Page 101 of Within These County Lines

He sighs, placing a hand on his hip. “You don’t have to do anything more.”

“It’s nothing extra. This is part of the night.” I grab the boutonniere from the passenger seat, hide it behind my back, then spin around for the reveal. “Ta-daaaa!”

He does a double take. “Oh my gosh! I totally forgot about these. Is that the thing that goes on my jacket?”

I nod. “It’s homemade too. I’m not sure if pink clashes with the orange, but I think brightening your ensemble is what you’re going for.” I laugh.

He takes a deep breath. “You’re incredible, Stetson.”

We stare at each other again. His golden eyes flash like the strike of a match. He bites his bottom lip, then his tongue slips out, slicking the surface. My hand flies to my neck, my pulse pounding beneath my fingertips.

“Let me put this on you,” I say.

“Yeah, for sure.”

We both move at the same time. Our heads knock together “Oh no, sorry,” I say. The tips of our noses brush as we correct ourselves.

His cheeks flush. “No, that was my bad. I went the wrong way.”

I hold up the flower and safety pin once we’re still. “Can I?”

“Yeah, I’m ready.” He turns his head to the side.

I focus on his lapel with my tongue poking through the corner of my mouth. The safety pin slips through my fingers a few times, but I eventually secure the flowers on his chest.

I don’t step back. I stay there beneath his chin, pressed against him. Close enough to count the freckles along his jawline and the patches of stubble he missed shaving. I want to reach out and run my fingertips from his chin to his ear, then slide it through his curls.

But I don’t. Instead, I just breathe him in.

“Everything okay down there?” he teases. His Adam’s apple bounces inches from my face. “I’m not bleeding out, am I?”

I snap out of it. “No,” I say, stepping back. “It looks great.” I give the flower a final tug to make sure it’s straight. Somehow it makes him look even better, an impossible thought.

He inspects my work. “It’s perfect.”

I thought Xander was the only one getting surprised tonight. I knew I’d feel good doing this for him. But what I didn’t know was that he’d make me feel everything I was missing from this past year, just like he promised in the river.

All the boys who keep promises must be invisible. No wonder everyone has a hard time dating.

He hooks his arm around my shoulder. “Ready for the dance?” he asks, raising the vodka with a grin.

Before I can respond, a woman exits the food mart with a gallon of milk. She looks our way and smiles. “You must be headed somewhere nice,” she says.

“Let’s ask her to take our picture,” I say to Xander.

Xander flinches. “No,” he says quickly. “She’s just talking to you. Remember our first picture?”

“Oh yeah, right.” I frown.

He knows the photo will turn up empty. Last time that happened, he shrank into nothing. We just have to do our best to remember the night.

I know I’ll never forget it.

43

When we arrive to Rainbow Valley, Xander asks that I check if his mom is here before he gets out of the truck. I complete a full inspection of every camp area, just like I do with pools at work.

She’s nowhere to be found.