Chapter 17 #2
I nod, taking it all in. “It’s kind of surreal,” I admit. “I think a lot of out-of-towners came, too. Which is great for the hospital fundraiser.”
Hazel hums in agreement. “Genevieve’s food is next level.”
I nod. “She’s amazing. I know she has chefs, but when she makes something herself? It’s magic.”
I grin but check the time, sighing. “I gotta go. Face painting duty.”
“Lucky you.”
“Yeah, lucky me,” I deadpan. “Hopefully, they don’t ask for anything too hard. My skills are… limited.”
“Just stick to snowflakes and reindeers. You’ll be fine.”
I stand. “Keep an eye on Mom for me, okay?”
“Relax. Luna’s got her.”
“I know.” I give her a grateful look. “Just still… watch her.”
“Will do,” she promises.
With that, I head toward the face painting stall.
I’m cleaning my brush, waiting for the next person, when I catch the familiar scent before I even look up.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Adrian smirks as he leans down slightly. “What can you do for me?”
“What do you want? A full Santa beard? A little reindeer nose?” I smile back.
“Actually,” he says, voice laced with amusement, “I was thinking Spiderman.”
“You’re joking, right?” I deadpan.
“Not at all.”
I squint. “You want me to paint you as Spiderman?”
He shrugs. “What can I say? Childhood dream. Today feels like the day.”
I let out a laugh. “Dr. Whisperer will have a field day with this.”
“Good. Let them.” He flashes me a warm smile.
“Alright then.” I dip my brush into the paint.
As I lean forward, he closes his eyes, and for a second, I just study his face.
Long, sloped nose, thin lips, chiseled jaw, a hint of stubble, thick dark lashes resting against his cheeks, strong eyebrows.
His skin is smooth, and I’m so close, I can hear his breathing, feel it even.
My heart thuds hard in my chest, my hand trembling slightly as I move.
One of my hands finds its way into his hair, tilting his head just slightly, and God help me, his hair is soft. This is doing something to my body. It’s suddenly so hard to concentrate.
Just as I finish the first stroke, a small voice pipes up. “Cool. Is that Spiderman?”
Adrian cracks an eye open. “Does it look like Spiderman?”
My little brother, Felix, beams at him. “Yeah. Can I be Spiderman too?”
“Are you sure? What about Batman?”
“No, Spiderman.” He crosses his arms.
“Alright, you’ll have to wait your turn.”
He surprises me by standing right beside Adrian, like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Adrian stiffens slightly, eyes going wide in shock, but he doesn’t push him away. I watch him closely, expecting some discomfort, but instead, he just lets out a breath and adjusts to Felix’s closeness.
I go back to work, my fingers finding their way back to his face, tilting him slightly again to finish the details. His eyes flutter shut, and I swear I see his jaw tic, like he’s struggling with something.
God, he’s handsome. I just want to tip his chin up and kiss him.
Thankfully, I finish before that thought can fully take over. Felix bounces on his toes. “My turn, my turn.”
Adrian rises to his full height. “So? How do I look?”
I tip my head back, examining my work. “Very heroic.”
He grins, hands me a lot of cash for donations, and before walking away, murmurs, “Thanks, Trouble.”
My body tingles, and I have to bite back a smile as I watch him go.
I move on to painting Felix’s face. “Are you behaving here?”
“Yes.”
“What about your brothers and sisters?”
“Yes.”
“Are you just saying yes?”
He giggles. “Yes.”
I shake my head with a smile. The thing that surprises me more is how comfortable he was with Adrian. I know Adrian would have some experience with kids, but I didn’t expect him to be so at ease with Felix. But he was. And that? That makes me… happy.
By four o’clock, the day is winding down. The auction baskets are sold, and the mayor stands up to talk. Thanking Adrian and me for the successful fundraiser.
I listen to the applause, wanting to hold on to this moment forever.
Adrian comes to stand beside me, our elbows brushing, his warmth close but untouchable. My fingers twitch with the urge to reach for him, but I know better. So, I keep my hands to myself.
After the speech, everyone starts packing up.
The rental company is coming for the tables and chairs, but the smaller things need to be put away.
Luckily, most of the items were bought and taken home, which makes cleanup easier.
I’m so thankful for a town that not only shows up to help with these events but also participates in supporting our own.
As we walk around picking up trash, I shake my head at him. “I can’t believe you let me paint Spiderman on you or that you wore it all day.”
“Hey, today was supposed to be about fun.” He slips his arm around me briefly before letting go.
“It was, wasn’t it? It turned out really well.”
“You’re just jealous because you didn’t get something painted on your face.”
I giggle. “Totally. That’s it.”
“I could fix that for you.”
I narrow my eyes. “Not a chance. It’d be a disaster.”
“Nah, I think I’d do alright.” He winks. “I do have steady surgeon hands, after all.”
I shove him lightly. “You just want to make a mess on my face.”
He gives me a devilish grin. “I’d only mess you up a little.”
I laugh, but the swell in my chest is unmistakable.
We both reach for the same piece of trash at the same time. Our hands touch. Neither of us moves for a second. My heart stutters as our eyes meet. I pull back first, but Adrian picks up the piece of trash, his fingers trailing mine just slightly before he lets go. I swallow hard.
“You hungry?” he asks casually. “The food truck’s still there if you want some.”
“You know what? I might take you up on that. As soon as I get home, I’m gonna crash.”
“Same. As great as today was, it’s wiped me out.”
We sit down, too tired to talk much. “I don’t even want to check the final fundraising numbers. I’m scared we’ll come up short. But if we don’t raise enough for the CT scanner, I’m thinking I’ll find a donor to raise more money.”
Adrian nudges my foot under the table. “We’ll be fine. And hey, if there happens to be an extra bit of money needed...”
I gasp dramatically. “Are you suggesting we fib the system?”
“Would I do such a thing?” A slight smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth.
I laugh.
His expression softens. “Just having decent medical equipment could save lives, you know.”
“It’s important to you, isn’t it?”
He nods but doesn’t say anything.
I can see it in his eyes. Something personal that’s driving this need. I want to push to ask what makes him care so much, but the vulnerable look on his face stops me.
“Tomorrow,” I say, my pulse picking up. “Do you want to meet at Pulse Point?”
“At our spot?”
“Say ten?”
He grins. “Sounds good. But I was thinking… maybe I should keep this Spiderman look.”
“Don’t you dare.”
He chuckles. “Alright, alright.”
He walks me to my car, staying just long enough for the moment to stretch between us. Then he waves goodbye, and I watch him go, something giddy swirling in my stomach.
I don’t know when my family left because I was too busy all day, but I can’t wait to see the article that my colleagues write up about the festival tomorrow. Because today was a huge success.