The once-tight smile turns smug, and he blinks a few times. “The bottle is one hundred and seventy-five dollars, sir.”
Riley slowly turns her attention to me, mouth still wide open, and a horrified look on her face. The most I can do is nod, and I can’t stop.
Then I look at Leland. “Can you give us a moment to decide?”
He gives me a curt nod before turning on his heel and walks away with his chin held high.
I turn to Riley who still has knitted eyebrows and a look of concern. “Still in the mood for hot dogs?”
After almost having a heart attack,we left a generous tip for Leland. It wasn’t five hundred dollars generous, but it was enough to say,sorry for wasting your time.Now, we’re enjoying our hot dogs and a greasy bag of fries while we sit on a bench located on the small pier that the town has to offer.
The weather is on our side tonight. A calming sixty degrees with no wind and a cotton candy sunset on the horizon. Flocks of seagulls sing in the sky, while one pesky one tries to convince Riley to share a fry.
Below us is a bed of white, soft sand that stretches from side to side. Water ripples against the sturdy, wooden stands. We’ve both opted for jeans and a sweater for tonight.
“Thank god I got two hot dogs.” Riley pulls her second one out from the other bag that isn’t filled with fries. “I only ate breakfast and a light lunch to prepare myself for whatever dinner you had planned.”
After swallowing the bite of my hot dog, I look at her. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” she says with a mouthful. I may be the only person who finds her cheeks stuffed with food, cute.
“The dinner I couldn’t afford. I would have happily used my credit card if it came down to it. I don’t know.” I look down at my half-eaten hot dog and pick at the bread. “I guess I wanted to impress you.”
“Impress me? You don’t need to impress me, August.”
“I know I don’t need to, but I wanted to.”
“Why?”
I don’t tell her that’s a silly question to ask because she knows why. She’s just afraid to admit that she knows, and I don’t blame her. We both have these feelings that we’reafraid to act on. We still haven’t talked about our kiss and what it meant. Maybe this is the opportunity to do that.
“Can we talk about the kiss?” A rush of heat creeps up my neck, and my heart picks up speed. I don’t know what the answer will be. Part of me is expecting disappointment, and the other is hopeful.
I can practically hear Riley gulping down the last bite of her hot dog; she wasn’t expecting that question. She takes a large sip of her soda through her straw and keeps her eyes on the water.
“Don’t blame the alcohol.” I nudge my elbow gently into her arm jokingly.
She rolls her eyes. “I’m not.” Then she shrugs. “I don’t know. That moment in the elevator with us—I felt safe with you after everything that happened. It reminded me of the times that I knew I could go to you if I was dealing with something and didn’t know who to turn to. You were my rock. I knew I could count on you. Even at that moment.”
Before my mind can think about what I’m doing, I grab her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over her smooth skin. She holds on tight.
“I’ll always be there for you, Riley. Even if you do act like a smart-ass sometimes.”
She rubs a hand on her jeans, peering down at the plank wood, then at me. “I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you as much when it comes to your dad. I don’t know how to treat the situation. The last thing I want to do is make you upset by talking about something that’s made your world crumble around you.”
“Would you hate it if I said you’re the only person I want to run to because of this?”
Riley looks at me for a beat, and the corner of her liptwitches. The same lips I’ve dreamt about kissing repeatedly.
“This might sound silly,” she says. “But I was kind of swept away by the kiss. It was—nice.”
“Nice?That’s all it was? Not incredible or amazing or mouthwatering delicious?”
“Mouthwatering?” She grimaces and laughs. “That sounds gross.”
“Okay, fine. That wasn’t the right word to use. I guess I’ll take the compliment because at the end of the day, you didn’t find it gross.”
This moment between us is something I never want to stop. I want this every day if I can have it. It feels like we might be able to.
