27. Connor
CONNOR
As predicted, I’m a dead man. One night with Delaney did me in.
I’ve dreamed about her, fantasized about every scenario possible.
But the real thing was better than I could have imagined.
Sure, she’s sexy as hell, and the electric energy between us made for chemistry unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
But more than the physical connection, it was the shared vulnerability. The words I never thought I’d say, never thought I’d hear. Our shared past finally colliding to create a shared future, after all this time.
One night with Delaney and I’ll never be the same again.
Major’s Sunday brunch is a hallowed tradition, one that I usually look forward to each month. But the sight of Delaney curled up asleep in my bed is killing any motivation I might have to go spend a few hours with my family.
“Are you staring at me?” Delaney asks, eyes fluttering open.
“Yes,” I admit shamelessly. Her hair is loose around her shoulders and she’s wrapped up in my blankets.
Possessiveness thunders in my chest.
My bed, my blankets, my Delaney.
“Wanna come with me to my dad’s for brunch? Jaylen and Ruthie will be there.”
Her eyes light up. “Of course I want to come! I love your family.”
That same possessiveness roars again. This is where she belongs, in my bed, spending time with my family, here with me.
She belongs in Ridgecrest.
I fumble my way into some clothes and head to the kitchen to throw together a tater tot casserole, my classic contribution for Sunday brunch, while she runs back to her house, cutting through our backyards like we did as kids.
We started the tradition of Sunday brunch after my oldest sibling, Ruthie, went to college an hour away when I was still in middle school. Once a month, my dad skips church and we all congregate for a big brunch. He makes the main dishes, and we bring sides and friends.
As much as I complained about Sunday brunch as a teenager, it’s become something I look forward to each month. And getting to bring Delaney again after all these years… that’s about as good as it gets.
Delaney meets me in the driveway wearing leggings and a sweatshirt, her unwashed hair piled into a messy bun. Her dirty blonde roots are starting to show, and maybe it’s just my eyes playing tricks on me, but I think I see frown lines breaking through her Botox.
I won’t lie, I’ve kept up with her over the years. Checked out magazine covers, scrolled tabloid sites, lightly stalked her social media accounts. Enough to know that when Delaney is in full pop-star glam, she’s a knockout.
But this, all undone and a little messy? This version of Delaney is making it really hard to focus on anything other than her.
“I think this is possibly the worst I’ve ever looked,” Delaney groans beside me.
“I disagree. Remember when we went hiking at the falls and you fractured your ankle and you couldn’t shower for over a week?”
Delaney playfully swats my arm. “Oh my gosh, please erase the image of my greasy hair from your mind. That was awful.”
I put my car in park outside my dad’s townhouse, letting the memory of our adolescent escapades wash over me. God, we had fun.
“No can do, Lanie Lou. All childhood memories have a permanent spot in my heart. Locked in, baby.” I clutch my chest dramatically, garnering an eye roll and a laugh.
She’s still laughing when I open the passenger door, still laughing when she takes my hand, still laughing when I pull her close.
The laughter stops when I pin her against my car. She lets out a surprised gasp as I grip the back of her head, angling her face towards mine.
I lean in close to whisper in her ear. “You know what else is locked in? All those sweet sounds you made last night.”
Her eyes go wide as a breathy gasp escapes her lips, and I think shocking her with my words might just be my new favorite hobby.
“Think you can make them again for me tonight?”
I hear the front door open behind me, but Delany’s expression is too good to look away from. Desire swims in her eyes as my grip on her hip tightens just a little.
“About damn time!” my brother, Jaylen, hollers from the doorway, effectively throwing cold water on the moment.
Delaney weasels her way out from under me to embrace my older brother like the long-lost friend he is. Jaylen smirks at me from over her shoulder as I try to subtly readjust myself before turning his attention to Delaney.
“Been a while, Lanie. Catch me up on everything.”
The pair head into my dad’s, arm in arm, leaving me to grab the food. Delaney glances over her shoulder and hits me with the biggest smile.
This, Delaney happy, with my family, back in our hometown, this is the best she’s ever looked.
“And then I slide tackled the guy and almost got ejected from the game, but mom yelled at the ref and I got to keep playing!”
Chase, my very energetic ten-year-old nephew is giving us a play-by-play of rec league soccer, the details of which are making my sister Ruthie look a little less than stellar.
“Ruth! You cannot interfere like that,” my dad admonishes, but the sly look in his eyes gives him away. “You gotta be more covert than that.”
Ruthie and my dad spent many hours of our childhood out on the soccer fields, and she was thrilled when her oldest son took to the sport just like she did.
Delaney watches the back-and-forth with rapt attention.
And I watch her out of the corner of my eye with equal devotion.
Hearing her say those words last night shifted the final piece of the puzzle between us into place.
In the middle of this loud, chaotic meal, it’s somehow just me and her, with this invisible string that’s always tethered us together pulling tighter and tighter.
As far as everyone at the table knows, we’ve been together for weeks now.
My siblings gave me the appropriate ribbing in our group chat when Delaney “hard launched” our relationship online, both of them teasing that it was a long time coming.
My dad seemed a little suspicious, but, true to his stoic character, hasn’t said a word.
As far as everyone knows, nothing between us is different.
But, Delaney James loves me, and that changes everything.
It’s like the whole world tilted on its axis last night, like the very core of the earth shifted under the weight of her admission, and I’ve been left standing on shaky legs ever since. I’ve loved Delaney in secret for years, and I finally get to start loving her out loud.
And now that her feelings for me are out in the open, I’m less inclined to hide under the guise of a PR stunt.
I reach over and give her thigh a squeeze under the table, just because I can. She laces her fingers through mine, stroking the back of my hand with her thumb, just because she can.
And it feels just like I always imagined it would, comforting, easy, right.
My dad clears his throat. “How’s the planning coming for the fall festival, Connor?”
The mood in the room shifts instantly.
Delaney tenses under my hand.
There’s still so much about the orchard, and my reluctant decision to keep the failing family business alive, that she doesn’t know.
I kept looking for the right time to catch her up on the years she missed, but those years were so damn hard, and rehashing them when things between us finally felt stable seemed unnecessary.
Less so now, as Delaney glances my way, unspoken questions written all over her face.
“Uh, yeah, it’s good. Just kinda, you know, keeping things the same.
Hayrides through the fields, some live music, and food booths.
” I squeeze the back of my neck in an attempt to squelch the growing anxiety.
I really do not want to get into the intricacies of the orchard and its slow descent into financial ruin in front of Delaney.
“Well, I think we outta do something different this year. I’ve been going over the books and clearly, keeping things the same isn’t working.”
Delaney’s eyes flick between me and my dad, and I can tell she’s piecing it all together.
My siblings’ exchange similar looks, but there’s no confusion in their expressions.
No, they’re both silently rejoicing that all this shit isn’t theirs to figure out.
I love them, but they’ve always been quick to throw me to the wolves.
My dad sits a little taller in his seat, and turns to face my girl. “I was thinking Delaney might like to perform.”
I start to protest, but he holds his hands up to silence me.
“Now before you jump down my throat, think about the revenue we could bring in. Even if we keep ticket prices low, this could be the trick to get us back on track.”
I know he’s right. He’s not the only one who’s been pouring over our financial reports lately. I know we need a major boost if we have any hope of surviving past this harvest.
But using Delaney to make that happen? No fucking way. I don’t want to be like every other person in her life, controlling her and making her choices for her.
I shake my head, trying to find the words to shut down his plan.
“I’d be happy to do it!” Delaney beams over to my dad from beside me. “Maybe I can get the Ridgecrest choir to perform with me too! Since the fall fest is a big community event,” she says, glancing over at me. “It would be fun to get the students involved!”
My hand finds hers again and I drop my voice low. “You really don’t have to, Lanie.”
“Oh hush, Connor,” my dad admonishes with a playful smile, but I see the tight set of his jaw, the hard lines on his face. There’s nothing playful in his sentiment. “She said yes. Don't try to talk her out of it, son. Don’t you think this is a good idea?”
Ruthie and Jaylen both shoot me sympathetic looks but continue their strategic silence.
“Yeah, okay,” I sigh. “It’s a great idea, dad. I’ll work on putting together new flyers.”
He points a thin finger my way. “And update the ticket price.”
“I’m excited!” Delaney gushes. “I’ll work on putting together a setlist and I’ll talk to Mrs. Crane about using the choir. This’ll be great.”
Delaney smiles brightly at my dad and I try to shove all my anxious thoughts down. She said yes. It was her choice. Who am I to stand in her way? But something about using her influence for our gain feels wrong.
Delaney gives my hand a squeeze and I focus on the point of contact. Her touch grounds me even as my anxious thoughts swirl. Everything outside of us might be sideways, backwards, or upside down. But me and her together? That might just be the only right thing in the world.