Wishing the ground would swallow me up is starting to become a regular thing now.
I’d almost forgotten that he’d seenallof it. But, clearly, Duke wouldn’t want to do any of that with me. And he said he was offering to do the bucket list with me to help me feel better. Just a friend helping out another friend, right?
I’ll take what I can get.
‘Right,obviously.’ I laugh, waving him off, while my mind desperately scrambles for something else to say so we can quickly move on from the sexual topic. ‘Doesn’t helping me with the bucket list go against what you said, though? Your whole old man spiel about small moments being better.’
Duke pokes his cheek with his tongue, eyes darkening slightly at me. ‘I’m notthatmuch older than you. Six years is nothing.’
‘Stop calling me Baby Hensley then, if I’m notthatmuch younger than you.’ I cross my arms and tip my chin up.
‘Never. You hate the name too much.’ Duke leans lazily against the fence. ‘Anyway, helping you does go against what I said, but that’s why I’ll only do it on one condition.’
Duke steps forward, eating up almost all the space between us. I might be tall for a girl, but Duke towers over me, his broad frame so close, I notice the distinction between his almost black irises and pupils, watching them expand the longer he stares at me, like they’re feeding off being near me. ‘For every big thing we do on your bucket list, you have to enjoy a small, little moment of my choosing. Something I think makes life worthwhile. So you don’t forget that the slow life here ain’t all that bad in Willow Ridge when you’re living it up in the city.’
‘Like what?’ I breathe out.
‘Like spending the evening surrounded by friends, laughing in your favourite bar. Which is where we’re supposed to be right now.’ Duke pushes off the fence with his foot, signalling for us to start walking. ‘We probably shouldn’t keep them waiting much longer.’
Right, he basically came over here to tell me to get my ass moving because it’s time to leave. God, why is it suddenly so hot in here?
‘So, do we have a deal? A big moment for a small one?’ Duke checks over his shoulder at me as I catch up, a smirk dancing on his lips.
I grin, not even hesitating to say, ‘It’s a deal.’
Because when life gives you an opportunity like this, you don’t think twice about taking the reins and jumping into the saddle.
7
Cherry
‘And you’re certain you don’t haveanyothers back there?’ Duke asks the teenage boy behind the skate rink desk the following weekend, dark brows drawn in even as his tone remains gentle.
‘Sorry, dude, we don’t have as many in less popular sizes.’ The boy barely offers a smile, completely oblivious as to why Duke would want a different pair of roller-skates to thehot-pinkones sitting on the desk.
I press a fist to my mouth to stifle the giggle bubbling up. Duke’s dressed head to toe in black – black leather jacket, dark jeans, tight black T-shirt, not to mention the black tattoos covering his arms – which will just make the skates stand out even more. At least if I fall on my ass today, it still won’t be as funny as Duke Bennett having to wear roller skates so pink they might blind someone.
‘S’alright. Thanks, anyway.’ Duke grimaces, then reluctantly swipes the garish skates from the desk with a quiet sigh of defeat. He holds them at arm’s length, likehe’s scared if he brushes against them, he’ll magically turn into a pink unicorn.
When he faces me and catches sight of my grin, he just shakes his head. He nods towards the seats, letting me go ahead, then waits until we’re out of earshot before he lets the complaints flow.
‘How is it that the only skates they have in my size are goddamnpink?’ he grumbles, pulling his boots off and shoving a foot into one of the pink monstrosities. Black ink ripples as the muscles in his forearms shift, just like they do when he’s mixing drinks at the bar or wiping down the tables. Duke continues, ‘I’m all for flouting gender stereotypes, but wouldn’t you expect them to at least have colours other thanhot-pinkfor a size thirteen?’
‘Hey, that’s your fault for having big clown feet.’ I bump my shoulder awkwardly his bicep. Quickly, I lean down to start lacing up my skates, which are a nice, unimposing off-white and perfectly complement my frayed denim shorts, cropped white T-shirt, and the light-blue flannel shirt tied around my waist.
‘Yeah, well …’ Duke lets out a breath of a laugh. ‘You know what they say about big – actually, never mind.’
I immediately stop tying my laces, while he picks up the pace of his, like he suddenly can’t wait to get out there and show off the colour. ‘Oh my God, were you … about to make adickjoke?’
Duke’s hands ball into fists as he sharply inhales. It takes him a second to respond, his voice more monotonous than before. ‘Nope.’
‘You totally were. You were gonna make a dick joke.’ My gaze tumbles down to his skates, his large handshovering over them, and I can’t help but swallow at the thought. Because there’s nothingsmallabout Duke, he’s six-foot-three—
‘Cherry.’ Duke closes his eyes, his tone on the edge of pleading now. ‘Please stop saying the word …dick.’
His shoulders hunch in a wince, as though me sayingdickputs him in physical pain. I’m not sure whether to laugh or be bothered that he seems so appalled.
‘What? Why—’
