Page 10 of Well Aware

Which I commented on.

She flushed.

“My dad was Japanese and my mom was Georgian royalty. Savannah, Georgia royalty,” she teased. “My parents died at a young age, but my aunt Daisy picked up the mantle and made sure we were well adept at manners and all that jazz. She’d roll over in her grave if she knew that I had my elbows on the table or my napkin not in my lap.”

“Southern charm.” I snapped my fingers. “That’s what I noticed.”

She smiled, and it was so unguarded that I had trouble staring at her while she aimed it my way.

The rest of lunch went great, and we stayed there talking well into the evening hours.

It was around seven when I got the call from Court that the car wasn’t going to be done that day.

I offered to give her a ride outside The Mercantile but she shook her head.

When she stretched up onto her tiptoes to kiss my cheek, I turned my mouth into the kiss.

She gasped against my lips, her fingers digging into my pecs.

I took advantage, deepening the kiss until we both pulled away breathlessly.

Our eyes locked, and there was an exchange of understanding. Need.

I caught her by the hip and brought her back into my body. “I’m not usually so forward but…”

“Yes, I’ll go home with you.”

THREE

I miss the simpler times when all we had to worry about was Team Edward or Team Jacob.

—Magnolia to Merrill

MAGNOLIA

Mama!

I signed back at Iris as I spoke aloud. “Yes, baby?”

Soccer?

“Yes,” I signed. “Merrill will bring you up to the field once the rental car gets here. Okay? Then we can stop for chicken nuggets for dinner?”

There was a soft beep-beep from outside, and I blew Iris a kiss.

She hated hugs and anything physical. Not even for me would she tolerate it. At least not if she wasn’t the one to initiate.

If she initiated, she was a-okay with touching. But it had to be on her terms.

Beep-beep.

The Cowgirls had sent a car for me.

Iris smiled as I called out to tell her I was leaving, and I booked it to the town car that waited at the curb for me.

I looked over my shoulder at Merrill.

“Go.” She rolled her eyes. “We’ll get through it. We got along swimmingly last night. Plus, I’ll get her dropped off to you once the car gets here so you can go through everything you’ll need to with the team.”