Chapter 15 #3
“And we’re in control, remember? There’s no way they’re going to get us to blow that bugle the second time.”
I wanted to argue precisely because I wanted so badly not to argue.
“Trust me?” he asked in that low, deep growl.
My eyes slid shut, and a tremor shook me. “Yeah, okay.”
We turned back toward the camera and let Ernie York officially check off three more items from the scroll before rolling it back up and heading over to the food table to sample Drew’s cider.
“Thank you, baby,” Webb said simply, once the crowd around us had begun to disperse. “You make so many things easier.” He cupped my jaw in his big hand and pressed a kiss to my lips, and suddenly I didn’t care about how confusing things were getting, I just wanted to throw caution to the wind and—
“Hey! Hi. Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt. Has anyone seen— Oh,” Amanda Sunday said, blinking in shock as she pressed through the crowd of people and caught sight of the two of us. “Uh… Webb?”
Webb’s whole frame locked down as he stared at his ex-wife.
She was picture-pretty, with light brown hair and pixieish features that reminded me of Aiden.
She wore a frilly, pretty blouse that was going to get utterly ruined at the campout and a pair of hiking boots that looked so stiff and new, she probably already had blisters.
As far as I was concerned, her picture belonged in the dictionary beside the word Trying. But Webb looked at her with wary anger, like she was Godzilla, come to stomp all over the Hollow.
“I’m sorry,” she babbled, still staring at us.
“I wasn’t sure where you’d be, and I was at home waiting.
I mean, your home. I mean, at Sunday Orchard.
And I wondered why you were so late, but I figured everyone’s late sometimes, but then I realized you aren’t, and then I remembered you said you wouldn’t be there, but I couldn’t remember where you said you would be and you weren’t answering your phone, and… ” She broke off and swallowed.
It was painfully clear where Aiden inherited his word-spewing.
“Amanda,” I said, leaping toward her before Webb could release the angry roar I knew he was working up to. “Hey! I’m Luke Williams, remember? From spelling bee practice.”
“You’re Aiden’s… teacher?” She looked back at the spot where she’d seen us kissing.
“Yes. Yup. I sure am. And Webb’s… handfast partner.
It’s a whole long story. I’m sure Aiden will fill you in.
He’s been waiting for you! He already practiced his knot tying, so no need to worry about that.
And his bag is right there on the porch.
Aiden?” I called. “Dude, shake a leg!” To Amanda, I added, “Love this blouse, by the way. But do you have a sweatshirt? Would you like to borrow one?”
“No, I—”
Aiden ran out of the house, grabbed his bag, and ran toward us. “Bye, Luke. Bye, Dad. Love you.”
“Aiden,” Webb began in a severe tone, crossing his arms over his chest. “I need to speak to your mother. Privately.”
“Or maybe not now!” I suggested brightly. “Maybe tomorrow. Maybe after the campout. In fact, I need to speak to you privately.”
“Luke—” Webb began, but I cut him off, grabbing his bent elbow and pulling him toward my camper.
“Trust me?” I demanded softly.
Webb gave in and let me push him into the camper. But when I got inside, he whirled to face me. “What was that? I wanted to talk to Amanda.”
“No, you wanted to yell at Amanda,” I corrected. “And Webb, she’s trying.”
He shook his head. “You don’t know her. She’s doing what she’s done in the past, Luke. She’s got her head in the clouds. She’s not focused on her kid or what he needs, she’s—”
“Trying,” I said again. “I don’t know the whole story because you haven’t shared it, but she’s a person who’s trying hard and getting a lot of things wrong but not giving up.”
He blew out a breath. “Yet. I know where this is going—”
“But you don’t. Even you aren’t psychic, Webb Sunday.”
Webb’s shoulders deflated. “I just… don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“I know. I know you don’t. And neither do I.” Not Webb. Not Aiden…
And not me either.
Webb wrapped his arms around me and exhaled a long breath. “You’re magic, Luke Williams. You always make things better.”
I leaned up to kiss him. Finally, we were alone for more than two seconds.
He tasted like Natalie Little’s cinnamon swirl cookies, and I realized they tasted ten times better on him than straight from the plate.
Just when I was ready to mentally construct a thank-you note to her for her judicious use of cinnamon and sugar, a fist banged on the trailer door, shaking the whole place.
Webb sighed and closed his eyes. “You live in a death trap.”
“Coming!” I called out cheerfully before turning to him with a grin. “If we want to get me out of this death trap, we need to get back to work.”
He grumbled the entire way out of the trailer. I didn’t disagree with his disappointment, but then again, part of the reason I wanted to get back to work was because Aiden was going to be gone for eighteen whole hours… and I would have Webb Sunday all to myself.
I planned on making the most of it.
Naked.