Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Tripp
Ilook like a tool.
Why I let Landen talk me into this, I’ll never know, but I was desperate for any opportunity to ask Magnolia out. At the time, I didn’t consider I’d have to dress up.
And now I’m standing in front of her door dressed in a light and dark green dinosaur onesie.
When my mom and Gramma Grace found out I was taking over the Halloween party for Landen, they were hell-bent on my costume being kid-friendly.
Considering the short notice, the stores in town had extremely limited options.
It was this or a pink and orange Trolls costume. I picked the lesser of two evils.
When the door whips open, her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open.
“Don’t even say it…” I warn her before she can get a word out.
The bubble of laughter that escapes her is iconic even for her. Full belly wheezing as she grips the doorframe and nearly falls over at my expense.
“Are you done yet?” I cross my arms, fighting back a smile because her laugh is contagious.
Tears stream down her cheeks, and now I know this was the worst idea of all time.
“Wh-what’re you wearin’?” She finally manages to speak between catching her breath.
“You’re lucky this isn’t a date because I’d leave your ass here.”
“Liar.” She steps forward and tugs on one of the dinosaur spikes. “You look adorable.”
“I’m twenty-five. I don’t wanna look adorable.”
“The kids are gonna love it,” she reassures me.
I finally take a moment to look at her outfit. Tight red dress with a slit and a garter around her thigh. Black heels that make her a few inches taller. Chunky gold bracelets and hoops in her ears to finish off the look.
Fuck, she looks sexy.
“Betty Boop?” I confirm.
“Good job, cowboy. I was gonna ask Noah to borrow some of her stuff, but I figured seein’ me in your sister’s clothes might be a boner killer.”
Chuckling, I nod. “Thanks for that.”
“You’re welcome. Oh, shit. You’re gonna need a new nickname now. Thor doesn’t quite suit your look anymore.” She pauses and steps back to analyze my humiliation. “Barney’s too old-school. I’m thinkin’ Pebbles.”
My face drops at the seriousness of her tone. “Pebbles?”
“Yeah, you have these little polka dots on your tummy that look like pebbles. Plus, it sounds like a sweet and gentle giant’s name.”
I groan as I contemplate ripping off the damn thing. “First you call me adorable, and now sweet and gentle? You’re fucking killin’ my ego here.”
“C’mon, Pebbles. We’re gonna be late!” She smiles wide and shuts the door behind her, then takes my hand when she leads us to my truck.
“Does this mean I get to give you a new nickname?” I ask when I shift into gear and then blurt out my next words before I chicken out. “Like Mine?”
Her brows shoot to her hairline. “You wanna call me yours?”
I nod once, then reach over and grab her hand. “I know this is new, but I don’t wanna do casual with you. I’m all in. I’ve made us wait long enough, don’t ya think?”
“My inner sixteen-year-old self is freakin’ the fuck out right now.”
Lifting our hands, I bring my lips to her knuckles and brush a kiss over them. “I am too. Trust me.” Then I place her palm flat across my chest so she can feel how hard my heart is pounding.
“You’re nervous?”
The shock in her voice causes a laugh to bubble out of me.
“Always when I’m around you, Sunny.”
“I think that’s sweet. Even though you have no reason to be. We’ve known each other a long ass time.”
“Exactly. Now I gotta find new ways to impress you and this dinosaur costume ain’t helpin’.”
She gasps dramatically. “I disagree. You just went from brooding cowboy to sexy dino. It’s gonna be impossible to keep my panties on all night.”
When her eyes drop to my groin, I quickly readjust myself and she giggles.
“Sunflower, that’s not funny. You can’t say shit like that, especially when I’m drivin’.” This erection is already getting out of hand and painful beneath my jeans I’m wearing under this ridiculous costume.
“I thought you had a new nickname for me?” Her tongue teases her bottom lip like a temptation I’m constantly craving. It’s hard to focus on driving when all I want to do is stare at how beautiful she looks.
“You’ll always be Sunflower and Sunny to me.”
“Is it true you don’t give them to anyone else?” she asks.
“Yeah, I liked the attention you gave me whenever you’d call me out for sayin’ them, so I kept doing it. But after you told me they were your favorites, I stuck to them because I thought they fit you best, too.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because they reflect your energy and the way you light up a room every time you walk in. Made me smile each time I thought of you. Like a warm, sunny day before the hurricane storms enter and cause destruction.”
She snorts. “You just had to add in the hurricane part.”
I laugh, but it’s true.
She’s sunshine mixed with a little hurricane.
Unpredictable but loyal.
Wild but steady.
The best kind of storm to curl up and fall asleep to.
“It was either that or a wildfire of suffocation.”
“Tripp Chattanooga.” She shakes her head as I crack a smile at the made-up middle name she’s given me. “You know how to make a girl swoon.”
I flash her a wink. “I decided it was finally time to tell you these things.”
She sighs, and the blush that covers her cheeks is almost too cute not to tease her about.
The Lodge parking lot is nearly full by the time we arrive.
The party doesn’t start for ten minutes, but kids from all over Sugarland Creek are coming.
The special events aren’t just for the guests.
They’re extended to the community, too. My parents, Gramma Grace, and Mallory are coming as well, so I already know it’s going to be chaotic.
Why limit my embarrassment to kids? Of course my family would be here.
I open Magnolia’s door, and instead of easing her to the ground, I pick her up behind the knees and carefully set her down. But not before appreciating her body molded against mine for those few seconds. Her dress is skintight, and there’s no way she can move in that thing.
“Always the gentleman,” she coos, adjusting herself once she’s on the sidewalk.
“Were you expectin’ anything less from a dinosaur?” I hold out my arm so she’ll take it. “Southern manners are ingrained into us from birth.”
She snickers, squeezing my bicep. “Tell that to your brothers.”
“Oh, they’re straight-up gremlins.”
Speaking of which, from the moment we enter, it’s chaos. Tiny kids in costumes are running around everywhere. They’re already high on sugar from trick or treating, and now they’re chasing each other.
“This is nuts…” Magnolia whispers next to me as we stare in shock at the pandemonium before us.
“Is it too late to run away and hide?” I murmur.
She nudges me. “C’mon, you can do this.”
More like I have no choice. The place is already set up with a DJ booth in one corner, a prize table in another, and lots of activities sprawled out in between.
The ceiling is dripping in fake spider webs and sparkly fairy lights.
Decorations litter every inch of the space.
It’s no wonder the Halloween stores were basically sold out. My mom bought them out.
“Tripp, finally!” Mom approaches with sparkles in her eyes. She holds out her arms and then wraps me in them. “The kids are so excited.”
“Hi, Ma. This is a bit more than I expected,” I tell her truthfully.
“Well, ya know. Once Gramma Grace and I got started, we couldn’t help ourselves. Plus, it makes the little ones happy!”
I grin at her enthusiasm. Mom was always in charge of the parties at school when we were younger and for good reason. She goes all out.
“Magnolia, sweetie.” My mom moves over to her and kisses her cheek. “Landen said you were comin’ to help. You look amazing!”
“Thank you, Mrs. Hollis. I’m glad to assist in any way I can.”
“Magnolia!” Mallory squeals, then grabs her arm and drags her away.
She’s in some kind of cheerleader uniform that looks way too short and tight for her age.
But I’m guessing that’s the whole point.
My parents raised all boys until Noah came along and even then, she was more of a tomboy than a girly girl all through school.
Mallory’s the complete opposite, and I think Mom is just happy to have a girl in the house who will wear dresses and bows in her hair without a fight.
When Mallory moved in with us, Noah and Magnolia took her under their wings. They have scheduled weekend sleepovers, and we’ve all taken part in giving her horseback riding lessons. Now at thirteen, she’s full of attitude and dark eyeliner.
“Well, let’s get started!” Mom leads the way as Dad grabs the microphone and announces the event is officially beginning. Squeals and screams echo throughout the room as they jump around.
The next two hours consist of me flailing in the middle of the makeshift dance floor, singing along to Kidz Bop songs with over a dozen children hanging on me.
I explain how to play each game, hand out prizes to the winners, and throw out candy like a pinata.
The parents sit and drink cocktails as they take photos and gush about how cute everything looks.
Mom and Gramma Grace made dozens of sweet treats: bars, cookies, and cake pops. All spooky-themed, of course. The punch is a mixture of soda flavors with orange sherbet ice cream floating around. If it wasn’t for the fear of getting into a diabetic coma, I’d be splurging right along with them.
Finally, we get to the final event of the evening—the costume contests.
Magnolia offered to judge earlier and now gets to make the announcements.
“Are y’all ready to hear the winners?” she asks, and they erupt in screams. “Okay, there’s gonna be three prizes for the most creative, most unique, and best-dressed costumes. Ready?”