CHAPTER TWENTY FALLON
C HAPTER T WENTY
FALLON
Jaz: How was last night?
Fallon: Amazing.
Jaz: Amazing, huh, I didn’t think Julia had it in him to deliver an amazing date. I thought he’d be at least slightly nervous.
Fallon: Not even a little. He was funny, sweet, considerate.
He fed me, made us a little hut to lie in and look up at the stars—he said it could be like Sully and Grandma Joan’s bench.
And at the end of the night, we kissed. Jaz, it was the best kiss of my entire life.
I know this is insane, but that one kiss made me believe that he could very well be the one.
Jaz: I feel as though I should respond with something along the lines of “YOU BARELY KNOW EACH OTHER” but since I know how strong your connection is when you’re together, I could see it.
Fallon: Really?
Jaz: Easily.
Fallon: I wasn’t expecting that at all.
Jaz: Never expect anything when it comes to me. So, only a kiss last night?
Fallon: Yes, but I intend on making sure that changes soon.
Jaz: Oh, Julia better watch out, you’re coming for his dripping balls.
“Jaz, look!” I gasp, pointing toward the computer screen.
She lifts her head from her phone, where she’s been playing Candy Crush for the last hour, and stares at the screen. “What am I looking at?”
“The reservation queue. It’s almost entirely full for opening weekend.”
“Wait... really?” She leans in closer to get a better look. “Holy shit, it is.” She lovingly swats at me. “Fallon, look at that, look at what you did. You turned this around.”
I shake my head, so dizzy from relief that I almost fall out of my chair. “No way, this wasn’t all me. This was a culmination of the community bringing Sully’s vision to life. And so much help from Sawyer. So much help.”
“With you as the driving force behind it. People follow those with passion. All you had to do was lead.” Jaz leans over and hugs me just as the back door opens and Sawyer walks in, carrying a bag and looking crazy good in a pair of jeans and a tight-fitting black T-shirt.
He pauses. “Am I interrupting something?”
“The Cove is nearly booked up for opening weekend!” I exclaim, unable to hold back my glee.
“Wow, Fallon.” He sets his bag down and hurries around the counter to pull me into a hug. “That’s amazing. Congratulations. How do you feel?”
“Excited. Emotional. Relieved. Stressed. You know, just your typical set of emotions.” I release him and take a step back, body thrumming with energy.
“She was just telling me how she couldn’t have done it without you,” Jaz says. “If you ask me, seems like my girl’s smitten with you.”
“Is that so?” Sawyer asks, smiling down at me. “If she’s smitten from getting some help, then she should be smitten with you too, Jazlyn .”
Jaz sits a little taller. “You know what, you’re right.” She reaches into her shorts pocket and pulls out some lip balm. She lines her lips and then puckers them in my direction. “Go ahead, I shall take my payment.”
“Your payment is my friendship,” I deadpan.
“Wow, seems like I’m getting the short end of the stick on that,” she mumbles.
Sawyer gives me another squeeze and goes back to his bag on the other side of the counter. “I’m really happy for you, but... I have something I can’t hold in anymore. I got you something.” He places the bag in front of me.
“Oooh, presents,” Jaz says. She nudges me with her foot. “This is important, pay attention. First, gifts always matter. If he got you something dumb, I say get out now while you still can.”
Sawyer shoots her a stern look. “It’s not dumb.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
He rolls his eyes but turns his attention back to me as he reaches into his bag and pulls out a box. But not just any box...
“You got me a rock tumbler?” I gape at him.
He grins. “I did. And...” He reaches down and pulls a bag of rocks from his bag and sets it on the counter.
“Rocks. But that’s not all—I got this as well.
” He sets a felt board with letters on the counter as well.
“A sign, so you can sell your rocks here in the lobby once they’ve been tumbled.
I also have a few store names written down that might be slightly more exciting than Fallon’s Rocks. ”
He got me rocks. Oh my God.
He got me... rocks.
When he told me to get ready to be romanced, I didn’t know it was going to be like this.
So thoughtful.
I don’t think I’ve ever met someone like him, someone who can read me so easily and truly pick out the things that matter the most.
He’s... he’s so swoon worthy.
Jaz picks at the bag. “So you got her rocks, huh?”
Leave it to Jaz to squash the magic right out of a moment.
“There’s a story—” Sawyer starts, but Jaz stops him.
“Oh, I know. Debra Lizowski is a real ho.” She examines the rock tumbler, inspecting every inch. Once she’s done, she turns to me. “We still have to hear the names he has to offer, but from just a quick overview, he’s a keeper.”
Wait... what?
For a second, I thought she was going to diminish this gift, cut it down, cut Sawyer down. Could it be that Sawyer is winning her over too?
“Does that mean we’re friends now?” Sawyer asks Jaz.
“Ha, yeah... no. We’ll be friends when I say we’re friends. You’re currently on a probation period—don’t mess up, and your dreams might come true. Now, delight us with some names.”
Seemingly resigned to that answer, Sawyer pulls his phone from his pocket and looks up at us. “These are my top three. I worked pretty hard on them.” He clears his throat, and I find it far too adorable. “Option one is Rocks? Of Quartz.” Smiling widely, he glances up at us.
I hold in my snort.
“Pass,” Jaz says, catching him off guard.
“Yeah, that was my least favorite. But I think you might really like this one.” He takes a deep breath. “Pass the Basalt.”
Oooof, that one’s rough.
“Oh, Sawyer.” Jaz shakes her head. “This is getting embarrassing.”
“Basalt is a type of rock,” he says, looking between us.
“I understand the lame attempt at a pun,” Jaz says, holding her hand up. “If those hit the top two, I’m afraid to ask what your third is.”
Looking unsure now, he shifts on his feet and rubs his palm against his pant leg. “Well, the last is my favorite.”
“This should be good,” Jaz mutters sarcastically to me.
I’m hoping he saved a really good one for last.
Sawyer glances in my direction, and with the most enchanting smile, he says, “Coal as a Cucumber.”
I wince, prepared for what’s to come next...
“ That’s your best effort? Coal as a cucumber?” Jaz flits her hand in his direction. “And you call yourself a writer. Pathetic.”
Even though coming up with names is the cutest thing and this entire gift is so sweet, I hate to admit it, but his store names weren’t super great. The gift is overwhelmingly adorable, but I kind of expected better names from him.
“They aren’t too terrible,” I say, trying to be kind.
“Not too terrible?” Sawyer stuffs his phone in his pocket as his shoulders droop in disappointment. “How about this... Fallon’s Rocks.”
Oh, Sawyer. I adore him so much.
“Now that has a nice ring to it,” Jaz says. She slaps the counter and walks toward the front door. “Consider those rocks sold.” And as she exits, she throws the peace sign in the air, and the door swings shut behind her.
When she’s gone, I walk around the counter and right into Sawyer’s arms. “Thank you,” I murmur into his chest. “This was the sweetest gift ever.”
“You don’t think I’m pathetic?” His voice is laced with humor, so I know Jaz had zero effect on him. A good sign because 80 percent of the stuff that comes out of her mouth is nonsense anyway.
“No. I think you’re more than I deserve.”
“Not true,” he says, tilting my head back and then placing a soft kiss on my lips.
“Thank you,” I say again when we part. “This was absolutely the most thoughtful thing I’ve received. Now I just need to start tumbling.”
“You’re welcome.” He winks and pulls away. “Okay, I have to get some work done or my agent might kill me.”
“Can’t have you dead.”
“I’ll catch you later. Congratulations again on the reservations, Fallon. I know Sully has to be proud—Grandma Joan too.” He gives me one last kiss and then takes off, and like the crush-struck girl that I am, I watch him walk away while letting out a deep sigh.
“These seats are uncomfortable,” Sully says, shifting on one of many plastic fold-out chairs lined up in the park.
“They’re not bad, Sully,” I say as I glance around, looking for Sawyer. He told us he was going to meet us here, and the play is about to start.
“Who’s even in this thing?” Sully asks, flipping through a program that I know he can’t read—he’s lost that ability.
It makes me sad because he really enjoyed reading.
I can’t remember a time when I’d visit him and Grandma Joan and not see him sitting in his chair with some sort of mystery or thriller.
“Roy’s in it. He plays Edna.”
“Edna?” Sully says loudly. “Isn’t that a lady’s name?”
“It is,” I answer quietly. “But that’s the usual casting in Hairspray . A man plays the mom’s role.”
Sully scoffs. “Men can’t just let women have the spotlight, can they?”
“I think it’s supposed to be funny.”
“There’s nothing funny about a man stealing a woman’s role. Roy’s going to get an earful from me about this.”
Oh boy. I make a mental note to warn Roy before Sully gets ahold of him.
“Hey,” Sawyer says, coming up to us. “Sorry I’m a bit late.” He takes a seat next to me and leans in to place a kiss on my cheek. “Sully, I brought you this.” He hands him a chair cushion.
Sully stares at the cushion and then eyes Sawyer. “Who the hell are you?”
I wince. “It’s been one of those days,” I whisper.
“Not a problem at all.” Speaking directly to Sully, he says, “I’m Sawyer. I’m dating your granddaughter. I wanted to make sure you were comfortable, so I brought you a cushion. It’s okay if you don’t want to use it.”