Ainsley
The town Pridefestival is chaos in the best way possible.
Music blasts from the speakers set up on the corner. Kids squeal as they run through clouds of colored powder. Even Bernard brought Buddy in a rainbow-colored tutu.
Jayden made this all possible, and our small town came through to support him. Everyone but his mother, that is. Maybe she will one day. I hope she continues with therapy to get to that point.
“Two vanilla cones, please.” Landon pushes his rainbow sunglasses to the top of his head and digs into his back pocket for his wallet.
“Hey, are you okay?” I lean in and press a kiss to his cheek.
“Yeah, I just don’t want to miss Jayden’s speech.” He cranes his neck to see inside the ice cream truck as if that’ll speed the woman along.
“He goes on in a couple of minutes. We have time, baby.”
Once we have our ice cream, Landon drags me down the street leading to the stage. We weave through the crowd as people gather around.
Evan’s head sticks up over everyone else’s. I chuckle as we approach him. “Remember when everyone called you the Jolly Green Giant in middle school?”
He glares down his nose at me. “Where did that come from?”
“I spotted you in the middle of the crowd.” I squint up at him. “You know, you’re not that much taller than Landon. I think it’s just your head that’s huge.”
“Not as big as your mouth.”
Landon snorts, and I dig my elbow into his ribs. “Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side.”
“Sorry, baby. You know I love your big, beautiful mouth.”
I arch a brow at him. “Yeah, well keep it up and you won’t be putting your big beautiful dick in it anymore.”
Landon points up at Evan. “Your head is pretty big, dude.”
Evan rolls his eyes. “You two are as mature as my son.”
I glance at Quinn and Sloane standing several feet in front of us, and lower my voice as I lean in. “Isn’t that the physical therapist you like?”
Landon’s eyebrows jump. “You like Sloane?”
Evan presses his index finger to his lips and shushes us like we’re children. “Could you lower your voices, please?”
I grin. “He definitely likes Sloane.”
“I don’t like her.” Evan’s jaw clenches as he steals a glance at her. “I just said she’s attractive. In confidence, by the way.”
I grimace. “Sorry, man. Landon is my one.”
Ivori nudges me with her shoulder. “I thought I was your one.”
I shrug. “Guess I have two now. Anything you tell me will get immediately told to them.”
Landon claps Evan on the shoulder. “Want me to introduce you? Sloane is awesome. I work with her at the clinic.”
“No, thank you. I’m not looking to date.” His eyes trail down Sloane’s body. “She’s too young for me anyway.”
I scrunch my nose. “Twelve years does sound like a lot.”
“She’s legal,” Ivori says.
