Her eyes watered.
She melted right into him, letting the night wrap around them both.
Tonight was a fairytale.
No glass slipper…no fancy Prince with golf clubs in his hands, just two real people, finding love at the 19thHole.
Meadow stood behind Zaire with her arms folded, watching him line up a shot like he had all the time in the world.
“Your feet crooked,” she teased.
He didn’t even look back. “Ain’t nothin’ crooked but the curve in this dick. You know that”
She smirked. “Just hit the ball.”
His mouth could be so filthy sometimes and she liked to pretend she didn’t like it.
The club cut through the air and the ball took off in a perfect arc like even gravity knew better than to interfere with him. Meadow rolled her eyes only because she refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing how fine he looked doing something he was born for.
Zaire adjusted his stance, relaxed his shoulders. The sweaty tee pulled across his back just enough to make her stare longer than she meant to. He dragged the toe of his shoe across the grass like he owned every inch of it - like this land wasn’t just Ray’s but somehow belonged to him now too.
He turned the club in his hand, spinning it with that lazy confidence the league hated. When he finally glanced over his shoulder at her, it wasn’t even a smile he gave.
It was a knowing look, a slow, smug, full-body knowing glance. As if he could feel her watching him…as if he liked beingwatched…as if her attention was his favorite thing he’d earned all day.
He licked his bottom lip, subtle and unhurried. “You keep starin’,” he called her out, “I’m gon’ start thinkin’ you in love.”
Meadow cleared her throat, trying and failing not to be impressed. “Whatever.”
“You love me,” Zaire muttered under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear.
She nudged him with her hip. “You wish.” They both knew she loved her some him, but she liked to pretend that she didn’t.
Zaire reached for another ball, his brow raised. “I don’t ever gotta wish for what’s already mine.”
Meadow rolled her eyes, but her smile gave her away. Four days back in Juniper Falls and they kept finding little pockets of joy like this…quiet mornings, laughter, teasing, Magnolia’s soft spells, Lesha’s jokes, Ray’s steady presence. It felt… peaceful in a way that scared her.
Zaire set up his next swing. Meadow leaned against his back, pretending she wasn’t doing it on purpose.
Zaire’s lips twitched. “Get off me before you distract me.”
“That’s the point.”
He kissed his teeth and swung again.
The ball cracked so perfectly Meadow had to hum. “Okay…show off.”
Zaire smirked, finally turning to her. “Your turn.”
“Hmmm, no. My arm hurts.”
“You full of-”
He stopped.
Not mid-sentence…but mid-air.
His entire body went still.
