10. I Always Keep my Promises
10
Miles
Roxy’s hair looks beautiful under the flashing lights of the fireworks in the sky above us. The shiny red strands reflect the lights, making it look like it’s shooting off its own sparks. I clear my throat and lift my gaze back to the sky. Watching her on the bench beside me, snuggling my bear as her face fills with joy and wonder is too much for me to handle.
Roxy set boundaries between us, and I need to respect them until I can subtly convince her the friend zone thing is a bad idea. That letting our obvious chemistry go to waste is an even worse one.
I only last a few seconds before I’m looking at her once more. She’s more beautiful than the sparks in the sky. Her fresh face is clean of any makeup, and despite her religious use of sunscreen all day, the smattering of freckles across her cheekbones and nose have darkened a bit. She’s a fucking sun goddess, and I wish I could kiss each and every one of those tiny, adorable spots.
“I can feel you looking at me,” she says from the corner of her mouth, her eyes still on the display in the sky.
“I was just wondering if I’m ever going to get Herman back,” I reply with a chuckle.
“Nope. He’s mine now,” she says, hugging him tighter to her chest.
“Maybe we can work out a shared custody agreement?” I suggest, my smile widening.
She finally looks at me. “You want to write up a custody agreement for a stuffed bear?”
“Seems like the only way to make us both happy,” I say with a shrug.
She stares at me for a moment, her thoughts swirling behind her eyes, then gives me a firm nod. “Fine. I get him on the weekends and every other holiday.”
“What? That’s not fair.”
“How is that not fair?” she asks with an arched brow. “You get him five days to my two every week. It seems like you got the better deal, here.”
“Maybe I want to take him on a weekend getaway every now and then,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Ugh, you’re annoying,” she growls playfully. “Fine. You can have one weekend a month, but I get a full two weeks in the summer.”
“Deal,” I say, holding out my hand.
She grips it in a firm handshake and laughs. We’re being ridiculous, and I love it. I release her hand despite my desire to hold onto it, then lean back and resume watching the display in the sky.
I can feel her eyes on me for several beats, and my heart starts to pound. Is she feeling what I’m feeling? That there’s so much more to us than simple friendship? Should I meet her gaze? Let her see the desire banked inside me?
I see her look back to the sky in my peripheral vision, and the moment is over. I deflate a bit, then strengthen my resolve. There will be other moments like this one. Times when she lets her guard slip, showing me she’s not as immune to me as she’d like me, and herself, to believe.
And I intend to prove to her that it’ll be okay if we give into these feelings.
The fireworks end, and I look over to see Roxy yawning behind her hand. Pushing myself up off the bench, I take her hand to help her to her feet. We head toward the exit by tacit agreement, but before we leave, I pull her into the gift shop and tell her to pick out a coffee mug.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” she says. “I’ve got the souvenir cup you bought at the entrance and joint custody of Herman. I’m all good.”
“I promised,” I say, nodding to the display of mugs. “And I always keep my promises.”
She concedes, picking out a purple mug with the River Springs logo on it. I pay for it, then hold the bag in one hand and take hers in the other before heading through the exit. As we walk toward my Jeep, I pull my keys from my pocket and dangle them in front of her.
“You drive.”
“What?” she chirps, using her grip on my hand to yank me to a stop. “Are you serious?”
I nod. “If you’re going to own a Jeep one day, you should know how they handle.”
“You’d let me drive your baby,” she says, her voice filled with disbelief.
“I trust you,” I say, jiggling the keys. “Do you want to drive, or not?”
“Yes,” she says, releasing my hand to snatch the keys from my other one, then she shoves Herman at me and runs the rest of the way.
I laugh and jog behind her, throwing Herman and our purchases into the back seat before climbing in at shotgun. It’s a weird sensation, being in the passenger’s seat. I’ve never let anyone else drive before, because as Roxy pointed out, Dahlia is my baby.
But seeing the sheer joy on Roxy’s face when I gave her the keys was worth whatever anxiety I have letting someone else take the wheel. Besides, I wasn’t lying when I said I trust her.
But maybe…
“Wait a sec,” I say, popping open my door and hopping down.
I open the back door and set Herman upright in the seat before buckling him in with the seatbelt. Roxy laughs, and I look up to meet her gaze in the rearview mirror.
“You trust me, huh?”
“Never can be too safe,” I say with a wink, then I slam the door closed before hopping back into the passenger seat.
I buckle up, then meet Roxy’s gaze. She nods as if asking me if I’m ready, and I return the gesture. Then, with a wide smile, she cranks the engine and turns on the headlights. She shifts the transmission into drive, then slowly eases out of the parking spot.
Once we’re out on the road, she picks up speed, her teeth flashing in the passing headlights. She’s so happy right now. I put that smile on her face.
And I intend to keep it there. Always.