The back door bangs open, and we leap apart.
“Forgot my jacket,” Zen says, striding to the swing out by the chicken coop. “Don’t let me interrupt. Unless you have nefarious intentions, and then I don’t care how much of a pacifist I am, I’ll take you down.”
“Zen-zen?” Bash says from above us.
Zen snags their coat from the swing and smirks at me before looking at Emma. “Mind if I tell the little guy goodnight one more time?”
Emma’s smoothing her hair back. “Donotwind him up.”
“Please. Who do you think I am, Theo? Text me when you’re free for lunch next week. We need to finish planning the baby shower. Later, Jonas. Don’t do anything that’ll make me have to hurt you.”
“Good to see you too,” I reply.
“I need to go tuck Bash back in,” Emma stutters. She’s still holding the chicken. I was kissing her while she was holding her chicken. “Thank you for—for staying. But you should probably head home now.”
“Can I take you to lunch sometime soon too? Or dinner. Or breakfast. Or coffee or tea or for a hike or whatever you want to do?” I’m a teenager. I am once again a rambling, bumbling, awkward teenager.
Except I think teenagers have more swagger than I do.
And I definitely had more swagger when I was a teenager than I do in this moment.
She smiles, sucks it in, then smiles again. “I—you don’t have to—yes. Yes. Thank you. I—I’d like that.”
I’m itching to hug her again. To kiss her. To toss her over my shoulder, carry her up to her bedroom, strip her naked, and lick her all over.
But tonight, I’m settling for sticking my hands in my pockets. “Can I come back tomorrow?”
She nods.
I smile. “Can’t wait.”
I truly can’t.
30
Emma
“He kissedyou a week ago and hasn’t tried anything since?” Laney whispers to me while we hover behind Bee & Nugget the next Saturday morning. The big baby shower for her and Sabrina is today. Theoretically, Zen and I are organizing it. In actuality, all of our friends have rallied and they’re doing most of the work inside.
Laney and Sabrina both objected to a baby shower, but we convinced them they could use it as an opportunity to gather baby supplies for mothers in need while letting the community celebrate their excitement about two of their favorite Snaggletooth Creek residents starting their families.
So that’s what we’re doing.
And we’re going all out.
Except for right now, while I’m confused and needing my friends to assure me that it’s normal for a guy to not try to make a movefor a weekafter telling me he’s changing his life to be here for me and Bash.
He’s even inside helping set up.
In the kitchen. So he’s not spotted.
“Maybe he’s waiting for me to initiate it again?” I whisper back.
Sabrina makes a noise that sounds almost like Grey grunting his disapproval over something. “Do you want to kiss him again?”
“Yes. No. Yes. I don’t know.”
We’re out with the dogs for a potty break and for Jitter to shake off all of his drool before we head back inside.
