Chapter Twelve
T he next few weeks passed in a level of bliss Marigold wasn’t used to. She spent time with Lily, made plans for her new business expansion, did her job and always found time to make love with Buck while Lily was at school. And it was in those times, those stolen hours, that a part of herself began to grow again. A part that had been stunted, reviving itself in a way that she hadn’t imagined was possible.
She felt lighter. She felt more herself. In touch with all the parts of herself, not just the part that was Lily’s mom. Not just the part that was a businesswoman or a responsible citizen of Lone Rock. She was a woman. And in Buck’s arms, she felt like one. Really. Truly. Wonderfully.
And when Lily came home saying they needed chaperones for the fall festival dance, Marigold felt honored. That her daughter wasn’t embarrassed by her and actually wanted her to attend a school function. That felt amazing. Really and truly wonderful.
So she agreed. And the next day, when she was lying in bed with Buck, she found out that Colton had asked him to chaperone as well. Which meant they were the two primary chaperones of the fall festival dance.
“That’s hilarious,” he said, laying his head back against the pillow, naked and proud and glorious.
“Why?”
“Because it’s so public, while we’re sneaking around. We are not complying with the rules.”
“We are also not teenagers,” she said, swatting him on his broad chest. He really had the best chest. Hairy and muscular and yum.
“Right, right. Can’t wait to stand there next to you, trying to be good and proper.”
The idea sent a thrill through her.
“Yes. And we will be.”
“Maybe I should bring you a corsage.”
He rolled over so he was above her, and she arched up and bit his lower lip. “Maybe you should.”
So when he did, she shouldn’t have been surprised. They drove separately and met outside the school gym. He was dressed in a suit, and the sight made her heart drop into her feet. She was in a sparkly dress that went down to her knees, trying to look fancy, but not like she was trying to look young. Even though she was.
“Your corsage, madam.”
“You’re ridiculous,” she said.
“Am I? Or am I romantic?”
She wasn’t supposed to want him to be romantic. But it made her heart sing. It made everything inside of her lift.
She really did kind of want the romance.
And she didn’t know what to do about that.
They walked into the gym together, and she had the corsage firmly on her wrist. Bright pink roses and baby’s breath. She tried to imagine him actually going into a flower store and buying this, but he must’ve done it.
Colton had brought one for Lily. And she was almost entirely certain that Buck had insisted. She wasn’t really sure if kids gave each other that kind of thing these days generally. But clearly Buck thought it was important.
“Wow,” she said, surveying the scene that could best be described as teen hormones crashing into teen emotions. In other words, a lot of a lot.
“I don’t miss being a teenager,” he said.
Which was somewhat ironic, all things considered.
“Yeah. Not really.”
“Even Marcus has a date,” he said.
“He does?”
“Yeah. He was excited about it.”
“That’s cute.”
“Sure. Cute. Terrifying. What was I thinking getting into kids at this level? Having to worry about sex and pregnancy and all that kind of stuff.”
She barked a laugh. “I don’t actually know. You’re an idiot. Or a glutton for punishment.”
“Do we have to worry about Colton and Lily sneaking off tonight?”
“No,” she said. “She’s actually meeting up with a group of her girlfriends afterward, and I have confirmed this with their mothers. Because obviously I’m well acquainted with subterfuge. It’s one thing to say you have plans, but I require proof. Also, I can track her cell phone. It is so much harder to be a kid these days.”
“Damn,” he said. “What a nightmare. Your parents can actually verify where you are?”
“Yes. I mean, you could leave your phone at a different location, but they won’t do that.”
“No,” he said, chuckling. “They won’t. Imagine being that connected all the time. What’s the fun in that? We used to get to run absolutely feral.”
“Yeah. Look where that got both of us.”
He lifted a shoulder. “Yeah. Fair.” He cleared his throat. “My brother said the other day that you can’t do too much second-guessing of your decisions. I mean, not when the decisions lead you to good places. I regret that I left home. But I don’t regret adopting the boys.”
She nodded. “Yeah. I get that. I regret my behavior after my brother’s death. I don’t regret Lily. And that’s always a really tricky thing as a parent. To try to make it very clear to her that I want her to have different...different paths available to her than I did, but to also make it very clear that I don’t regret being her mother.”
“I don’t envy you that.”
“She’s a good kid. I just have to be thankful for that every day. This has actually been...probably the most difficult part of our relationship. Because she’s trying to be a grown-up, and I don’t want her to be. And at the same time... I’m trying to be a grown-up.”
“Yeah. Well. Do you regret that you...have to do this? Be a parent?” He looked at her, his eyes intense.
She shook her head. “Of course I don’t. I’m happy.”
“Me too.”
They spent a portion of the evening guarding the punch bowl and dealing with some mild bullying and a little bit of drama around two girls who came in the same dress. But otherwise, it was a pretty quiet evening. It was strange to be in the gym of the old school. She had been a different person back then. So had he.
And they had never been in it together. But here they were now.
The DJ onstage announced it was time to play some oldies, and she died inside when the first song was one that had been popular when she was in middle school.
“Did you hear that?” she asked. “We’re oldies.”
“Well, I’m offended,” he said. “But I have always liked the song.”
“It’s a good song,” she said, as the sweet vocals filtered through the gym. There was nothing to dislike about Sixpence None the Richer, and this one had been popular at school dances back then for a reason. The demand to be kissed was of course inside half the kids in this gym. Now and then.
A universal need.
“I think we should dance,” he said. “All the better to supervise these kids.”
“Really?”
“Yes,” he said. “Really.”
He held his hand out, and...she didn’t have the strength to say no. Because she wanted to touch him. She wanted to be held by him. She wanted him.
He pulled her up against his body, and she felt herself melt. They moved in time to the music, their eyes locked together, and she could no longer deny that she wanted romance. Or, maybe she didn’t want it. But they were having it. It was happening. This wasn’t friends with benefits. It was something more. And she wasn’t sure if she had the strength to turn away from that. Because it was so beautiful.
He twirled her and brought her back to him, holding her like she was precious.
And all the years that she had spent feeling like someone who was on probation—like someone who didn’t deserve everything, like someone who had damaged herself, and her life, with her choices—melted away. Because he didn’t look at her like she was a consolation prize. Like he cared for her, but it was a shame she had been such a slut when she was a teenager. Like she was great, but it was a shame she came with her daughter.
Never. Not once.
He looked at her like she was precious. And it made her heart just about burst.
“Marigold,” he whispered, against her ear. “I think this might be a date.”
She pulled back just slightly and met his gaze. “Yes. I think it is.”