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He grabbed her hand and led her from the room into the next one through an adjoining door. “We also have coats and blankets and sleeping bags.”
His excitement was nearly palpable and so very contagious as he took her down the hall into a huge kitchen that she couldn’t help but giggle. “And we have dinner every night as well as some bags of food to take with them like juice and granola bars and…what is that look for?”
Heedless of the warning sirens blaring in her brain telling her that this was a very bad idea, she grabbed his face between her hands and planted a firm kiss on his lips. “Dean Carlisle, you might have just won husband of the year as well.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Dean
Nine Years Earlier
Dean skipped a rock across the pond. Then he kicked a clump of grass. Then he pulled a few random weeds out.
“How long can a graduation possibly be?” He muttered the question into the empty space around him with a grunt. He was still annoyed that Jillian only was allowed to have four guests at her graduation and every spot had been claimed by her parents, brother, and grandfather.
He sank down onto Fredrock and turned his attention back to her house in the distance, hoping to see any sign of movement that she was home. Waiting was most definitely not his strong suit.
Finally after nothing short of an eternity had passed, the back door of her house slid open and Jillian sprinted across the lawn toward their spot—still wearing her cap and gown, a fact he found incredibly amusing. Even more so when she had to hold a hand on the hat to keep it from flying off as she ran.
Dean stood and opened his arms, catching her in a firm bear hug. “You did it, Jilly!”
She pushed back on his shoulders slightly so she could look him in the eye. “I did! And I didn’t throw up or run away either, so that is a total win.”
With a deep chuckle, Dean lowered her back down onto her feet. “Definitely counts as a win to have a vomit-less graduation ceremony.” He stood back and eyed her up and down. “I thought your parents were taking you out to dinner after the graduation. Why are you still wearing all that?”
She ducked her head and looked up at him through her lashes. “You couldn’t be there and I wanted you to see me, so I put it back on.” Her fingers traced the lettering on the gold stole around her neck that declared her Valedictorian status in bold, black letters.
“Oh!” She hiked up the skirt of her robe and fished around in the hidden pocket of the white dress she wore beneath it. She entered her passcode into her phone and held it out to him. “Brad recorded my speech for me. Want to watch?”
He took the device with a broad smile and sat down on Fredrock, patting the smooth stone beside him. “This definitely classifies as must see TV.”
Jillian grinned back at him and took a seat beside him, drawing her legs up so her knees pressed into her chest. “All you’re missing is the popcorn.”
“I’m good like this.” Dean put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him, holding the device out so they could both watch. “Now hush, this is rumored to be the speech of the century.”
Resting her forearms on her knees, she shook her head. “Not even close there, Sparky.”
The images on the screen blurred and then the audio cut out. Jillian gasped and grabbed the phone from him. She turned it on and off then did a hard reboot. “No, no, no, no, no.” She looked up at him, the corners of her eyes glittering from unshed tears. “It’s not working. What the hell did he do wrong?”
Jillian mad was entertaining. Jillian sarcastic usually meant she was cracking jokes at his expense. Jillian passionate was a work of art.
But Jillian on the verge of tears was Dean’s only weakness.
“Hey.” He hooked a finger under her chin and brought her eyes up from the device she clutched so tightly he was sure she’d crack the glass screen to meet his. “Why would I want to watch a video anyway when I have the real thing live and in person?”
Her mouth fell open and she shook her head. “I can’t…here?”
Dean held a hand out to her and helped her stand up on Fredrock. “Take it away, Ms. Monroe. You have a completely captive audience of one.” He winked. “But don’t take too long, I don’t have popcorn and I’m starting to get hungry.”
Jillian’s eyes lit up. “Ice cream?”
He groaned and smacked the heel of his palm to his forehead. “Fine, I’ll feed your never ending appetiteafteryou deliver your valedictorian speech.”
The sun began setting just over her shoulder as she spoke, kissing her red hair with the fading light and creating a natural spotlight behind her. She fidgeted with her stole as she started speaking, but soon fell into a natural rhythm and delivered every word with passion and conviction.
Two things that defined her life.
And two things Dean couldn’t manage to discover about anything other than his best friend. Their relationship was the most precious thing in the world to him and he’d protect it with everything he had.
