I was in charge of popping the popcorn in the old-fashioned stovetop pot with a hand crank. My mom and Maggie were making the syrup on the burner next to mine. Once the popcorn was popped, I passed it off to Becca, who drizzled each batch with the sweet marshmallow syrup and tossed it together in a huge mixing bowl. Then Brady got to work in his food-prep gloves to shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cooled and set.
The countertops were lined with wax paper and a little army of popcorn-ball treats. Once we finished, we’d wrap them individually and tie them off with some orange-and-black ribbon I’d picked up at the arts and crafts store.
“Well, go on and try one, sugar,” Aunt Maggie told Corie.
“Maggie’s recipe is the best,” Larry offered, reaching for one of the cooled treats as Brady playfully batted her hands away.
I dropped off the new bottle of corn syrup with my mom before resuming my position at the stove.
“Oh wow,” Corie mumbled through a mouthful of sticky Halloween treat. “That’s so good. Sweet and salty. I love it.”
“I’m so glad, Corie, honey.” Maggie beamed. The quickest way to my aunt’s heart was to compliment her cooking. “And we’re so happy to have you join us tonight.”
Corie smiled shyly and tucked a strand of dark hair behind one ear. “Well, Larry made it sound like so much fun. Definitely worth the drive. I just love it up here. The farm is beautiful. And so is your home. I appreciate you welcoming me.”
Events with the rowdy Clark bunch could sometimes be a trial by fire, but Corie had held her own tonight amid the ruckus. And anyone could see that she made my cousin happy. Larry had always been confident and outgoing, but she seemed softer and more playful with Corie at her side.
I remembered what it was like to have someone to share a smile or a look with at these family get-togethers. To have someone to grab you a drink or to touch your back in a casual brush as they walked by. A partner to check in on you to make sure you were good. Danny hadn’t been that for me in a long time. In the end, he was mostly looking for excuses to get out of family dinners, or he’d be glued to his phone and distracted the whole time. But in the early days, he’d been happy to be here. It had been several years ago, but at one time, we’d had fun being the duo responsible for wrapping up the popcorn balls.
I watched as Larry stole a bite from Corie’s treat before smiling softly to myself. Then I went back to spinning the popcorn around and around.
We were on the last batch of kernels when Larry piped up out of nowhere, “So, Bonnie, a little birdie mentioned they saw you yesterday.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, my voice casual. I knew where this was going.
I peeked over my shoulder and saw everyone watching me expectantly as Larry feigned nonchalance and reached for a cracker. God, my family was predictable. They’d probably already discussed this in a group chat and made Larry their representative to bring it up. I nearly laughed.
“I didn’t know you’d taken up motorcycle riding,” Larry said.
I kept my attention on the popcorn popper. “Yeah, it’s pretty recent.”
“You taking lessons or something?”
I bit my lip to keep from smiling. My nosy family members had obviously heard about my afternoon ride with Jack yesterday.
Since we’d decided to date—hang out, whatever—out in the open, I hadn’t made a big deal about his invitation to hit the road after school. Jack had the night off, and it had been one of the last mild days we’d likely have for some time.
And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t gotten a little thrill when Jack had taken the long way to the parkway—the one that took us straight through the center of town, where any number of people would have seen us. Helmets didn’t hide much in a small town, especially when the residents were motivated by gossip and running their mouths.
I thought about Jack’s hand casually wrapped around my calf at the last stoplight on Main Street and fought a blush as I poured the rest of the freshly popped popcorn into the bowl.
“No formal lessons,” I finally replied. “But if I’m spending time with Jack Ellis, I figure I’ll pick up some pointers in case I want to get my own bike someday.”
It wasn’t a lie, but I didn’t really have any plans to switch out my reliable sedan for something with two wheels. I mostly liked riding with Jack, but I wouldn’t turn my nose up if he wanted to teach me how to drive.
Becca was waiting to accept the large mixing bowl so she could finish up her own part of the popcorn-ball process. Her worried blue gaze landed heavily on mine, but I gave her a reassuring smile and a pat on the arm.
I turned to face Larry and the others. Their expressions ranged from delighted (Larry) to curious (Brady) to visibly concerned (Mac) to perpetually grumpy (Will). “Before you chickens get all worked up, I’m fine. Jack and I are seeing each other, but it’s pretty casual.” I was proud of myself for not stumbling over the claim. It was true, but laid-back wasn’t really in my wheelhouse. Their approval would always mean something to me, and the apprehension was stamped clearly across their faces. But I was trying my best, and that’s what counted. “We’re adults, and you don’t need to worry.”
Maggie shared an uneasy glance with my mother, but they didn’t comment, and for that, I was grateful.
“Jack seems nice,” Becca said sweetly.
“Yeah,” Brady agreed. “He doesn’t know anything about soccer, but he’s great with the girls.”
“You could do worse,” Larry offered magnanimously.
I rolled my eyes.
