“Sorry, Jake. Think I need to side with my sisters on this one.”
His arm drops off my shoulder to cross over his chest. “Typical.” He huffs playfully, then strides over to Maddie to take a now sleeping Wren from her arms.
“Time to get the princess home.”
“Yeah, I think I need to call it too. I was up early this morning preparing for court.” Chelsea kisses Wren’s cheek before doing the same to Maddie and me. I’ll see you guys Sunday for breakfast, if not before.”
I say my goodbyes to Maddie and Jacob as well, then try to decide what I feel like eating. I’m about to step in line for the taco truck when I hear my name being called.
I turn, surprised to see Gage walking towards me. A white T-shirt with the Life Vine logo is stretched across his broad chest. I nearly choke on my breath at the sight of him. The stark white makes the black tattoos covering his huge biceps and veiny forearms stand out in a way that makes him look so sinfully delicious. It’s criminal, really. How can one man besogood-looking? He looks like the ultimate bad boy with his leather boots, ripped black jeans, and all his piercings.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, and there is no hiding how happy I am to be running into him, as unexpected as it is.
He doesn’t even answer first, just pulls me into his arms, squeezing tightly as my feet lift off the ground. He places me back down, with a kiss on my lips, before leaving one arm slung over my shoulders. Gage starts to walk us through the crowd, but I feel frozen in place. He just kissed me. In public. Like itwas the easiest thing in the world. I look up at him, my heart thrumming in my chest, giddy that he seems to be so at ease around me. It makes me undeniably happy that he’s found that, especially with me.
“Life Vine is one of the sponsors. I was helping with some of the information and activity tents.”
I smile, sliding one arm around his lower back while my other rests over his stomach. Wow, look at that, I can feel his abs right through the cotton.
“I feel like I was going to say something, but I touched your abs and now I’ve forgotten.”
Gage throws his head back and laughs, and my heart stops.
I gasp. “You—you laughed.”
He looks at me with a smile as he cups my cheek.
“You have that effect on me.” His thumb brushes over my bottom lip. “Were you going to get something to eat?”
I nod, still replaying his laugh in my head. Every time I see a speck of happiness from him, I want to savour it.
“Can I join you? Maybe we can walk around a bit?”
“Yes, of course.” I eagerly nod.
So that’s what we do. We get a selection of tacos to share, sitting at the tables, and talking easily before we get some churros to go, so we can walk through the rest of the festival. I convince Gage to do the photo trail where all the floral displays are set up for people to take selfies. There’s a classic phone booth, a gutted pickup truck, a vintage piano, and an old rickshaw along the path that have been decorated to the extreme with orange, yellow and brown flowers. Fairy lights are strung overhead and intertwined through every tree that borders the path. Gage smiles for some of the selfies I take, but mostly, he’s looking down at me or looking at me through the camera lens. When we get to the last display, a white swing hanging from a big oak tree, he asks a lady behind us to take our photo. Sitting me on his lap, he wraps his arms aroundmy middle, hugging me to his chest and leans over my shoulder, smiling.
The whole act catches me completely off guard. How are we in this place? When I first met Gage, I could never have imagined we’d be like this months later. But that’s the remarkable thing about love, it catches you before you even realise you were falling.
I turn my head, taken by the soft smile on his face. My heart pounds slow and deep within my chest as Gage looks down at me, and all I can do is stare straight back.
Gage and I look through the photos the woman took of us as we keep walking through the festival. I tug on Gage’s arm when we pass one of the games where you can win a stuffed toy. I only noticed them at first because of how odd they looked compared to the characters you normally see here. There were no cute unicorns or bears. Instead, there were stuffed jalapeños, snails, and the one I really wanted. A stuffed Grim Reaper.
“Please. Pleeaasse. Can you win me a Grim?” I beg, clasping my hands under my chin and pouting playfully.
Gage smirks and walks us over to the stand where all the bottles are lined up for people to knock down.
“Hey, man. Can I buy one of the Grims?”
I gasp. “Henry! You’re meant to win me one.”
Gage turns with a look of amused shock. He leans down to wrap an arm behind my back, hauling me to his chest.
“What did you just call me?” I can’t control the giggle that comes out at the way he flirts back with me.
“Huh?” he asks again, this time digging a hand into my side to tickle me. I squeal, wheezing as I keep calling him Henry.
He leans down, gently biting my neck before talking in my ear, in a warning tone that has my thighs clenching. “I can’twaitto get you back for that later, Buttercup.”
