She grinned widely at him, and dang her whole face lit up. “That’s amazing. I bet you’ll be amazing.”
In truth, he understood Wendy wouldn’t know that for certain, but her unwavering support was something he hadn’t expected. And boy, he craved it more than he’d thought possible. He looked down at his feet and kicked at some dirt with the toe of his boot. He’d never shared his feelings this deeply with another person. Not even his brother. There was just something about Wendy that made him want to share a little more with her.
The quiet settled between them again, hanging there, waiting for one of them to say something more. Laughter drew Wendy’s attention to his back. Someone was leaving the party. Her expression tightened. Did she want to leave? Or was he reading a desire to stay?
Tripp didn’t want her to go. Not yet. He didn’t want this truce to end only for them to go their separate ways and return to the status quo. “What do you say I get us some cake and we find a quiet place to eat it?” He dangled the offer in front of her, praying that she’d take the bait. He could see her interest flickerin her eyes but there was also something holding her back. “Please?” he whispered.
He came under her scrutiny and he fought the urge to squirm. A breath of relief expelled from his lungs when she finally nodded.
“Okay.”
They saton the tailgate of his truck with cake in hand. Wendy’s feet were still bare and she swung them back and forth as she laughed. “I’m serious. They were actually discussing what armadillos were made of.”
Tripp stared at her dumbfounded. “How did that conversation start?”
“Well, the one guy picked up this brass armadillo I had on display. He was staring at it with confusion and his girlfriend asked him if he was okay. He asked her what real armadillos were made of.”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Please tell me they were teenagers.”
Wendy laughed again. “I wish. No, they were adults. And when she told him they were just armadillos, he looked disappointed and he told her he’d thought they were made out of dragon scales or something.”
Tripp nearly choked on his cake. “What?”
“Right?” She cocked her head and chuckled to herself. “I suppose it would make sense to think that, though. Armadillos are a special kind of animal. Maybe they did come from dragons.”
“And that was the strangest experience you’ve had working at the shop?”
“Not even close,” Wendy admitted.
His brows lifted. “What else happened?”
She stared at him a moment as if considering. Then she grinned. “Okay, one time a guy came in and insisted he was a medium. He said he could tell which items were haunted.”
“No,” Tripp whispered with amusement. “What happened?”
“He offered to take the offending items off my hands free of charge.”
He snorted. “So what did you do?”
That triumphant smile he loved so much filled her face. “I increased the prices for said objects and when the guy protested and demanded to know why, I told him that haunted items are worth far more.”
Tripp laughed. “Served him right.”
This. Moments just like this one were what Tripp wanted. He could feel it in his bones, that tether he had to this woman. She was smart. Funny. She could hold her own and she was so fun to mess with. Something told him he’d never get tired of someone like her.
On top of all that, she was breathtakingly beautiful and she didn’t even seem to notice. “You really are something else,” he murmured. Only after the words left his lips, did he realize he’d said it out loud.
Wendy stilled beside him, but she didn’t move away like he’d expected. Instead, she maintained a strong stare at her nowempty plate. Tripp didn’t know why he felt prompted to do so, but he reached forward and grasped her chin. Turning it gently, he waited for her to meet his gaze. He didn’t have to wait long.
Her lashes fluttered and she exhaled a shuddering breath. Everything around them went still. The music from the party faded. The sounds of the critters in the dark were quiet. It was as if the whole world held its breath for what he was about to do next.
Slowly, he slanted his face toward her. He searched her eyes for any sign that she didn’t want this as much as he did. The chemistry between them had always been chaotic, tumultuous, but only in the best ways.
He brushed his lips over hers, teasing, tasting, testing. He didn’t dare demand more from her out of fear she’d rear back and slap him. Maybe he’d deserved it for reasons he wasn’t entirely certain of. But then her lips parted and she kissed him back.
Music, light, and a taste so sweet exploded. Somehow, he’d known nothing would compare to kissing this woman. Their first kiss was no fluke. This one was even better. She was perfection embodied. Strong, quiet, and whole. He knew without a doubt she could steal his heart without even trying. All she’d have to do was ask him to be hers, and he’d jump.
His whole life had been leading up to something. It had been holding its breath, waiting for him to be ready. Maybe that was why they’d lived in the same city for so long and never bumped into each other—because his heart hadn’t been ready. Not until this very moment.
