CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
T revor woke with Whitney wrapped around him like a koala bear. Her ponytail had come undone in the middle of the night, her black curls a messy riot against the pillow. Carefully, he sniffed her scalp, relishing her lilac scent.
“Trevor Mays,” a groggy voice came from the tangle of sheets. “Are you smelling me?”
Body shaking with laughter, Trevor nestled closer, fingers digging into her soft skin. “Guilty,” he admitted. “I just can’t get enough of you in my bed.”
Spinning around to face him, Whitney tapped his chin divot. “You’re only saying that because we’re finally alone.”
He couldn’t argue with his girlfriend. Despite the fact that the visit from Winnie clearly helped Whitney feel more comfortable and less guilty, it was delightful having their own space again. “Your sister is welcome anytime,” he promised, earning a peppering of kisses along his jawline.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Pulling Whitney as close as possible, Trevor swallowed down all the words that threatened to erupt from within him. He was completely in love with her, and he planned to tell her today, under the fireworks. He’d turned into a walking romance book hero cliché, and he loved it!
In addition to various embarrassing stories of her childhood, Winnie had shared memories of their girlhood visits to Pinegrove for the festival. Trevor marveled at the fact that they had been in the same place for years, their paths never crossing until now. But it was no matter, as he finally had his girl.
“I should probably get ready for work. Kim said that Main Street is already closed off, and I need to find a place to park.”
“Pfft, you’re with a member of the Pinegrove FD, darlin’. I can get past any barricade.”
Whitney giggled. “Is that a euphemism?”
Trevor pinched her bottom, savoring the sensation of her squirming against him. “It can be,” he teased. “But, seriously, I can get you to work, and I’ll pick you up for the fireworks after.”
“That sounds perfect. You heading into the station today?”
“Yep. Paul is going to show me his pitch for the city council meeting. In the meantime, I’ve been named interim captain.”
Whitney’s grin expanded, the freckles on her cheeks popping with the movement. She was adorable, and Trevor still couldn’t believe his good fortune—in all aspects of his life. He was in love with a beautiful, kind woman, and he was actually excited about the trajectory of his career.
“Let’s get ready for the day, Captain,” Whitney said, pulling back the sheets. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we can come back here.” She waggled her eyebrows, and Trevor enjoyed the view as she tiptoed to the bathroom.
He could certainly get used to this...
Fortunately for both of them, the day flew by in a flurry. Trevor changed at the station into shorts and a polo shirt, and he practically skipped down Main Street to Kim’s Creations to get his girl. Whitney was ready for him, wearing a dress he didn’t recognize and smile just for him.
“Ready for the fireworks?” she asked, waving goodbye to Kim as she closed the door.
“I was born ready,” he said, taking her hand and strolling through the crowds.
Arriving at the meadow where the fireworks went off, they tiptoed through a sea of picnic baskets and blankets until a familiar voice cut through the din. “Trevor! Whitney, over here!” His momma stood and flapped her arms over her head like she was a windmill in the middle of the Netherlands.
“Apparently everyone is over there.” Trevor chuckled, narrowly avoiding a toppled lawn chair.
“Sorry it took us a minute to walk over from the shop. Traffic was terrible. Maybe the fire department should have done crowd control this year?” Trevor quipped as he sat down and helped Whitney ease onto the blanket. Resting his head on her shoulder, he whispered into her ear, “You comfortable?”
“I’m perfect,” she said with a happy exhale.
After kissing her temple, he agreed. “No argument here.”
They chit chatted with his mother and Paul, greeting neighbors as they found their own spots for the festivities. The longer the evening stretched out, the more nervous he got about confessing his feelings.
He should probably be embarrassed by this fact, but he never really loved Virginia. At the time he thought she was the woman of his dreams, but with hindsight, he saw she was a pretty face who boosted his ego after the loss of his father. With Whitney, everything was authentic. Their laughter, their trust, their time together, it all flowed effortlessly. Every day was better since he’d met Whitney, and she deserved to know the truth. His heart beat for her alone.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” the mayor’s voice boomed through the loudspeaker. A little feedback hit and the audience flinched. “Sorry about that.” He chuckled. “Welcome to the annual Pinegrove Fireworks Spectacular.” The mayor took a moment to thank everyone for attending, spending a little too much time thanking the sponsors.
Paul cleared his throat, and asked, “Is this taking a lot longer than normal? I think the only person who hasn’t sponsored tonight is Gus.” The four of them laughed, and Trevor marveled at how comfortable he was with the shift in the dynamic with Paul. He was family, and he loved seeing his momma this joyful.
“And without further delay, let’s start the show!” The mayor cheered as the audience applauded and the fireworks show began.
Despite being one of the biggest fireworks extravaganzas in the South, the show always started out slowly. Bursts of red, white, and blue fireworks began speckling the sky, their booms ricocheting throughout the fields.
Trevor pulled Whitney closer, his arms wrapped tightly around her middle. She was a vision in this purple dress, and he was tempted to ask her to wear it every day.
She shivered as a golden explosion flickered overhead. “Beautiful,” she exhaled.
“No argument here.” He kissed her neck, the dark curls of her ponytail tickling his nose.
She admonished. “Are you even watching the show?”
Trevor’s body shook with mirth. “I’m paying attention to the only show that matters.” He drew one of his hands up to the side of her breast, giving it a playful pinch.
Whitney whispered, “Your momma and Paul are right there.”
“Hopefully they’re too busy watching the show to be bothered with us.” He was only half kidding. Craning his neck, he found his mother and the chief as enamored with each other as he was with Whitney.
A cluster of fireworks popped overhead, building to the show’s climax. Whitney jumped in his arms when a silver shimmer ball exploded overhead, sending metallic confetti fluttering to earth. “I’ve got you,” he whispered into her ear, shamelessly sniffing the lilac of her perfume.
“I know you do,” she said, wiggling closer still. If she kept this up, he was about to have a very not-PG issue spring up.
“This is my favorite fireworks show of my whole life,” he said, drawing her attention from the sky.
“But it’s not over?” She raised an eyebrow, her eyes sparkling.
“Tonight is the best because you’re here. I was thinking about it, on the walk out. We used to be here at the same time, maybe sitting just feet apart, but we never found each other.”
Whitney’s face softened, and she slowly spun in his arms so they were facing each other, her legs tucked under herself. “I thought of that, too.” She reached out and cupped his cheek, smoothing over his stubble with her thumb, finally poking his chin divot. “It’s kind of magic, isn’t it? Finding each other after all these years of circling.”
“It kind of feels like fate,” he agreed.
“Trevor, I ...” she said as Trevor said, “Whitney, I ...”
They both laughed, not caring who was watching them, too immersed in their own moment. “You got first,” she urged, ducking her head to hide her blush.
Trevor pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger, bringing that stunning face back up.
“Never hide that gorgeous blush, Whitney. Do you hear me? I love watching your reactions, it’s one of the things that make you, you.”
Tears glistened in her eyes, and Trevor hoped he didn’t say the wrong thing. It sure as hell wouldn’t be the first time.
“I don’t hide anything from you, Trevor. I never have to, and that’s freeing.”
For a moment, they simply stared into each other’s eyes. Fireworks boomed overhead, people clapped and cheered all around them, but it felt like they were the only two people in the world. Like moths to a flame, they leaned closer, both staring at the other’s lips. Just as they were about to kiss, they whispered in unison, “I love you.”
Trevor pulled back slightly in delighted surprise. “You love me?”
Whitney pecked his cheek quickly and nodded. “Of course I love you. I’ve been thinking of the best time to say it. But let’s get back to the important stuff, you love me ?”
Trevor chuckled. “Uh, yeah. Whitney, when you said you were staying in Pinegrove, it was the happiest moment of my life. I was losing sleep over the thought of you going back home to Savannah. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.”
“You’re wrong about something,” she said, her lips quirking.
“What?”
“Savannah isn’t my home anymore. Pinegrove is.”
Trevor cupped her face in his hands and pulled her into the best kiss of his life. The finale of the fireworks crackled overhead, but neither of them heard anything beyond their racing heart beats.
Whitney loved him back, and that was all Trevor needed in his life. The future was bright, because he’d found his other half.