Page 59 of All This Time

Great, now we have an audience.

Smiling, I shove my hands in my pockets. “It’s completely necessary. This way, I know you made it inside safely.”

“Fletcher, I appreciate the ride, but you can’t do this.”

“What?”

“Be all sweet. Support my business. Drive me to work.” She lowers her voice. “Feed me cake.”

I take a step closer to her so she’s forced to crane her head back to meet my eyes. “Why not?”

“Because…you’re…confusing me,” she admits on a whisper, but finally giving me a glimpse of just how much I affect her.

If only she knew how much she affects me too.

I reach up and tuck her hair behind her ear as her eyes grow heavy from my touch. “How so?”

“You know how.”

I shake my head. “Nope. I’m an idiot—been hit one too many times in the head. I need you to spell it out for me.”

Laney’s eyes flick between mine and then drop down to my lips for the hundredth time since I arrived back in town. And for a moment, I’m taken back to that night—the night she told me she had feelings for me, but I was too stupid to do anything about it. And when I wanted to, it was too late.

Laney blinks herself out of her trance, stepping away from me and averting her eyes from mine. Blowing out a breath, she hoists her purse up higher on her shoulder and then reaches for the door handle to Blossom Beauty. “See you later, Fletcher.”

“Yes you will, Laney.”

She flashes me a tight-lipped smile and then disappears inside.

But I know what I saw.

The fire that started burning when we were teenagers is still there.

The question is: is now the time to do something about it?

Or am I still going to let all of my excuses prevent me from going after the one thing in my life that I’ve always wanted, but never thought I could have?

***

“Fletcher?” Elliot comes out from the back of the Thorne Family Law Group office after I showed up unannounced and asked the receptionist if he was around.

Standing from the chair I’ve been waiting in, I reach out to shake his hand. “Hey, man.”

He reciprocates, greeting me in a more professional way than jumping into my arms as we’ve been known to do in the past. “What’s up? You need a lawyer? I have to tell you, I’m getting married in a couple of weeks, so now’s not a good time.” Pushing his shirt sleeves up his tattooed forearms, he crosses them over his chest, an amused grin on his face.

“No legal services necessary. I was in the neighborhood and just thought I’d stop by. Laney and I ordered the cake this morning, FYI.”

“Nice. Don’t tell me the flavors, though. I want to be surprised.”

“Deal.”

“Well, I’m in the middle of some paperwork, but if you want to come back to my office to chat, I can multitask.”

I shove my hands in my pockets. “Sure. Sounds good.”

After dropping Laney off, I drove around a bit and took in the town I’ve always thought of as home. There have been some changes since I was here last—new buildings, repaved roads, expanded intersections—but most things have stayed the same.

Even driving past Blossom Peak High School felt like traveling back in time. The field that held some of the best memories of my life is the same as I remember it—although, I’m sure my father has enjoyed having new players to torture with drills.