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OUR GREATEST ADVENTURE

“Well.” I took a deep breath. “I wasn’t nervous before.”

I stepped onto the green. Originally, I thought we’d sit by the fire and talk about our future.

There’d be questions, and I’d assure him my decision hadn’t been based solely on him.

Then we’d hold hands while we counted the stars.

Depending on the mood, it’d end in a frisky session with some cuddling and pillow talk.

Firefly had other plans.

Staring down the path, I could see the gradual slope of the park leading toward the cement chess tables.

If it weren’t for the trees, I’d be able to see Bobby playing chess with his father’s friends.

What could I see? Rita was standing in the doorway of the coffee shop recording me on her phone.

Dorothy and Simon were pressed against the glass at the bistro.

Even Jason and Amanda had stepped outside the coffee shop to watch.

The townspeople had smiles stapled on their faces.

Amanda pointed at me and pumped her fist in the air.

I understood dating Bobby required sacrificing my privacy.

Unlike the tabloids, Firefly wanted to share in the success of our relationship.

Yes, they were nosy. Yes, they lacked boundaries.

Yes, their energy pushed me to take the first step.

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Firefly had gotten under my skin. They had inducted me and invited me into their community. I picked up my pace as I thought about that first interaction with Gladys. I had gone from vacationing interloper to part of Firefly’s story.

We all wanted a happy ending.

I picked up my pace. The speed walking turned to jogging as I followed the path past the flower beds. I rounded the gazebo, fists pumping. I couldn’t help but laugh at the absolute ridiculousness of the situation, and yet… this would be the story I told when people asked about Bobby.

For the briefest moment, a pang of fear flashed through my head that this wouldn't end with fireworks.

The fear of the unknown sank beneath the thought of spending night after night reading a book and holding hands.

The specifics might not be clear, but I didn't doubt that Bobby held an equally bright flame for me.

I could see his back. The four of them sat around a cement table, playing chess while bundled up in hoodies and wool knit caps.

Abraham’s head leaned to the side, watching as I charged down the path like a madman.

Walter and Harvey, despite their confused expressions, gave a slight wave.

When they returned to their game, Abraham continued staring, the edges of his lips creeping upward.

“Bobby,” I shouted.

Even without his signature flannel, I could spot him a mile away.

It was chilly enough he opted for a hoodie, but as always, he had his overalls.

When he turned around on the cement stool, I couldn’t quite place his expression.

Shocked? Confused? Lost as to why half the town had moved to the edge of the green?

I veered off the path, cutting through the grass. Bobby stood as I came barreling toward him. I tried to stop. The wet morning grass had other plans. My foot skidded, slipping out from under me. Bobby reached out, trying to catch me, but I fell, sliding along the dew-soaked grass.

“Oh God,” he said, “Are you okay?”

“He’s safe!” Walter yelled.

I tasted dirt. The chilly moisture already pushed through my shirt and matted it against my chest. I rolled over onto my back to see Bobby and Harvey standing over me. My grand gesture wasn’t going quite according to plan.

I gave a slight wave. “Hey there.”

Bobby reached down, pulling me to my feet.

Now that I had blundered my entrance, I didn’t know where to begin.

I wanted to throw my arms around Bobby and squeeze him until he realized I wasn’t going anywhere.

Maybe if I blinked in Morse code, he’d be able to decipher the million emotions stampeding through my chest.

“Ahem,” Walter said. When we didn’t look, he repeated himself. “AHEM.”

Abraham’s friends remained as questionable as ever. I was about to make a comment when he shook the paper in his hands. There, on the front page, I spotted Will’s article.

“As I was saying,” Walter continued. He folded the paper, reading the bottom of the article aloud.

“Chris Wilde’s greatest role isn’t one that will ever be captured on film.

It’s the role of a man who found love, found belonging, and ultimately found himself in the most unexpected of places.

And for that, Firefly will always be his greatest adventure. ”

Bobby’s eyes fixated on me. He stared until I could feel my cheeks burning. Will tore the words from my heart and made them more eloquent than I ever could. Is this where we kissed and called it a day? When I got home, I needed to start watching the Romance Channel.

“Is the article true? Did you really turn it down?”

I nodded.

“For me?”

I wanted to lie and say yes. It felt like the romantic thing to do, and in a movie, it would be the right choice. In reality, I wanted Bobby to understand the immensity of my decision.

“I haven’t been happy with my career for a while. If I said yes, I’d be going back to the same life. In the last couple of months, I realized I don’t want the same life.” I want you. Just say it. It’s sappy. Walter would give me grief, but it’s what echoed in the back of my head.

“So, you’re giving up your career for me?”

I shook my head. “Not for you.” I ran my palms along my shirt, trying to get the dirt and grass off. Reaching up, I dirtied his cheek. “I’m changing the trajectory of my career. And no, it’s not for you… it’s because of you.”

His eyebrow shot up.

“Did I not read it loud enough for you?” Walter asked.

I had to chuckle. “My fake boyfriend isn’t so fake anymore.

I came to Firefly to escape, and this handsome man came to my rescue.

” I stepped closer, closing the distance between us.

“It wasn’t telling the reporter we were dating that saved me.

I had never thought about being content in life until I met you.

That play reminded me I can be happy and still make a difference.

Bobby Wright…” I wrapped my free hand around his waist, pulling him against my wet shirt.

“I finally know what I want to be when I grow up: happy.”

His words were barely a whisper. “What’s that?”

I smiled. “Happy.”

The sound of Walter hurling ruined the moment. Harvey stood behind the man, patting him on the back. “I know, I know. That was disgustingly sweet. You’ll be okay.

“Help,” Walter cried. “I need my insulin.”

Harvey reached into his pocket and pulled out an imaginary syringe, stabbing Walter in the thigh. “You’re going to make it. Don’t die on me now!”

“It’s official,” I said. “I love Firefly.”

“You can’t give up??—”

I put a grass-stained finger to Bobby’s lip. “This decision means I’m not giving up anything. I’m walking away the winner.”

“He’s coding,” Harvey yelled.

Walter draped himself across the table, knocking chess pieces onto the ground.

Walter continued, trying to resuscitate his companion.

Meanwhile, Abraham hadn’t budged. For a moment, I feared he didn’t approve of the article.

Then I spotted the smile on his face. I didn’t know what the future held, but I would do everything in my power to make Bobby happy.

“Ignore them,” Bobby said. “Harvey’s a drama queen.”

“I know.” I knew more about these people than I did my neighbors of nine years. At first, I had feared them nosing their way into my business. I couldn’t think of better witnesses for my grand gesture.

“Bobby.” I turned his face down. “It’ll take some navigating.

I’ll have to travel for meetings, but I can buy an extra ticket.

You on the red carpet would give the tabloids something to talk about.

I can do my first round of auditions here and fly to Hollywood if needed.

But ultimately…” I poked him in the chest. “I want to come home.”

“That’s how it’s done,” Laurel cheered.

I rested my forehead against his, offering a peck on the lips. “Bobby Wright, I’m falling in love with you.”

He pulled me tight. With a quick shift of the hips, I felt like I was falling as he dipped me. I clung to his neck to keep from dropping to the grass. Hovering over me, Bobby smiled. “There’s no thinking about it,” he said. “I fell our night in the woods.”

When Bobby leaned in to kiss me, I ignored the soaked shirt or grass peppering my jacket.

It didn’t matter that Harvey was in the throes of death or that Laurel hooted and hollered.

I hardly noticed the cheers echoing from around the green.

I smelled the vanilla from his beard as his lips pressed against mine.

As I ran out of air, he pulled away, standing me upright.

“And that’s how you do a grand gesture,” he whispered.