Chapter 96 #2
“I thought maybe I could give you a ride to the fireworks,” he says. “I can’t imagine you’re enjoying this scene too much.”
We both wince as Mrs. Rattles’s voice climbs even higher.
“I’d like to take you up on your offer.” I squirm. “But my dress—”
“The square’s two blocks from here. Does the skirt—I don’t know, stretch without ripping?”
“Yeah.” Partly why I love the dress. It’s flexible. “I want to go. But I’m kind of in the middle of this cake thing.”
“Exactly why you should come with me.” He leans in close and looks into my eyes. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
I’m sure you will. You always have.
I make my decision in less than a second.
“I’ll meet you at the square,” I tell Ginny.
She winks at me as I leave.
I’m free.
I grab Logan’s hand without thinking and practically run toward his bike. When I recover enough to realize what I’m doing, I drop his hand cold, not looking at him as I do so.
He tosses me his helmet. “I don’t have the spare with me. I had to make a quick getaway.” He lightly touches my dress. “You look…”
“Hot?” I joke.
“Steaming.” He kisses my cheek. “You look beautiful.”
He reaches out and brushes a stray hair off my face, and those familiar goose bumps rise up on my arms.
“I can’t wear this.” I hand him back his helmet. “It will ruin my hair. You know how untamed my waves are to begin with.”
He locks his gaze with mine. “Untamed’s not a bad thing, Mace.”
My palms start to sweat. “No. Not bad.”
But I’m feeling bad right now. In the best way possible. I clench my fists to resist my nearly uncontrollable urge to pull Logan’s head down to mine and kiss him senseless.
He insists on me wearing the helmet, and I wrest my eyes away from his and climb onto his bike. I manage to tuck the skirt part of my dress up around my knees so I’m still covered in all the important areas.
My arms go around Logan’s waist. “All set.”
Once he starts the engine, I lean my head against his shoulder and hold him close to me. We reach the gazebo in less than five minutes, and I force my arms to let him go.
The fireworks are about to start, and it’s still blistering hot.
I glance over at Ginny sitting next to me in her chair.
Her dress is too long and too fancy for her to sit on the ground on a blanket like I am.
Sweat forms on her brow as she uses my knitting needles and yarn to cast on.
She’s concentrating so hard on what she’s doing it’s like nothing else can get her attention.
I guess my last-minute idea to bring along knitting materials to calm her nerves may be working too well.
“I think it’s time to stop.” I try to take the needles from her.
She stubbornly refuses to let go and continues to work on knitting her third row.
Logan, Blake, and Dave walk over just as I’m wrenching the needles and yarn out of Ginny’s hand.
“You must let go!” I say sternly.
As I pull, one of the needles slips out of my hand, and the force somehow carries it toward Logan. It stabs him in the neck.
“Jesus!” he says.
“I’m so sorry. Oh, dear.”
We all laugh, even Ginny, for the first time all evening.
“Who knew knitting would be the deadly art?” Logan says as he, Blake, and Dave sit with us. “So, Mace, who are we walking down the aisle with, anyway? Are you with Flip?”
“Of course she is,” Ginny says. “Dave’s brother is his best man, and Macey’s my maiden of honor.”
“And I’m with your cousin, Gin?” Logan says. “The one with the super-large ears?”
“That would be Erma,” I say as Logan and Dave laugh.
Ginny and I admonish them and try not to smile. Erma’s ears are the largest I’ve ever seen. They’ve been that way since she was a kid. Mama used to pray she’d “grow into them one day,” but they seemed to keep growing right along with the rest of her.
Gigi comes over and clings to Logan, not taking her hands off of him even to take a sip of water out of her dainty little water bottle her father had handmade for her from some famous glass shop in Manhattan. I turn away to talk to Ginny, but I can hear Gigi giggling on my right.
Thank God, the fireworks are starting. Riley and Free are just a few blankets away, and I excuse myself to go join them.
“Hey, girls.”
Free pats the blanket for me to sit down.
“You look hot,” she says. “And I don’t mean because of the weather.”
I give her a hug. “Thank you, sweetie. Are either of you bringing dates?”
“We’re each other’s date tonight.” Free puts her arm around Riley. “Two single women.”
“At least y’all have a date. I’m sitting over there with the two engaged couples, feeling like a loser.”
“You and Flip could make out on the dance floor after the ceremony,” Riley suggests.
“Please.”
Flip is ten years older than me and has never had a girlfriend. According to Dave, he “sort of lost his virginity, once.” I told him I don’t want to know what that means. And while I respect waiting and holding out for the right person, I’m not about to initiate him into the world of sex.
“Pretty,” Riley says as pink and white light explodes in the sky.
“I love fireworks,” I say.
“Speaking of fireworks,” Riley says with a cheeky grin. “How did you and Logan make out in the cell?”
Free laughs.
“Nice try,” I say to Riley. “I’m just going to focus on Ginny. On Ginny getting married.”