I wouldn’t forget a face or a body like his. Goldfish couldn’t forget him. Still… “You look familiar.”
“Yeah”—he scrubs his hair—“we brainless meatheads all look alike.”
“Okay, you’remuscular, not brainless.”
He lowers his chin. “I jazz danced, squealing at a snake.”
I fight my laugh. “Lots of people are afraid of them.”
“Not grown-ass men,” he huffs out, amused. “But my brothers ruined snakes for me. They put a garter snake in my bed when I was six, and I’ve never been the same. I check the sheets every night.”
“Aw, those sweet assholes. How many brothers?”
His eyes shift. “Uh, five.”
My jaw drops. “You havefivebrothers?”
“Yeah, and I’m the baby. What about you?”
“It’s just me and my dad.”
“Yeah, um…” He surprises me, his voice falling soft. “I’m really sorry about your mom. Meant to stay that at the convenience store.”
“Thanks. I mean…” I glance down, kicking a magnolia pod. “I never really know what to say when I mention her. She was killed in action when I was ten, and it feels like forever ago, and like last night’s nightmare all at once.”
“She served?”
“Yeah, in Iraq.” I meet his tender stare. “In the Army.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, truly, but damn, Alena…” He shakes his head. “I bet you’re making her proud as hell.”
My teeth grab my bottom lip, tears suddenly biting at my eyes.
Is it the way Loch just said my name? Or his praise? Or that I want to believe he’s right?
My mom made dirt pies with me. She taught me how to make a grass whistle. We’d dance in the rain together. She always said I had a beautiful smile, so I force one now. “Thanks. I sure hope so. I miss her.”
He opens his mouth to say something, but Mutt bounds our way, a corn chip bag in his mouth.
“Gimme that.” Loch tries to grab it, but Mutt darts away, and we spend minutes trying to catch him. It’s fun. It’s futile. I’m sweating and laughing because the dog’s too fast, so Loch softly tugs my hand. “Try this.”
He falls into a soft bed of green Lenten roses, and I follow, flopping down beside him, a sweet, earthy smell engulfing us.
He turns his head.
I do too.
He smiles.
So do I because…
He’s still holding my hand.
Without a word, we search each other’s eyes, and it feels like Loch’s trying to tell me something. My hand tingling. My heart racing. My thighs shaking. Emotions swirl into a new alignment of the stars above. We can’t see them yet, but it’s as if Fate is in control and Loch won’t tempt her, so I open my mouth to do it for us as Mutt jumps on top of Loch.
He drops my hand, grabbing the trash from the dog’s mouth. “Gotcha!” he proclaims, and…
He does.
