Chapter 23
Nora
Denver is still here.
Even after I told him no quietly on stage.
Even after I told him no much louder once off it.
I’m still sick from embarrassment and I’m worried about Elias. It’s not what it looked like. The hurt on his face has been etched into my brain for hours.
His mother and father have been hovering the entire time.
As soon as I made it extremely clear with Denver that we were done and will never be a thing again, they took me under their wing at Elias’s birdcage booth.
Now they’ve gone to see the sights with their grandkids, Maxton and Mallory, and left me with Elias’s sister, Jessi.
She’s loyal to her brother and doesn’t like me, but I’m still grateful for her presence.
“Ugh,” Jessi says as she tosses her phone on the table next to the money box. “Monroe says Elias is just as pitiful as you.”
I perk up and snap my gaze her way. “Really?”
“Can you blame him?” She shoots me what must be her intimidating “mom” look. It kind of works because I shiver despite this intense heat.
“I should go talk to him,” I tell her, frowning, but then when I glance up, Denver is sitting on a bench about fifty feet away staring sadly at me. “Why won’t he leave?”
“I could call Monroe and make him leave,” Jessi says with a little too much evil glee.
Despite the humiliation from Denver’s stunt, he’s not a bad guy. Maybe a bit unrealistic, but definitely not bad. I don’t want him to get in trouble over me. He just needs to go back home to New York.
“My brother’s a tough nut to crack, but you broke him.” Jessi glowers at me. “Congratulations.”
I sigh heavily and then turn to meet her hardened stare. “It was all a misunderstanding. I don’t want Denver. For some reason, I’m sweet on your grumpy brother. Can I please have your support rather than animosity? It’s already hard enough. I don’t know what to do. I don’t even have a car.”
It hurts knowing he left me here at BudgieFest. I’m not truly abandoned because his parents or sister or any of the people I’ve befriended since coming here will take me back. But I want it to be him.
“I have an idea on how to make your ex leave,” Jessi says as she nonchalantly picks at her nails. “Depends on how badly you want him gone.”
I gape at her in shock. From all outward appearances, she’s a sweet mom of two. But, when it comes to protecting her family, she’s quite a momma bear. Or in this case, a big sister bear.
“I don’t want to hurt him,” I hiss out. “He’s hurting enough as it is.”
“And so are you,” Jessi states. “He can go lick his wounds somewhere else. Not where he can keep you in his peripheral.”
We pause our scheming to help a couple who wants to buy a cage for their two new budgies. So far, we’ve sold a lot. This is a great income producer for Elias. My marketing brain wonders how we could turn this into a year-round gig for him.
“So, what are you thinking?” I ask when the couple leaves, but Denver is still watching me like a kicked puppy.
Her devious grin is back. “Let me call my brother Corbin. He and his firefighter buddies might have some ideas.”
“That sounds scary,” I say with a frown.
“Nah. Just some good ol’ fashioned BudgieFest shenanigans. We’ve all been the recipient at some point in our lives.”
At least it’s not harmful, but I’m still nervous. Jessi is way too excited and her eyes gleam with mischief. I don’t have the energy to argue with her, though. It’s been a rough day, and the perpetrator is sitting fifty feet away when he should be on his way to the airport.
“Fine,” I grumble. “But they better not hurt him.”
She makes an exaggerated motion of crossing her heart and then she gets her brother on the line. There’s lots of whispering, some giggling, and then a cheerful holler before she hangs up.
“It’s done,” she says with smug finality like she’s a mafia boss who just ordered a hit.
Dear God, please don’t let that be true.
We get another wave of customers, so we stay busy for a bit.
Then we hear it. The firetruck’s siren. My heart hammers wildly in my chest. People crane their necks, looking for the source of the commotion.
When the sirens stop, it only takes about a minute for a handful of firefighters dressed in their pants, boots, and red suspenders over white BBFD T-shirts to come storming past.
Jessi claps happily and cheers them on.
A crowd forms and I can no longer see so I step up onto the table.
It wobbles underfoot, but I manage to keep my balance.
I’m like a rubbernecker at a car accident as I watch the chaos unfold.
One firefighter has a bucket of something.
Another carries a garbage bag full of something else.
When they reach Denver, he frowns at them in confusion.
Then, the firefighter who resembles Elias, and who must be Corbin, lifts the bucket over his head and dumps it on Denver. In an instant, his hair and expensive clothes are dripping in what looks like syrup. Before I can process that, another guy steps forward and dumps the contents of the bag next.
Feathers.
What must be thousands of them and multitudes of colors.
They cling to the syrup like it’s their only job in life.
Denver is no longer the cool city slicker who schmoozed his way onto the stage with the mayor. He’s the laughingstock of the festival. The entertainment. It’s his turn to be humiliated in front of everyone.
One of the other firefighters holds up a printed T-shirt. On the back in big red letters, it says, “I’ve been syruped and feathered at BudgieFest!” He tosses it at Denver, and it lands on the sticky mess on his thigh.
The firefighters leave as quickly as they arrived.
All that’s left is the amusement of the crowd.
And laughter.
I’m not sure what sends me over the edge exactly.
His furious expression? The utter ridiculous way he looks right now?
The cackling children who keep trying to get rogue feathers to stick to him?
Whatever it is, I can’t help but burst into hysterical laughter.
I laugh so hard tears stream down my cheeks.
Denver shakes his head at me, but I think maybe he’s fighting a small smile, and then he walks off like a sticky, feathery monster.
He’ll take it in stride like he always does, but he’s going to smell like syrup his whole flight back. Maybe even for a week after.
The table wobbles again and I lose my footing. A strong hand flies to my hip, steadying me. When I look down, I freeze when I realize who it is.
Elias.
In his other hand, he has a to-go cup from The Icehouse with no lid. I can see the three lemon wedges floating on top. Sweet tea. A Goldie’s special. For me?
I use his shoulder to climb down and then I stare up at him. We’re close and there’s an energy buzzing between us. He clears his throat and hands me the drink.
“Spilled the other one earlier,” he says, voice rough. “Took me a minute to track down another one.”
A minute being hours, and we both know that’s not why he ran off, but all I do is nod. It’s been a stressful day, though it just got much better.
“Thank you.” I guzzle most of it because it’s hot and I’m parched from laughing. “Care if I take a break, Jessi?”
“As long as you don’t break my brother, I won’t break you. Enjoy your break, heartbreaker.”
I curl up my lip and Elias smirks. Being an only child myself, it makes me wonder how it was for him growing up with an overprotective sister like Jessi. I bet it was pretty awesome if I’m being honest.
“Want to go for a walk?” I ask him as I set the cup down on the table.
He nods and then offers his hand. My heart rate quickens.
I eagerly take it, squeezing it to let him know how happy I am he’s here.
We maneuver through the crowd, though I don’t know where we’re going.
I can feel Elias guiding us someplace, so I let him.
Once out of the expo, we walk along the grass toward one of the docks.
It’s deserted because everyone is at BudgieFest.
“Your feathers are smeared,” Elias says, gesturing at my face.
I cringe at what I must look like. I’m drenched in sweat with face paint running down my cheeks.
My hair is in a messy bun but there’s a million flyaways and they’re all sticking to my face and neck.
It’s almost impossible to think someone proposed to me and I broke someone else’s heart while looking like a hot mess.
We reach the end of the dock and the breeze coming off Budgie Bay feels heavenly. He sits on the edge before offering his hand to help me join him. Once we’re both kicking our legs above the water, he lets go of a heavy sigh.
“I’m guessing you said no, huh?”
I nod and swallow. “Multiple times.” My knee nudges his. “Probably looked like a yes.”
“It did. That sucked.”
“Yeah.”
“You were crying,” he mutters. “Someone said you said yes.”
“I didn’t.”
He chuckles. “Kind of figured when I saw you cheering on the fire department for syruping and feathering Denver.”
“I was not cheering them on,” I say, feigning offense. “But it was funny. He wouldn’t leave.”
Elias is quiet for a long time, but I don’t rush him. I’m just happy he’s here with me.
“I can understand why he wouldn’t want to,” Elias finally says. “You’re probably the best thing that ever happened to him. He let you slip through his grasp.”
Elias’s words warm my heart, but I’m still upset at being abandoned by him when he thought the worst of the situation.
“You left,” I utter, hurt lacing my words. “Your sister almost killed me.”
He snorts. “Try growing up with her. My life was always in peril.” Then, he turns serious. “I’m sorry. I panicked.”
I take his hand and thread our fingers together. It’s nice. Really nice. Warmth spreads over my cheeks as if my face needs any more help melting off.
“I’m sorry it ruined our date.” I lean my head against his shoulder, careful not to get paint on his clean shirt. “I was having a lot of fun until then.” I shudder. “Well, until the budgie breeders ruined my day.”
“Me too.” He chuckles. “But it got a Hellman’s of a lot better a few minutes ago.”
“You said hell.” I gasp as if I think he’s naughty and gape at him. “Grandma will be so upset.”
“It’s a mayonnaise brand,” he grumbles, eyes gleaming. “I already cleared it as safe with Goldie.”
This close, I can really appreciate how handsome he is. I’m grateful he came back to me.
“I was crying because I was overwhelmed,” I whisper, eyes watering. “I didn’t want that life.”
He lifts a hand and gently strokes his thumb over my jaw. “Yeah? What kind of life did you want?”
“A slower one.” I smile at him. “I’m liking the one I’m living right now.”
If I were expecting him to crash his lips to mine, I was delusional.
Just as he does with his morning coffee, he takes his time, savoring everything.
Stares into the windows of my soul. Caresses my jaw with his rough thumb.
Inhales my scent even though I’m sure it’s questionable at this point in the day.
And then he ghosts his lips over mine.
Soft. Gentle. Perfect.
I close my eyes, part my lips, and invite the man I’ve fallen for in for a deeper kiss.
He tastes like lemons, but it’s not sour.
Just sweet.
Oh, so sweet.