“Maybe.” My voice drifted off. I wasn’t sure if I believed that.
I helped a few more customers before Blaine finally returned, still holding his stomach.
“Please remind me to never do that again. I feel like I’m going to explode.”
I raised an eyebrow. Remind him? How could I remind him if he was leaving?
Instead of jumping into that vortex again, I decided it was time to have some more fun. “Hey, I don't see any Dippin’ Dots, mister.” I stomped my foot, pretending to be a diva, then I chuckled as I pointed to his full belly. “So, which one got ya, the banana cream, chocolate, cherry? Oh I know, it was the key lime pie, wasn’t it?” I couldn’t hold back my laugh.
“Oh God, please don’t mention any desserts.” He looked a little on the green side as he grimaced. “But it was totally worth it. That is one smug little man. He needed someone to come along and give him a run for his money.”
Kyle belly laughed, “You should’ve seen Rigby’s face when he noticed you catching up to him. It was priceless. It also gave him the motivation to inhale five more pies, though.”
As Kyle continued to laugh, he pulled out his phone. “Andie, you have to see these pictures.” Swiping his finger across the screen he went on, “I have to say, your man sure can eat some pies.”
My man? My heart squeezed at the thought.
Holding the phone out to me, we both gave in to the hilarity of Blaine with a focused look in his eyes, since that was all I could recognize with pie filling smeared all over his mouth, cheeks and hair.
“Bastard, I almost had it,” Blaine grumbled as I reached over and pulled a piece of cherry from his hair.
“I guess you can have the tub tonight; you need it more than I do.” Giving in to the chuckle I had been trying to hold back, I raised up on my tippy toes and sniffed his hair. “Mmmm…fruity.”
With a mischievous look, he pulled me toward him and started rubbing his head all over my hair. I squealed with laughter while trying to get away. “Well, it appears you will also need a bath tonight.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
Angel yelled out, “Hey, kid here. Keep it PG.” She glanced at Kyle. “Then again I’ve heard worse coming out of you and mom.”
With her perfect timing, Aurora walked up at the tail end of what Angel had said. “What have you heard from Kyle and me?”
And that’s when we all lost it.
Chapter Nine
Blaine
I knocked on the front door, then smoothed my hand over my dark blue, button down shirt.
Andie moved the curtain aside and peeked through the window before pulling the door open with an apprehensive look on her face. “Why are you knocking when you have a key?”
She looked stunning in her cream, flowing tank top, tight dark jeans and heeled sandals. Her dirty blonde hair sat on her shoulders, showcasing the gold flecks in her striking hazel eyes. I hadn’t seen her with much make-up on before, but tonight she’d applied some to her eyes and her pouty lips looked glossy.
How soon is too soon for me to lean in and bite them?
Pulling the small mason jar filled with wildflowers out from behind my back, I handed them to her, knowing how much she’d love the daisies I’d included in the bunch. “A gentleman always knocks on a lady’s door.” I winked and watched her melt right in front of my eyes, making my heart race in response. I’d do anything to see that reaction again.
Holding the jar with both hands, she stared at the lavender, white, yellow and orange combo Angel had helped me pick from their garden earlier.
“Thank you. They’re beautiful.” She brought them to her nose and inhaled before setting the jar on a side table.
“Are you ready?” I offered her my bent arm.
She grabbed her purse, stepped outside and laced her
arm through mine. “Sure, let’s go.”
Once we were inside my Jeep and headed to our destination, I noticed her fiddling with her fingers.
“Don’t worry so much. You’ll have fun, I promise.” I patted the top of her hand. “Did you get a chance to relax like the soon-to-be doctor ordered?”
She leaned into her seat and saluted me with a smirk. “Yes, medicine man. I took a nap and everything.”
It had taken a lot of convincing after the festival to let Kyle and I put everything away, but I’m thankful she finally conceded. Since I’d also needed a little help getting everything ready for our date tonight, I’d called in the troops for that as well.
She placed her hand on my stomach. “How’s Hope Fall’s latest pie eating contest runner-up feeling?”
It had been a long time since a woman had touched me and my lower half immediately responded. Grabbing her hand, I laced our fingers together and placed them on top of my thigh. Yeah, that probably wasn’t a great idea, either.
Giving me a side glance, Andie offered an innocent smile with her lips, but her eyes were telling a different story. She knew exactly what she was doing to me, the brat.
“Much better and all it took was a three-mile run.” And half a bottle of antacids.
I pulled off the road and down the path until we stopped in the open area I’d found early this morning. I gulped, feeling nervous and hoping Andie would be on board with what I had in store for her tonight.
She looked up at the sky through the windshield. “It’s such a clear night; look at all the stars.”
“That’s nothing, follow me.” I hopped out, opened the back and handed her a blanket and a few pillows. Her eyes went wide before I reassured her. “Stop worrying.”
I opened the box I’d stored in the trunk, grabbed the rechargeable pump and walked several feet in front of my compact SUV. Andie stayed by the tail end and watched me inflate the large rectangle-shaped kiddie pool.
With each glance at her questioning stare, my self-doubt battled to take charge. Was this date too forward? Would she think I had ulterior motives? No, even though it hadn’t been all that long ago since we’d first met, I was confident I knew her better than that. Tonight would be fun and memorable, for both of us.