16. Delaney
DELANEY
“Holy shit, that was amazing.”
The rollercoaster I just stepped off roars to life again behind me, bringing another wave of screaming passengers careening and twisting against the backdrop of the Tennessee mountains.
Abby laughs as her best friend, Cass, and I struggle to catch our breath.
“I’m getting in line to go again, y’all coming?”
The energy this girl has. We’ve been going nonstop since the theme park opened. The choir performed midmorning, and since then they’ve had the run of the park. I can’t believe I spent my whole childhood just a few hours down the road but never visited Dollywood.
Unsurprisingly, my parents weren’t theme park people. Also unsurprising, Connor’s family had season passes.
“Girls, I’m beat. I gotta find some food and sit for a while.”
I thought tour life was exhausting. Trying to keep up with teenagers all day is next level.
The girls wave and scamper off to get in line for another round while I, legs still shaking from the thrill ride, turn to look for a snack. I tug my ball cap back on, my attempt at keeping a low profile around the park.
Thanks to the casual clothes Caroline let me borrow, and the undercover security detail that’s been tailing me all day, I’ve been mostly unbothered.
A herd of our boys come crashing around the corner, Connor with them. I watch them for a moment, unseen. He’s laughing at one of the guys, and it strikes me just how good he is at this.
Teaching abilities aside, he’s a natural with the students. Not too overbearing, but also not too carefree. He’s got the right personality to help the students feel valued, supported, and brave enough to chase their dreams. The kind of teacher every kid deserves.
I wonder if he knows how impactful his work is.
I’m a glorified puppet at this point. They don’t let me sing any of my own music. I don’t pick out my own brand deals. I certainly don’t choreograph any of my shows. Hell, this week is the first time in God knows how long that I’ve picked out my own outfits. And even those are borrowed.
It’s a stark contrast. Connor is so sure of himself and his work. But me? I’m floundering to keep up with the charade in pursuit of a career I’m not sure I even love anymore. I try not to let those thoughts sour my mood as the boys spot me and head my way.
Connor’s smile, the big, easy one he gives away so freely, helps chase some of my demons away.
“There’s my girl!” He pulls me in tight for a hug. “We’re about to hop in line for Lightning Rod, wanna join us?”
“No, no. I just got off of that one and still haven’t recovered. I think I’m done with rides for the day. I’m on the hunt for food now.”
Connor perks up at that.
“Oh, I could go for a snack.”
The boys all snicker.
“You’re down so bad for her, Majors!” Sanjay shouts.
Connor responds with an over-the-top glare that does nothing to temper the boy’s laughter.
“God forbid I want to spend time with my girlfriend, Sanjay. At least I have one.”
The boys hoot and holler and half-tackle, half-drag Sanjay towards the rollercoaster.
“And it’s Mister Majors to you!” Connor shouts after them, voice thick with humor.
When he turns back to face me, he’s all smiles.
“I fuckin’ love giving them a hard time. What kind of snack are you thinking?”
His arm around my shoulder, he draws lazy circles on my bare skin, waiting for my answer.
My stomach dips from his touch like I’m still on the damn roller coaster. Last night, in our teeny tiny shared futon, I woke up twice fully spooning Connor. To his credit, and maybe to my disappointment, Connor did not reciprocate. But my traitorous body can’t seem to stay away.
Shaking out and away from his embrace for the sake of my sanity, I answer.
“Uh, I don’t know, I read something about cinnamon bread here?”
“Oh my God, yeah!”
Connor bounces on the balls of his feet, his face lighting up with excitement like a kid on Christmas. “You haven’t tried it yet?”
Without waiting for my answer, he threads his fingers in mine and guides me down a meandering sidewalk.
The park is a far cry from the ramshackle rural attraction I’d imagined in my head.
It’s well-kept, packed with rides, and beautiful with the early fall foliage.
I make a mental note to talk to my team about scheduling a performance here.
“Prepare to have your life changed,” Connor says, all serious, as we step into the line at the bakery. “I’ve been eating this shit since we were kids, and it still holds up. You’re gonna love it.”
Vanilla and cinnamon mix in the air in the most intoxicating way. The bakery is just as picturesque as the rest of the park, and for a moment, I’m transported to a simpler world that revolves around delicious baked goods and nothing else.
“Delaney James, over here!” The familiar click of a camera’s shutter instantly kills the quaint, cozy vibes.
So much for spending the day undercover.
A small media team greets me as we round the corner to the bakery counter, and a man with one of those absurdly tiny microphones steps into my space. Connor tugs me closer to his side and against my better judgement, the protective gesture makes my heart soar.
“Hi, I’m Chester with CelebsRUs. When I heard the one and only Delaney James was spending the day at Dollywood, I knew I had to track you down! Are you ready for a game of Rapid Reactions?”
I’m not.
What I am ready for is to sit in the corner of this cute-ass bakery and eat a ridiculously large, overly sweet piece of bread.
But what I want isn’t a factor in this equation.
“Of course,” I reply, turning on the charm as I lean in to speak directly into the ridiculous mini mic. “I love watching your show online.”
Lies on lies, but I’ll say anything to get this over with. No doubt this popular celebrity gossip site was sent here by my dad, and the last thing I need is for word to get back to him that I was difficult.
“Okay then, you know the drill; Rapid Reactions is all about your gut instinct. Don’t overthink the questions. We want real, raw, Delaney.”
Chesters flashes a smile that is probably meant to be reassuring, but it comes across as creepy. Connor must think so too because his grip on me tightens.
“First question. An easy one to start. What’s been your favorite ride here today?”
“Blazing Fury. It’s campy and a little unhinged.” An honest answer. That ride is ridiculous.
“Best part of being back in your hometown?”
“Working with Connor.”
I surprise myself with another honest answer and steal a sideways glance his way. He’s grinning from ear to ear. Don’t get me wrong, this whole gig is still ridiculous, but spending time with Connor again has been an unexpected upside.
“Have you always been in love with him or is this a new development?”
I falter, because somehow always, never, continuously, and all at once could all be the right answer. But there’s no time for soul-searching, not when Chester nudges the microphone closer to me.
“Uhh, I mean…” I pause, still trying to land on the right combination of words. “Connor and me, we’ve…”
Connor steps forward and turns the attention to himself.
“Always, right, Lanie Lou? We’ve been in love since we were kids.”
He squeezes my side and beams down at me, eyes full of sincerity. And for the second time in twenty-four hours, his words fan a flame I didn’t know I carried.
“Childhood sweethearts reunited. So romantic. I love it. Okay, last question. If you were ice cream, what flavor would you be?”
I laugh, caught completely off guard by the whiplash of such a silly question.
“She’d be Rocky Road.”
Connor answers for me again.
“Because it wasn’t an easy path, but she finally made her way back to me.” He lands a kiss to the top of my head and adds, “Plus, you never quite know what you’re gonna get with this one.”
Chester eats it up, and so does his team. The camera clicks rapidly as we pose with the bakery case. Connor angles us to get the perfect shot before signaling to Chester that we’re done and guiding me over to a quiet corner booth so we can finally eat our cinnamon bread.
“Connor, what the fuck?” I say with a laugh. “‘She’d be Rocky Road?’ That was so smooth. How’d you pull that out of your ass so fast?”
Connor winks and leans back in his chair. “Told you I am good actor, Lanie.”
All I can do is shake my head.
“Lemme try this crazy thing,” I say, gesturing to the giant loaf of bread on our table. It smells incredible. And, just as expected, it tastes amazing.
“Fuck yeah, you’re right.” I nod, talking around the huge piece in my mouth. “My life has been changed.”
I dive in for another bite. It’s so unassuming, yet so delectable. Everything you’d want in a little treat.
Connor shrugs, a sly smile on his face. “What can I say, I know what my girl likes.”
My stomach takes a dive at his words. My girl. You’ve got to be kidding me. He says it like it’s a tender, honest thing, like there’s a world in which I really am his.
“You know,” I start, unable to stop myself from opening this can of worms, “I’ve never seriously dated anyone.”
Connor blinks at me with wide eyes, his mouth still full of cinnamon bread.
“What about that football guy a few years ago? Mason? Morgan? You two were all over everything all the time.”
“Firstly,” I say, pointing my fork at him, “you know that his name was Maddox. Secondly, this isn’t my first fake dating rodeo. Or second.”
I stuff another bite in my mouth before Connor can ask more questions.
He scrubs a hand over his face like I’ve really blown his mind.
“Damn. You fooled me. All the pictures and interviews. It seemed like the real deal.”
His eyes narrow a little and he leans across the table.
“Did y’all hook up?”
Fucking typical. That effectively squashes any remaining butterflies that he’d managed to stir up. I tip my chin up so I can look down my nose at him.
“Why would you ask that? Are you hoping you’ll get the same benefits?”
Connor rears back like I’ve slapped him.
“No, Lanie. No. And I’d never put it so cheaply.”
“Put what so cheaply?” I ask.
Connor’s eyes darken, and his reply is low and gravely.
“A chance with you isn’t a benefit, some bonus on the side. If you were mine, really mine, it would be a fucking honor. We wouldn’t be hooking up, Lanie.”
His words send a shiver down my spine. I can barely whisper out a reply.
“What would we be doing?”
He doesn’t waver, doesn’t break eye contact.
“We’d be in love.”
My heart skips a beat as my jaw pops open. That’s the most shocking combination of words I’ve ever heard. Then I gulp down anything, and everything, he could possibly mean by that and reply with a laugh.
“That’d be crazy right? Us together. For real?”
He holds my gaze for a beat too long. Then blinks and that wide, easy grin returns to his face.
“Yeah, Delaney. So crazy.”