Chapter 26
Chapter twenty-six
“Help me settle an argument,” Madeline says as she bounces a sleepy Wren on her hip.
“When your husband plays professional football, you’re only allowed to wear his team jersey for the rest of your life, or,” she pauses to roll her eyes at Jacob, “it’s okay to occasionally wear your dad’s team’s jersey since your husband’s team is not even playing in the game you’re watching. ”
“I think if said husband is not playing, you can wear a jersey to support the team that is playing,” Chelsea answers as she licks around the sides of her toffee ice cream, completely immune to the death stare our brother-in-law is sending her way.
We’re wandering around the Autumn Days Festival, the sun is just starting to go down, making the lights strung up over the picnic tables glow.
Thistle Theory donated a whole bunch of floral displays for an interactive walk-through.
We just said goodbye to Mum, who’s helping man a plant stall at the other end of the event grounds, and now we’re walking along the row of food trucks.
My sisters have already eaten, but I got here late since I came straight from a networking event with Caleb.
“I don’t know. Isn’t the whole jersey thing kind of a big deal?”
“Thank you, Isabelle!” Jacob shouts, coming around to my side of the group to sling an arm around my shoulder. “I knew you were my favourite.”
“I’d just like to point out, for the particular incident we’re referring to, not only was his team not playing, but we weren’t even watching football.” Maddie stops, dropping onto one hip as she purses her lips at her husband.
I look up at Jacob, knowing he can read the words before I say them.
“Noooo,” he pleads. “Izzy, you were on my side.”
“Sorry, Jake. Think I need to side with my sisters on this one.”
His arm drops off my shoulder to cross over his chest. “Typical.” He huffs playfully, then strides over to Maddie to take a now sleeping Wren from her arms.
“Time to get the princess home.”
“Yeah, I think I need to call it too. I was up early this morning preparing for court.” Chelsea kisses Wren’s cheek before doing the same to Maddie and me. I’ll see you guys Sunday for breakfast, if not before.”
I say my goodbyes to Maddie and Jacob as well, then try to decide what I feel like eating. I’m about to step in line for the taco truck when I hear my name being called.
I turn, surprised to see Gage walking towards me.
A white T-shirt with the Life Vine logo is stretched across his broad chest. I nearly choke on my breath at the sight of him.
The stark white makes the black tattoos covering his huge biceps and veiny forearms stand out in a way that makes him look so sinfully delicious.
It’s criminal, really. How can one man be so good-looking?
He looks like the ultimate bad boy with his leather boots, ripped black jeans, and all his piercings.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, and there is no hiding how happy I am to be running into him, as unexpected as it is.
He doesn’t even answer first, just pulls me into his arms, squeezing tightly as my feet lift off the ground.
He places me back down, with a kiss on my lips, before leaving one arm slung over my shoulders.
Gage starts to walk us through the crowd, but I feel frozen in place.
He just kissed me. In public. Like it was the easiest thing in the world.
I look up at him, my heart thrumming in my chest, giddy that he seems to be so at ease around me.
It makes me undeniably happy that he’s found that, especially with me.
“Life Vine is one of the sponsors. I was helping with some of the information and activity tents.”
I smile, sliding one arm around his lower back while my other rests over his stomach. Wow, look at that, I can feel his abs right through the cotton.
“I feel like I was going to say something, but I touched your abs and now I’ve forgotten.”
Gage throws his head back and laughs, and my heart stops.
I gasp. “You—you laughed.”
He looks at me with a smile as he cups my cheek.
“You have that effect on me.” His thumb brushes over my bottom lip. “Were you going to get something to eat?”
I nod, still replaying his laugh in my head. Every time I see a speck of happiness from him, I want to savour it.
“Can I join you? Maybe we can walk around a bit?”
“Yes, of course.” I eagerly nod.
So that’s what we do. We get a selection of tacos to share, sitting at the tables, and talking easily before we get some churros to go, so we can walk through the rest of the festival.
I convince Gage to do the photo trail where all the floral displays are set up for people to take selfies.
There’s a classic phone booth, a gutted pickup truck, a vintage piano, and an old rickshaw along the path that have been decorated to the extreme with orange, yellow and brown flowers.
Fairy lights are strung overhead and intertwined through every tree that borders the path.
Gage smiles for some of the selfies I take, but mostly, he’s looking down at me or looking at me through the camera lens.
When we get to the last display, a white swing hanging from a big oak tree, he asks a lady behind us to take our photo.
Sitting me on his lap, he wraps his arms around my middle, hugging me to his chest and leans over my shoulder, smiling.
The whole act catches me completely off guard. How are we in this place? When I first met Gage, I could never have imagined we’d be like this months later. But that’s the remarkable thing about love, it catches you before you even realise you were falling.
I turn my head, taken by the soft smile on his face. My heart pounds slow and deep within my chest as Gage looks down at me, and all I can do is stare straight back.
Gage and I look through the photos the woman took of us as we keep walking through the festival.
I tug on Gage’s arm when we pass one of the games where you can win a stuffed toy.
I only noticed them at first because of how odd they looked compared to the characters you normally see here.
There were no cute unicorns or bears. Instead, there were stuffed jalapenos, snails, and the one I really wanted. A stuffed Grim Reaper.
“Please. Pleeaasse. Can you win me a Grim?” I beg, clasping my hands under my chin and pouting playfully.
Gage smirks and walks us over to the stand where all the bottles are lined up for people to knock down.
“Hey, man. Can I buy one of the Grims?”
I gasp. “Henry! You’re meant to win me one.”
Gage turns with a look of amused shock. He leans down to wrap an arm behind my back, hauling me to his chest.
“What did you just call me?” I can’t control the giggle that comes out at the way he flirts back with me.
“Huh?” he asks again, this time digging a hand into my side to tickle me. I squeal, wheezing as I keep calling him Henry.
He leans down, gently biting my neck before talking in my ear, in a warning tone that has my thighs clenching. “I can’t wait to get you back for that later, Buttercup.”
He puts me back down with a quick swat to my arse that has me yelping in surprise.
“Okay, how do I win the Grim?” he says to the attendant this time.
It takes him three turns to earn the fifty points, but I’m happier than a pig in mud as we make our way toward the exit with my new stuffed Grim Reaper hugged to my chest.
Just before we make it out, I see an empty spot on the carousel and drag Gage over and into the bench seat that looks like a carriage.
I snuggle into Gage’s side, and he slides his hand through my legs, where they’re crossed over the knee.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“Mmm? What about?” I ask, looking up at him as I cuddle close.
He looks at me, quickly dropping a kiss on the end of my nose before looking straight ahead again.
“Asking you to be my girlfriend.”
His tongue darts out, flicking over his lip ring a few times before he picks up my legs and lays them over his knees, turning our bodies into each other, while my heart feels like it’s stopped completely.
“I can’t stop thinking about you. I like the way you make me feel. Excited and happy, and like I’m deserving of good things. I haven’t felt the weight of guilt like it’s this unfixable thing I need to make penance for since you came into my life.”
Tears prick my eyes, but I wait for him to finish before I dare interrupt him.
“You make me think of August without crushing sadness being the first thing I feel. You make it feel like, for the first time, I’m living in his memory instead of making up for his loss.
I feel such pride that a woman as kind, vivacious, and compassionate as you sees the man I am inside.
The man I forgot I could be.” He takes a deep breath, shaking his head as if even he’s surprised by his words and feelings.
“Being seen by you is like being kissed by sunlight. I haven’t been in a relationship before.
Apart from a few months here and there in high school.
But if it’s anything like what we’ve been doing”—he cups my cheek, looking deep into my eyes—“then I think I’d be good at it.
There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to be your everything, because you’re already mine. ”
Before the tears can fall completely, I throw my arms around his neck, crashing my lips to his. His hand slides behind my neck, tangling in my hair to hold me closer, clutching my head as if he never wants to let go.
The kiss is a deep, soul-consuming fire that ignites my very existence. I can feel tears slowly track down my cheeks, and I sniffle.
Gage pulls back, his eyebrows set in a deep frown.
“Sorry,” I say on a wet laugh, waving away the emotions. “I just really like the sound of that.”
“Can I take you home with me tonight?” he whispers.
I nod, bringing him back for another kiss that is far lighter than the promising one before. When the carousel stops, we walk hand in hand out of the festival, and Gage leads me across the road to an underground car park where his ute is parked.
I let him open my door. He helps me into the cab and kisses me again before pulling the seatbelt across my lap and buckling me in.
When we start to drive back to my apartment—to feed Hallie and pick up an overnight bag—he leans over to hold my hand, which is lucky, because I might float away if it weren’t for him keeping me here.
He picks up our clasped hands, kissing the back of mine with both eyes still on the road, and I almost say the words out loud.
I think I love you. I wonder if he senses it when he turns to me.
My heart literally skips a beat when he looks at me with that smile that feels like it’s all mine, and I chicken out from saying anything, not wanting to risk spoiling the moment.
Spoiling this whole night, which has been utterly perfect.
I look back at the road, rolling my lips together to hide the goofy grin that just wants to break free, when I notice, almost in slow motion, a tyre flying through the intersection.
A truck starts to slide, another car swerves to avoid going into it, but he’s going too fast, he’s coming right at us.
“Gage! Look out!” I scream, and an arm slams across my chest, pinning me to the seat. I reach for the door handle, holding tight, and close my eyes. Then I brace for impact.