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“I missed you.”
“I was only inside checking the brew tanks for twenty minutes,” he said, smiling.
“Don’t care. Still missed you,” I said, running my hands along his back. I’d finally stopped wearing my soft cast a couple of weeks ago, and every time I used that arm now felt like a gift.
“Lovebirds,” a voice said near us. I turned and saw Chase, setting a camera down.
“Is that fresh blue in the hair?” Harlan asked.
“Dyed it again last night,” Chase said. “Glad it’s noticeable.”
“It’s certainly noticeable,” Harlan said. “It looks good, Chase.”
“You look good,” I told Harlan, running my hand along his shirt.
“Don’t I look the same as I always do? Flannel and jeans?”
“I mean, sure,” I said. “But this flannel is one of my favorites. The purple, and the way it hugs your muscles…”
Harlan wrapped an arm around me from the side, squeezing me close.
“I am so jealous,” Chase said. “Jealousy. In every bone of my body.”
“Oh, hush,” I told Chase.
“I mean, I’m not saying I’m never going to find love like yours, but yeah. I’m never going to. You two are so hot and you’re about to have the whole Fixer Brothers show community drooling over you and being jealous, too.”
“Hey, someone’s going to want that blue streak of hair in their hands,” Harlan said.
“Why do I always feel like you’re ten percent making fun of the blue streak?” Chase said, grinning at Harlan.
“Because I can’t say a compliment without it coming out weird sometimes,” I said. “Not great with words, but I promise you, I mean it. You’re going to find love so easily, Chase. You don’t even know it yet.”
Even I felt warm and fuzzy inside, and I wasn’t even the one who Harlan was complimenting. Sure, he may not have felt like he was good with words, but when he said what was on his mind, it was completely genuine. Harlan had a way of saying things that were heartfelt without even realizing it, and it was one of my favorite things about him.
“Oh, I know what that is,” Kace hollered from the edge of the patio, pointing over toward the side of the lawn. Caterers were hauling in long tables and trays of food, setting up underneath the awning.
“It’s barbecue time,” Chase said. “If my mouth was watering before, it’s watering even more, now.”
“Oh, God, that smells good,” Harlan said.
Twenty minutes later, the food was set up. Everyone got in line, serving up ribs, grilled chicken, and barbecue brisket. I filled up my plate and grabbed one of the outdoor booths with Harlan. We tucked in.
“Even the sides are incredible,” I said. “Obviously the mac and cheese is delicious, but even the coleslaw is good. I never thought I’d enjoy coleslaw this much.”
“Fuck yes. I need to find out where Kace ordered this from,” Harlan said. “I would hire this place for a wedding, for God’s sake.”
Both of us met eyes across the table, freezing for a moment before we both smiled.
“Yes,” I said. “For a theoretical, possible wedding, this would be a great thing to have catered.”
“Could be for any wedding, of course,” he said.
“No wedding in particular.”
Both of us knew we were dancing around ideas for a wedding that could be ours, in the future. We didn’t have concrete plans yet, but it had been obvious that we both wanted it someday, and there had been a few moments like this, where we pretended “not” to talk about it when in reality, we were tossing out ideas for what might be our wedding one day.
I fucking loved it. And I knew, before long, we’d really be making those kinds of plans. I was savoring the small moments like a delicious dessert, and loving every minute of it.
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, my eyes widening as I saw the screen.
“Everything okay?” Harlan asked.
“Everything is good,” I said. “I just… don’t believe what I just saw. I got a text from my mom, and she seems happy.”
“No way.”
I showed Harlan the text on the screen, and he looked just as surprised as I was.
>>Mom: Having a few girlfriends over tonight to watch the premiere of your TV show. The trailer looks pretty entertaining, for that kind of reality show. Proud of you, Sawyer.
I was stunned.
“She’s never said that to me before,” I said. “She actually used the word ‘proud.’ I didn’t know she was capable of saying that to me, let alone about something like this.”
“Wow,” Harlan said, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. “You deserve that. And you’ve deserved it forever.”
I pulled in a long breath, then shot her back a message thanking her.
“It’s not perfect, of course,” I said. “It doesn’t make up for the years of shit she’s thrown my way, but it’s a small step.”
