Page 13

THIRTEEN

ETHAN

The diner buzzed with chatter as volunteers celebrated wrangling the tents into place. Mickey graciously accommodated us, likely past the seating capacity as some people stood at the counter. If anyone from the fire department happened by, we’d no doubt be told to disperse.

Andre moved from group to group, thanking everyone personally for their help.

I watched, admiring how gracefully he handled his organizer duties, while remembering his lips against mine.

My heart swelled with happiness every time he glanced my way and threw the sweetest smile in my direction, though joy tangled with an undercurrent of anxiety.

Excitement about someone I’d regarded as almost an enemy just days ago felt dangerous. Part of me wanted to temper these feelings, to protect myself from getting in too deep, but every time Andre’s eyes met mine, that resolve evaporated.

“You’re mooning.” Liam’s teasing voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“I am not.” I shifted my gaze to my friend, who’d slid into the booth across from me.

“Uh-huh.” He grinned. “So, about that tent…”

“Liam.” I groaned, dropping my head into my hands.

“Hey.” His tone shifted, becoming soft. He reached out and gently pulled on my right hand. “You okay?”

I lifted my head, grateful that he’d picked up on my discomfort. “I don’t know.”

“Tell me.” Liam leaned in, giving me his full attention.

I appreciated these moments with him. Despite his playful demeanor, I could always rely on Liam for honest conversation. It was comforting that we were always there for each other.

“I like him. A lot.” I kept my voice low, even though I doubted anyone was paying attention to us with the cacophony going on. “And those kisses were amazing. But having everyone find out that way…” I sighed. “You know that’s going to be in Maplewood Matters , probably with pictures.”

“Getting caught making out under a collapsed tent is a pretty epic way to announce a new relationship.”

“Not helping.” I couldn’t help smiling while I chided him. “We’re going for dessert after this. Just us.”

“Good.” Liam nodded. “You deserve this, E. I haven’t seen you this excited about someone since…” He trailed off. We didn’t need to discuss Marcus, someone I’d eventually have to tell Andre about.

“That’s part of what scares me.” I traced a pattern on the tabletop with my finger.

“This kind of spark is something I haven’t experienced in years.

The way my heart races, how a simple touch excites me.

But what if I’m making too much of it? What if he’s not as interested? Or if it’s just a summer thing?”

“First off, there’s nothing wrong with it being a summer thing if you both agree to it. And…” He paused and leaned in even closer. “What if it’s a lot more?” His whisper gave the idea a reverence I hadn’t expected.

“Then there’s an even bigger problem. I have to go back to Seattle.” The thought made my chest ache. “I’ve already been through trying long distance, and that was with someone I’d been with for a couple of years. Starting something new with that hanging over everything…”

“Listen.” Liam leaned forward. “You’ve got a couple of months and that’s plenty of time to figure out if this is something worth more than a summer.”

“Since when do you have so much romance advice?”

“I watch a lot of rom-coms. Those have taught me that being afraid of what might happen keeps you from experiencing what could happen.” He smiled and sat back, looking satisfied.

“Look, man, you owe it to yourself to see where this goes. But you need to talk to Andre. Make sure you two are in the same place.”

I glanced over at Andre, who was laughing at something Sarah was saying. As if sensing my gaze, he looked over and our eyes met. He winked at me and I swooned.

“Yeah,” I said softly. “We definitely need to talk. Thanks for listening.”

“Always.”

Andre headed our direction, looking happy. He dropped into the booth next to Liam. “This was good. I’m glad we did this for everyone.”

“Is this in the festival budget?” I had to ask, knowing how much the event had grown.

“Mickey gave us a discount, and I’ll just sort it out later.” Andre sounded less than convinced that he’d be able to sort it.

“Let me take care of it. No need to add more to the budget.”

“No, I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” Liam and I said together.

“See, he thinks it’s a good idea too.”

Andre sighed and then smiled. “All right. Thanks. It’ll be good not to have to discuss this unexpected expense with the committee.”

“Are you ready to get out of here?” The talk with Liam had me even more ready for alone time with Andre.

“Yes, please.” Andre stood and Liam and I did too.

“Thanks, man.” I extended my fist to Liam, and he bumped it.

“Have fun, you two.”

As we left, I stopped by the counter where Mickey was talking to some of the tent crew. I quietly told him to add everything to my bill.

“Will do.” He looked between Andre and me and nodded. “Hope you two have a good night.” He followed that up with a clap on Andre’s shoulder. I figured he and Liam would trade notes once we were gone.

Was the entire town trying to make this happen between us?

We walked to Special Blend in comfortable silence, our hands occasionally brushing. Each touch sent tingles through my fingers, up my arm, and straight to my heart. When I gathered the courage to briefly take Andre’s hand and squeeze it, the warmth of his skin against mine made my breath catch.

Part of me wanted to intertwine our fingers and never let go while another part held back, wondering if I was setting myself up for heartbreak by feeling too much too soon. But the smile I caught out of the corner of my eye made those doubts seem unimportant, at least for now.

Special Blend’s windows glowed warmly in the twilight, a Pride flag crafted from painted coffee beans hanging alongside Happy Pride! painted on the window. Small multicolored twinkling lights around the window shimmered. There were only a few customers inside. Ideal for a private conversation.

The bell chimed as we entered, and the familiar scent of coffee and maple welcomed us. The cafe’s lighting was softer than during the day, with small lamps on each table creating intimate pools of warm light.

“There’s a nice, quiet corner.” Andre gestured toward the back.

I nodded and followed him to the table, appreciating how the location offered both privacy and a view of the relaxed setting.

Clara’s daughter Jenny was working and came over to take our order. “No coffee?” she asked when we both ordered hot chocolate.

“Some of us actually want to sleep tonight,” Andre replied.

“Fair enough. Although as much work as you both did with those tents, I suspect coffee wouldn’t keep you up.” She keyed our order into the tablet she held. “And for treats?”

“Two maple tarts,” I said. “Perfect accompaniment to the cocoa.”

“That sounds delicious,” Andre added. “Same for me.”

“Great choice. One of my favorite combos.” Jenny headed off to get our order, and silence fell between us.

I took a deep breath, sorting out what to say.

“About earlier…” I started.

“The kisses?” Andre’s voice was soft.

“Yeah. I wanted to apologize. I shouldn’t have?—”

“Don’t.” Andre reached across the table and took my hand in his. “I liked it. A lot. Actually…” He ducked his head slightly. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a couple of days now.”

My heart soared. “Really?”

“Really.” He looked back at me, his hands enveloping mine. “Though I’ll admit, getting caught by half the town wasn’t how I planned our first kiss to go.”

I chuckled. “Yeah. Not my favorite moment. Based on the looks we’re getting, I suspect everyone knows by now.”

“Oh, I think everyone knew before Milo labeled the first tent pole.” Andre’s thumb traced circles on the back of my hand, sending shivers up my arm. “Speaking of Milo, I’ve wanted to ask. Does he live in town? I don’t think I’ve seen him.”

“No, he’s from Montpelier. He came to camp because he found out Dix was coaching. Tommy’s family is hosting him during the session.”

“Milo and Tommy seem to have become fast friends. I didn’t know Tommy signed.”

“He’s been learning.”

“That’s cool. They certainly worked well together.”

“They do on the ice too.” I smiled, thinking about the on-ice chemistry they’d built in just a few days.

Jenny arrived with our hot chocolates and tarts. The aromas of chocolate, maple, and pastry made my mouth water.

“Mmmm. So good.” Andre dug right in and ended up with a small bit of custard on his lower lip. It took all my resolve to not lean across the table and kiss it away. “I’m thinking that couple energy is building between us. Is it too soon to say that?” Andre covered his mouth as his eyes went wide.

“So much has changed since I’ve been back.” A small chuckle escaped me. “I dreaded having to work with you, and now… well, I enjoy not only doing the festival stuff but also just hanging with you.”

His smile was gentle and intimate, something he shared with me more and more. This time it gave me goose bumps.

“God, and then you give me that smile and I swear I could melt.”

His glance flicked down to the table, to the wall, and back to me. All the while, he scrubbed a hand over his head.

“So.” Andre’s expression turned serious and I braced for something bad. “I’d like to go on a proper date with you. Do something that’s not festival planning or tent disasters.”

My heart rate picked up. “I’d like that too. Actually…” I gathered my courage. “Would you like to come over for dinner? Either tomorrow to celebrate the evening before the festival begins or the next night to celebrate the first day?”

Andre considered this, his brow furrowing. Then his face cleared. “Tomorrow. I don’t want to wait.”

“Yeah?” My smile probably looked ridiculous, but I didn’t care.

“Yeah.” He squeezed my hand again. “It’ll be great to hang out away from an audience too.”

“Agreed. That’s why I suggested coming over, to get us out of view.”

We sat in silence for a moment, goofy grins plastered on our faces. I imagined that people sitting up front were texting about how we were sitting close in the corner.

“So, I’ve been wanting to break in the new kitchen. How does salmon with roasted vegetables sound? Or pasta with a light cream sauce?”

His eyes lit up as if surprised I could cook. “The salmon sounds perfect. I’ll bring dessert. Any requests?”

“I’ll leave that to you.”

We finished our treats, talked about the festival opening, and traded stories about past events. When Andre’s hand found mine again, it was so right. Joy flooded through me.

We said our good nights to Jenny and headed outside to the coolness that had settled in with the sun down. Without discussing it, we headed toward the library. I was parked nearby, and I imagined Andre was in the lot.

“I need to get some things from my office,” Andre said when we got to the quiet building. “I know we shouldn’t, given how fast news travels.” He stepped closer. “But I want to kiss you good night.”

I glanced around the empty street, then back at Andre. “And I want you to.”

This kiss was softer than our first two but no less electric. When we parted, Andre’s smile made my knees weak.

“Tomorrow?” he asked.

“Tomorrow. Seven o’clock?”

“Perfect.” He kissed me once more, quick and sweet, before stepping back. “Have a good night.”

“G’night.”

As I walked toward my car, I heard music coming from the theater, no doubt a rehearsal for an upcoming show. I could stop and check it out and see my moms but decided against it so I could just bask in my time with Andre before having to answer any more questions about it.