Page 60 of Run to Me

Congratulations, birdie. I’m happy for you.

Chewing my lip, I consider how to respond. I shouldn’t say I want to jump into his arms and let him spin me around in celebration and plant a big kiss on my smiling lips. Such romantic gestures are better left to someone else’s dreams, not mine. Instead, I keep my message simple.

Me

Thank you.

20

JENSEN

Jake

Wedding decorating party at my house on Friday.

Brody

As chairperson of the Walford Decorating Committee, I approve this message.

Rock

I don’t decorate.

Jake

Dress comfortably because we’re getting dirty.

Rock

Don’t celebrities hire people for this shit?

Brody

Define dirty.

Jake

We’ll feed you.

Rock

I’m in.

Me

Brody

What kind of dirty, Jake?

Answer me, bro.

Maisy shared a win with me, and that, in itself, is a win. A small one, but I’ll take whatever scraps she tosses my way.

“You’re whistling.”

I glance up from the notebook in my lap. Trevor’s standing in the middle of the half-finished deck in his backyard, hands on his hips, rocking his khaki shorts and white crew socks with athletic sandals. We spent the morning installing the substructure and laying part of the decking, but now we’re taking a lunch break.