“I admit nothing,” she teases.
“Whatever you say, Storm.”
She reaches out to hit my arm but misses since her eyes are closed. She looks so cute swinging aimlessly, so I move my arm within her range.
“Did you move your arm?” she asks, her nostrils flaring.
“I couldn’t keep watching you flail around.”
“Flail? That’s insane, actually. I’ve never flailed a day in my life.”
“Considering you just did, I don’t think that’s true.”
She swings at me again, huffing when she misses. “Put your arm back.”
Laughing, I put my arm back in the line of fire. “All yours.”
She thanks me as her hand connects. “Anyhoo, did you guys end up buying that building?”
“We’re putting in an offer today. Hopefully he accepts it, but he was basically fangirling over Jalen the entire time we met with him, so I think he will.”
She keeps her eyes closed but turns her head toward the sound of my voice. “That’s awesome, Micah. We should all go out and celebrate.”
Funny she should say that, since the purpose of today is to celebrate her. “I’d be down for that.”
Dani blindly reaches out in search of something and when she finds my hand, she grabs it and squeezes. “It’s an honor to know you.”
Damn. That has my heart jumping out of my chest. Her words mean more to me than she’ll ever know and I squeeze her hand back in thanks, but as she flashes a bright smile my way, all I can do is laugh. “I’m sorry. You just look so ridiculous.” With her eyes squeezed shut and her cheesy grin revealing her bright white teeth, she looks like a kid with a secret.
She gasps and yanks her hand away, making this all the more amusing. “Oh, boy, fuck you! I should open my damn eyes.”
I pull up to our destination. “Go ahead. We’re here.”
She sucks her teeth, but then her jaw drops when she opens her eyes and sees where we are. “We’re at my parents’ house?”
I step out of the car and walk to her side to open the door. “We are. And before you say anything, just wait and see.”
She blinks a few times, taking in the sight of me in front of her parents’ house, and then she makes my day and smiles. “Okay. I trust you.”
Music to my ears.
We walk up and I knock twice before her dad opens the door.
“Peanut!” He wraps her up in a big bear hug before turning and dapping me up. “Micah. Nice to meet you in person.”
“In person. I’m just wondering how you met any other way,” Dani muses as she steps past her dad into the house.
“Girl, you don’t know everybody I know.”
She turns back to him, eyes crinkling in the corners. “Yes, I do.”
I get the sense that she’s about to start naming everyone he knows until her nose turns toward the kitchen and she starts sniffing. She walks away without a word, her nose turned up.
Her dad nudges me with a smirk and follows. When we walk into the kitchen, Dani is completely still, facing the spread of food laid out before her.
“A pancake breakfast was in order,” Julian says.
I hear her sniffle before she turns to us. “Oh, really? For what?”
