“Why do you say that?” I ask.
“Because of the whole ‘find a fiancée’ thing. I might be wrong, but I’d assume someone who was serious about marriage would want to find the person they want to spend the rest of their life with and marry them.”
“Who’s to say I’m not doing that right now?” I ask, causing her cheeks to flush.
“Wow, the wine is really getting to your head,” she says, brushing off my comment, so I go with it and hold up our hands that are still connected.
“I could say the same about you. You’re still holding my hand.”
“I don’t want you to get lost,” she says. “You’re a flight risk and I don’t want to hear it from Aunt Kitty that I allowed you to get lost while drunk on homemade wine.”
“Homemade wine?” I raise my brow.
“Yeah, that was Aunt Kitty’s homemade wine.”
“Wait, you knew that all along and didn’t say anything? You blamed me for the lights and the music and the strawberries.”
She smirks. “Thought it was more fun that way.”
“You know, just when I think you’re innocent, you go and do something like that.”
“I’d never classify myself as innocent, so you shouldn’t either.”
“I like the sound of that,” I say, my eyes narrowing in on her, only for her to push at my face with her free hand.
“Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” I chuckle.
“Like you’re about to devour me.”
“What if I am?”
“You’re not, because we have rules.”
“Rules are made to be broken, Gossy, and we’ve been breaking them all night.”
“I blame the wine.”
“Yeah, and I blame the company,” I say as we cross the street together and then head toward her street. Well, I guessourstreet.
“Typical man. Can’t take accountability seriously.”
“No, I can. I do. I’m different around you, because there’s something in that scowl of yours that really gets my motor revving.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“Well aware.” I wink, causing her to roll her eyes, but also, there’s a slight smile on her face, so I know she enjoyed it.
We spend the next few minutes walking together in silence, allowing the sounds of the night to take over.
The crickets.
The cicadas.
The waves lightly splashing in the distance while the humidity drifts away, making room for a cooler evening.
“I can see why people want to live here or visit…The nights are beautiful,” I say. “I love sitting outside in the evening, just listening.”
