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“I just got a chicken to talk. Well, it was a guy in a rooster suit, but I got him to talk.” She beamed at Neilson.
“Nice work,” he replied, a smile tugging at the edges of his lips.
“Actually, we need your help. Lucy’s got a project, and we could use your expertise to install security.” William put his hand out for Neilson.
The newest project of The Butterfly House was a safe haven for women—a secure place to live while they got back on their feet. His father had donated William’s old family home to the Foundation when he and Teresa moved to Tortola. Turned out his dad had a heart after all. Lucy immediately went to work to change the zoning and renovate the property into apartments. Point two of why she needed an assistant.
Neilson shook William’s hand. “Involve chickens?”
Lucy scowled at him and punched his shoulder. “No. Although...that’s not a bad idea. Build a chicken coop. Maybe even get some horses.”
William couldn’t help the laugh that escaped his lips. “Whatever you want, Luce.” He ran a hand over the small of her back. “Neilson, we’ll be in touch to discuss the security of the livestock. We’re off to find the funnel cake guy.”
“Sounds good.” Neilson squeezed Lucy’s shoulder as he passed. “Have fun.”
Lucy smiled at him before he disappeared into the crowd.
Turned out there really was a booth that sold funnel cakes with headless chicken Peeps on top.
“How much for a bag of the marshmallow heads?” William asked the concession guy.
“No one’s ever asked that before,” he replied. “Twenty dollars, I guess?”
“We’ll take them. And whatever Lucy wants.” William tugged out his wallet.
Lucy’s eyes lit up, and the way her face went soft for William when the concession guy handed over the huge bag of marshmallows made it worth every dollar.
They stopped at a table near the kid’s play area where toddlers climbed on oversize plastic farm animals. The bluegrass band on the stage warmed up for their set, and Lucy dusted the powdered sugar from a chunk of funnel cake. Yeah, life was pretty amazing these days.
“I confess I’ve been thinking.” Lucy sat beside him and leaned her shoulder against his arm.
“We’re confessing? What’re you putting on the line?” He breathed in the scent of coconut on her hair. Heaven.
She held up the bag of marshmallow heads.
“Must be serious if you’re willing to put your heads on the line.” He reached into his pocket. “I’ve got keys to the truck and my last stick of gum. You go first.”
She flicked at the powdered sugar on the side of her plate. “I confess I’ve been thinking that maybe we should start planning our family.”
Warmth that had nothing to do with the summer filled his gut. He turned her to him and ran the pad of his thumb along her jaw, studying the freckles on her nose. There were eight of them. He’d counted.
“Are you ready for that?” he asked seriously.
“Yes,” she said.
He swallowed. Hard. “That’s amazing, Luce. That’s?—”
And then she kissed him, and she was his.
And he could breathe.
