Page 55
Those words thrum through me. My thighs press tight, my insides molten. Pretending to date Shane Donovan might be the worst idea I’ve ever had.
He pulls back, and I hate how easy this seems to be for him. How unaffected he is by my presence when he hasn’t taken his hands off me all day. I guess that’s a good thing. I’m the one who made it clear this relationship is just for show. And what a show it is we’ve unleashed on the farmers market.
This is essentially Lanceleaf’s equivalent of a red carpet.
“Hi, Miss Cassidy.” Max plops into a seat at the table, flopping his slinky back and forth and smiling at Nora. “You’re not at school today.”
“It’s the weekend.” Nora smiles. “You’re not at school either.”
His eyebrows scrunch as if he can’t figure out why Nora would be anywhere but in her classroom.
“Nora has a life outside of class, tough guy.” Lawson ruffles his son’s light-brown hair, and he giggles. “She has a home like you do. Did you think she lived at the school?”
“I guess not?” It’s more of a question, and it makes Nora chuckle. “Do you think Mrs. Orion is outside too?”
“Probably.” Nora shrugs. “But I haven’t seen her here.”
His nose scrunches. “Maybe she thinks she’ll pop here.”
“Pop?” Lawson asks.
“Mrs. Orion told us she’s going to pop.”
“She’s pregnant.” Nora chuckles, clarifying. “She’s due in five weeks, so that’s probably what she means.”
“I don’t know.” Max sits up taller, his eyebrows lifted. “Will you be my teacher when Mrs. Orion pops?”
Nora gives him a gentle smile. “No, I have my own class to teach, but I bet they’ll bring in someone extra special for you. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Max smiles, and Lawson mouths “Thank you” to Nora, who nods back, while Max continues to play with his slinky.
A new band takes the stage, amping up the energy in the crowd. The group quiets as a song starts, listening to the music. Elsie is on her phone, bobbing her head to the beat, while Lawson sits back in his chair and observes the band. Shane’s thumb taps my arm, and it’s oddly comforting.
The song ends abruptly, and Nora pops out of her chair. “I’m going to grab a lemonade. I’ll uhm… I’ll be right back.”
She slips through the crowd, and I track her until she reaches the line for lemonade, which just so happens to be where my brother Will is standing. Elsie also seems to notice their awkward hello because she chuckles and shakes her head.
Nora and Will have barely begun their conversation when Asher cuts between them, teasing Nora about something that makes her scowl and him laugh.
“Who wants beer?” Aiden asks, walking up with a pitcher and a stack of plastic cups, but at the last second, he knocks the leg of a chair, and beer sloshes down the front of his pants. “Fuck.”
Elsie laughs, earning her a glare. “It’s not so easy playing bartender, is it?”
Aiden sets down the pitcher, his eyes raking over her. “Pretty sure with a little practice I could figure it out. I’m a quick learner when I’ve got a good reason.” He winks at Elsie, and she rolls her eyes. “Want me to serve you, Elsie Hart?”
“Why do you know my last name? And no thank you. I can serve myself.” She makes a show of finishing her drink, then refills it from the pitcher Aiden brought.
The two of them seem to enjoy sparring with each other. They’re oil and water, but at least today their bickering is somewhat cordial.
Shane skips the debate altogether and refills my beer without me having to ask. He’s still working on the inch of whiskey in his plastic cup as I take a sip. The drink does nothing to cool me off because the heat today is blistering, even in the shade.
I blame the sun, not the fact that Shane is right next to me in a T-shirt that shows off every curve of muscle.
It’s obscene.
“They shut down the whole town for this?” Shane says, looking around.
“Yes and no. Half the town is working. I would be if Ransack wasn’t… well… burned down. Usually, the bar runs the liquor stand.” I glance through the crowd, where the burned building taunts me from down the street.
