Jax stands behind his wife, his arms around her. “I’m sure.”
I sigh, looking at all the phones out filming everything. “Madoc is trying his hardest to get canceled.”
Just wait till someone online takes issue with it.
“And yet, everyone just adores him,” Jax says with a hint of pride. “What do you think, honey?”
Juliet leans back into Jax’s nuzzling. “I think we’re about to have a senator in our pocket.”
Jax laughs, and I turn my eyes back on Madoc, seeing him shoot one of Fallon’s balls like a basketball into an empty stroller, the parents clapping and laughing with thetoddler in their arms.
“You don’t wrangle him in,” I mutter, “you’re going to have apresidentin your pocket.”
They chuckle.
I don’t.
They stop smiling because they realize I’m not kidding.
Jax’s face falls, followed by Juliet’s worrying wide eyes.
“Jared would kill him,” Jax says.
“Fallon would kill him first,” she replies.
I continue on my way, amused. We could all try to hold Madoc back, but an unhappy Madoc is like a sea monster. You’re not sure it exists, and you don’t really want to find out, either.
I weave through the parade, cross the street, and jump on my bike. Pedaling hard, I work my way back up to Eagle Point Park, the scent of freshly mown lawns and charcoal barbecues filling the air. Firecrackers and bottle rockets pop and whistle as I ride past houses, and the music from the parade follows me, only fading a little through all the trees that hang over me in the park.
I coast, climbing off the bike and standing on one pedal all the way to my booth. Codi has arrived and helps arrange the treats, while Hailey stocks napkins.
“I’m burning some calories today,” I joke as I halt the bike and park it behind the booth.
A few people start to drift down through, while others are still busy setting up nets and lawn games for the kids.
I step up to Codi’s side. “Thank you for being here.”
She peeks up at me through the hair in her eyes, and I quickly take in her clothes. She wears cut-offs, but the same tattered, dark blue T-shirt hangs over her body.
“The parade will be over soon,” I tell both of them. “We’ll be swamped.”
“That’s cool with me,” Hailey calls out. “The more tips,the better my night’s going to be.”
Codi doesn’t add anything. What is she doing tonight? From what Farrow says, Weston might show up, but I haven’t seen them yet.
I touch Codi’s arm. “Sit down.”
I point to the chair, and she hesitates. But she sits.
Pulling my brush out of my backpack, I gently take her long hair and start untangling the ends, lightly at first, in case she gets nervous.
But Codi doesn’t fight, and before long, I’m running the brush over her scalp, relaxing when I see her head fall back a little and her eyes close.
Parting it in the middle, I pull it back into two French braids, securing it with the two rubber bands around my wrist. Then I tug at her blue T-shirt. “May I?”
She stiffens, but after a moment, she nods. Lightly, I pull it up, over her head, leaving her in her white tank top that’s more blue-gray than white anymore.
Taking off Lucas’s blue Cubs cab, I put it on her and dab a little of Aro’s red lipstick on her mouth.
