She texted back that she’d be right down then kissed Grace’s forehead. She was now sound asleep in the bed they shared. Grace wasn’t feeling well lately. She said she was under the weather, but Rose knew better. Her break up with Sal had affected Grace in such a way that she’d made herself ill. Their trip to Laughlin had been, in part, to try and get her mind off him. Grace was trying to play it off that she was better, but Rose didn’t buy it. For that reason alone, she made sure not to do anything with Vincent that might upset her sister. Her sister had enough on her mind; Rose didn’t need to add more.
Stopping to check herself in the mirror before walking out of her room, Rose took a very deep breath. She never imagined that seeing Vincent again would be this nerve-wracking.
“Where you going?”
Her mother sat on the sofa watching her novella as Rose made her way to the front door. The question was almost rhetorical. Rose knew her mother didn’t actually care, but she answered anyway.
“Outside, my friend is downstairs.”
Her mother lifted an eyebrow then asked. “How’s your sister doing? She feeling any better?”
“I think so,” Rose turned to face her. “She’s sleeping right now.”
As expected, her mom upped the volume on the television when the commercial was over and her novella came back on. She didn’t bother to ask Rose any more about Grace or the friend waiting for Rose, not even how long she’d be gone. Rose stood there for a moment waiting to see if she might ask anything else. When she didn’t, Rose didn’t say another word; she just walked out. She was long over the sting that her mother simply had no interest in being a mother to her. Rose had Grace. That was all she needed.
Shaking away thoughts of her mother and Grace, her belly began doing flip-flops as she walked down the stairs toward the picnic area where she’d told Vince she’d meet him.
Her heart danced in her chest as she turned the corner and saw him. He stood there by the picnic tables near the playground wearing faded jeans and a white tank top holding his keys in one hand and smiling big the instant he saw her. Rose remembered that butterfly-inducing smile, but somehow it was even more amazing now. Maybe it was because seeing him in a tank top that showed off his toned arms and shoulders instead of that out of place polo added to the overall picture. The girls at her school would die for him.
“Hey,” she said when she was close enough.
She hadn’t even realized it until that moment that like him, she hadn’t stopped smiling from the second their eyes met.
“Hey,” he responded; his dark eyes practically sparkled.
With her heart still galloping away, it nearly skidded to a stop when he held his arms up and outstretched them for her. “Do I get a hug?”
Grace’s words were immediately in her head. Rosie, you said he’s just a friend. Promise me that’s all this is going to be. Not only did Grace think Rose was too young for a boyfriend, she was worried about her little sister getting her heart broken. Rose was sure this fear stemmed from the horrendous pain Grace was still feeling from her own breakup, but she had to agree Vince had heartbreaker written all over him. Rose wasn’t about to add more worry to Grace’s plate, but she hugged him anyway. Hugs were harmless, right? She’d hugged some of her guy friends at school before. No biggie.
Feeling his strong arms wrap around her tighter than she’d expected then taking in the smell of his hair and feel of his warm skin against her face had her thinking twice. Being in his arms like this felt heavenly, and she prayed he couldn’t feel her heart punching through her chest.
He pulled his face away from her but still held her, looking in her eyes, the smile gone now. That tenderness she’d seen in his eyes at the shower made an appearance. For a moment she thought he might kiss her, so she pulled back. “You got here fast.”
She started toward the picnic table, her insides still going wild. Was he actually going to kiss her? He couldn’t. Could he? No, no, no. She promised Grace. The last thing she wanted was to upset Grace in any way right now.
“Yeah, it wasn’t as far as you and Sal made it sound.”
Rose sat on the picnic table that directly faced her and Grace’s bedroom window. She knew Grace would be worried when she woke and Rose wasn’t there. With that in mind she started to text Grace to let her know where she was.
“But I’m right here, Rose. You don’t have to text me,” Vince teased.
“I’m not texting you,” she teased right back.
“So who are you texting?” His tone had changed a little, and she glanced up at him to see his eyebrow lifted, but he still smirked. “I’m just curious.”
“My sister—she was asleep when you got here. I just don’t want her to worry when she wakes.”
She sent the text then brought her attention back to Vincent. He hadn’t changed at all since she’d last seen him, but something had. Completely. While he’d unnerved her at the shower a few times with his flirtatious smirks and comments, she now felt more than unnerved. The excitement of being here with him was unreal. She really hadn’t thought she’d see him again and certainly not this soon. Sure, he was related to her sister’s boyfriend, and she figured at the time she’d run into him eventually, but with his being so far, she didn’t think it’d be often.
Her heart had done a few somersaults the day of the shower, but that was nothing like the way her heart felt now seeing the way he gazed at her. The fact that he’d come to see her and that he’d been good because he wanted to spend the summer here—near her—had her head spiraling now in delight.