Page 50 of Dandelion Sighs

My heart thudded against my sternum. Too late.

I wanted to hold his hand, but that would give the wrong message. We were friends. That was the shift in this relationship. We weren’t buddies. He wasn’t taking pity on me, mostly. His family knew that, but if I hung off the man, then they’d think I was pathetic. I might be, but I could keep up the illusion of success. Shouldn’t be too hard. The resort hadn’t shut down yet. This crowd wasn’t full of my brothers. It was full of Jasper’s.

“You okay?” he asked before we reached the group. A few men surrounded the grill, others were playing with the kids, and many of his sisters were chatting or arranging food. It didn’t matter where they were, there was laughter and smiles. There wasn’t bickering or insults, and both parents were here, instead of one hiding at the resort, using work as an excuse to avoid us.

“Yes, I think I will be,” I answered. Because I had one thing now that I didn’t have then. Jasper.

A couple who must be his parents broke from the crowd by the grill. The woman beamed, and the maternal energy rolling off her opened the well of grief inside me while also soothing it. Her eyes were kind, and the way she had her gray-streaked dark hair pulled back in a bun was at odds with the red Converse on her feet.

I smiled. My mom had flat feet and had been picky about what she put on them. She would’ve loved to be able to wear fun shoes. The wave of grief hit me, but I squared my shoulders. I’d channel it into having a good day. I could honor my mother in more ways than toiling away at the resort.

Jasper’s dad was tall with dark hair and a squarer face than Jasper’s. I could see Jasper in both of them.

His mom’s smile was as warm as the day was. “You must be Sheridan.”

When she got close enough, she drew me into a hug. I could’ve collapsed in it. How could a small action be so instantly accepting and welcoming? “Nice to meet you.”

“This is my mom, Magnolia,” Jasper said, and the affection in his voice tugged at my heart. The Dukes were a tight-knit family. “And this is my dad, Weston.”

When Magnolia let me go, Weston clasped my hand. “I hear you took Jasper on.”

“It was an easy decision,” I said. “And my best one yet.”

Jasper was standing shoulder to shoulder with me, but he wasn’t touching me. This would be how it was with us. All the touching in private, but he was still with me otherwise. “I try not to make her regret it.”

I smiled, but the reality of the moment sank in. No hand on my back. We were talking about work. I wasn’t introduced as a girlfriend. I was having my first fling ever, but on the outside, we were just friends.

The little twinge in my heart was a warning. One I was going to ignore.

Jasper

I waited behind Jensen for my turn to kick. He sent his shot straight to second, and Poppy gleefully got him out at first. Sheridan was playing right field, looking cute and athletic and so damn nervous. She’d asked for the position with the least amount of action.

She was clapping and cheering for her team when I caught her attention. I pointed at her and gave her a warning look. Her eyes flared, but she smiled and backed up.

I strode up to the mound. Alder was pitching. Laila had wanted to, but he didn’t want to risk it with the adults kicking, so she was behind him. I’d gotten pretty good at kickball, and I wore my athletic shoes today just so I didn’t mess this kick up.

Sheridan was going to learn she could field a ball. The woman was a mix of “diving in headfirst” ambition and insecurity. She’d probably dropped a lot of her attempts at careers and goals because everyone around had worse confidence in her than she had in herself.

I was going to fix that one kickball game and make-out session at a time.

“Don’t you dare,” Alder warned, tossing the ball in the air and catching it.

I shot him a shameless grin in return. He shook his head and pitched the ball. It bounced along the ground toward me. I timed my approach.

With a boing, it soared in Sheridan’s direction. She was locked in, but I had already taken off running. Her name rang out across the field as everyone cheered her on. The ball landed in front of her and bounced high.

She jumped to catch it. I rounded first base, but I didn’t miss the shock on her face that she fielded my kick.

Alder ran toward her, arms up. “Toss it in.”

I laughed when she shook herself and threw it. My back was to her and Alder, but I kept going. It was foolish to try to make it home, and from the way Auggie was waving his arms at third, I might not even make it to third. But I didn’t stop.

My foot hit the base just as he caught it.

“Safe!” I yelled and propped my hands on my hips.

“Way to go, Sheridan,” Poppy called. “We stopped him from getting a homer.”