“Hey man, are you ready?” I ask as I hold my fist out to him. He nods and bumps my hand.
“Do we have to dance at this thing?” he asks, and I do my best to temper my smile as I shake my head.
“Only if you want to.”
Seemingly appeased, he grabs a baseball hat and puts it on, my own turned backward like it is most times.
The exception being that fateful day in the grocery store.
I don’t miss the way he eyes it now before looking away.
It’s the proverbial elephant in the room and I’ll have to tread lightly. Even if Beck wants to hold me to an impossible standard, I’ll jump through every hoop and scale all the walls he puts up.
Because he’s worth it.
And I’ll prove I’m worth it too.
A crowd has already gatheredat the Brew, Q, ’n Boogie, with trucks and cars lining the grass lot. I’d been here more than a few times since moving to Blackstone Falls, and if a place had avibethis would be it.
People laughing and dancing, eating and drinking, and otherwise just havingfun.There’s an energy here I crave, like recharging a battery that’s depleted by the monotony of daily life.
All the reasons I love this place are the same reasons Bodhi does his best to avoid it. It’s too loud.
Too crowded.
With a general happiness he can’t quite fake.
I stopped asking him to come after more than one person had asked him if he was mad and he had to explain that it’s just the way he looks.
“Wow,” Holland breathes as she looks out her window, her face practically pressed against the glass. “Do they have French fries?” she asks, her gaze locked on the line of food trucks as I find a spot and put the truck in park.
“I believe they do,” I say with a grin over my shoulder at the same time Lana says, “You need to eat actual food, too, not just snacks.”
Beck snickers and Holland sticks her tongue out at him. Lana sighs and I chuckle because I love it.
Every single second.
Piling out of the truck, Holland takes Lana’s hand as Beck walks on her other side. It’s endearing, the kids forming a barrier around their mother as we walk into the crowd.
“What are y’all thinkin’? They have burgers and chicken, those onions they deep fry whole, and I think there’s a wood fire pizza truck around here somewhere too.”
The kids hem and haw over the choices, finally deciding on pizza for Holland and a burger for Beck. Lana and I split the difference and decide we’ll share pizza and a cheesesteak.
“Take Beck and I’ll take Holland, and we’ll meet at those tables over there,” I tell Lana, fishing my wallet from my pocket and handing her more than enough to cover their food.
She stares at the money and frowns. “I can pay for it.”
Folding it into her hand, I give her a small smile. “I know you can, but I invited you out and I’d really like to take care of you and the kids tonight.” Lowering my voice, I add, “I work hard, Lana, and for the first time in my life, I have more than enough to get by.” I shrug. “I’ve never had that before.”
Rolling her lips inward, she’s caught between tempering a smile and blinking back tears. I know the feeling.
“All right then, but we get to buy dessert,” she says, her fingers lingering against mine.
“Deal.” Leaning up, she presses a light kiss to my cheek, earning a grunt from Beck that I ignore as that single touch sends a little jolt of electricity through my veins. “Are you ready, Miss Holland?”
“Yes!” she cheers as I hold out my hand for her.
“Think we can beat them?”
