I snicker. “Well, it certainly helps that she lives across the world now.”
“You miss her.”
I glance at Stone, who is going about his business searching for trash in the grass around the outskirts of the baseball field we parked behind. I was supposed to be digging into his brain, not the other way around.
“Of course I miss her. She’s my other half. I’ve never known life without her until she left.” I clear my throat, mentally swatting away the melancholy threatening to settle upon me. “I’m okay, though. Slowly adjusting. Do you miss your sister when you’re away from her?’
Stone spurts a laugh. “When I’m away from Stella, I consider myself lucky. Because we are four years apart, she can easily slip into a mothering role over me.” He pauses and worries his bottom lip. “When she left us for ten years, though, that stung. I was proud of her for pursuing her dream. I was happy she was happy. But Imissed her a lot during those years. She was absent from my life my entire high school career. That was difficult for me.”
My heart races as I search my head for what to say next. Any small acknowledgment that he’s opening up to me may send him back into self-protective mode like the time I questioned him in church. So instead, I say nothing. I nod along as he continues to tell me about his sister’s career as a campaign manager.
By the time we make it back to the truck, we’ve exchanged conversation about his time in college sports, my time as a cheerleader, and his dream to one day coach a little league football or baseball team. I may not know the ins and outs of Stone Harper yet, but tonight feels like a giant first step. A leap, if you will.
I place my feet on the dash, stretching out. When I catch him looking at me, I quickly move my feet. He hasn’t said anything before, but maybe now is the time he’s finally going to ask me to stop. “So sorry. It’s a habit.”
He gives me a perplexed expression. “I don’t mind, Lucy. Has someone in your past told you not to place your feet on the dash, sing loudly in the vehicle, or not to talk about your books and stories? Because you seem to get skittish when you think you might be annoying me.”
Not knowing what else to say, I turn and look away, whispering, “Yes.”
“Lucy May Spence.” When I don’t look at him, he reaches across the truck, taking my chin and turning my face toward him. “I want you to let all of that go, okay? You are vibrant, fun, and more than welcome to sing, put your feet on my dash, and tell me all about your stories. It’s not bothersome nor annoying.”
Tears threaten my eyes, but I push them back. No guy has ever been this invested in my passions or has liked me more than the stupid dash of his truck. Stone is—I curse inside my head. Stone is everything…
He cranks the truck, and as we drive back to Marian’s, we both sing loudly to “God Bless the U.S.A.” by Lee Greenwood.
When we get back to the house, we take turns washing up, telling Marian and Brother Johnny about the fireworks display since they opted to stay in, and then we both head upstairs for bed.
“Goodnight, Lucy May,” Stone says with a slight rasp to his voice. Something burns behind his eyes, and I know he wants a goodnight kiss as badly as I do. But we made that stupid contract that says no kissing or touching while we are alone. And we’ve done such a great job adhering to it while in Juniper Grove.
But we are back in Dasher Valley…
I take a step toward Stone as we stand in the middle of the small hallway between our rooms. “What happens in Dasher Valley…”
I don’t have time to finish my sentence because he pushes me against the wall, pressing his body against mine and claiming my lips. Stone kisses me with a passion that feels sweeter and deeper than the first time he kissed me out on the front porch. Maybe it’s because we’ve shared personal details about our lives tonight? Maybe it’s the romance of fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Or maybe it’s justhim.
My heart threatens to exit my chest as his hand slips underneath my sleep shirt, his fingers setting the skin of my hips on fire. A siren sounds off faintly, but I push it out of my mind, focusing on the feel of his touch on my skin. When I moan, he whispersbreathlessly against my ear, “Baby girl, there are people downstairs. Shh.”
I nod, closing my eyes and biting my tongue as his lips trail down my throat. He pulls away for a brief second, so I open my eyes to see what he’s doing. Wickedness glints in his eyes as he tilts his head and smirks. “Good girl.”
His whispered words of praise seep into my bones, and I become putty in his hands to do whatever he wants with. He takes my hand and leads me to his bedroom.
And mercy, it feels so good to be desired like this.
Someonewantsme.
I’mnot aloneanymore.
Stone Harper ismine.And I’m not letting him leave me like everyone else has done. Whatever it takes.
After he lays me down on his gray sheets, I whisper in the darkness. “I don’t want to pretend anymore, Stone.”
His hand stiffens across my stomach, and he lets out a curse. “I don’t want to, either, Lucy May. But I don’t know how to commit. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Honesty is the first step,” I say, playing with his hair between my fingers. “You’re honest in your struggle to commit. Whatever comes next, we can face it and get through it together, okay?”
Silence echoes around the room.
