Page 27 of And Now, Back to You

I smile. “Can I have a Post-it note?”

Jackson’s eyes flick down to my mouth, then dart quickly back up. “Who says I have Post-its?”

I roll my eyes. “Please, I know you keep them on your person.” I hold open my hand, palm up, fingers wiggling. “Gimme.”

He grumbles something under his breath then reaches for his neatly folded jacket, withdrawing a square stack of yellow Post-its. He slaps them into my hand.

I grab a stray pen and immediately start to write. Jackson leans over, trying to get a look, but I pull the paper closer to my chest, shielding it with my hand.

Jackson huffs, hovering. “What are you writing?”

“A contract,” I tell him without looking up. “So we’re both on our best behavior. If we do this, we need to be a real team.”

I hand him the finished Post-it. His blue eyes scan what I wrote, then the corner of his mouth lifts into a smirk.

I, Delilah Stewart, promise to be on my best behavior for the duration of this trip.* No picking fights, no making fun, and no parking sabotage.

*mishaps and mistakes, notwithstanding

“So you admit the parking is on purpose,” he says.

“I said no such thing.”

He laughs. A low, rough rumble. “I like the asterisk.”

“I figured if I made an absolute guarantee, you’d have your doubts.”

“Fair point.” He holds out his hand. “My turn.”

I hand over the pen and he scribbles something on the tiny notepad.

“There,” he says. I flip the pad around and read. A laugh bursts out of me.

I, Jackson Clark, promise to be on my best behavior for the duration of this trip.* No picking fights, no making fun, and no sad-face notes left on car windows.

*and will allow for mishaps and mistakes, without complaint

I laugh. Jackson smiles, pleased with himself. I set the notepad down next to my sprinkle plate and extend my hand. “Deal?” I ask.

His eyes are right on me. Shining and bright, bright blue.

His hand slips into mine. I ignore the flip in my belly and squeeze tight.

“It’s a deal.”

DELILAH STEWART: How binding is a Post-it note contract?

DELILAH STEWART: If I were to, I don’t know, somehow destroy the document . . . would the contents within still be valid?

JACKSON CLARK: What happened to the Post-it note, Delilah?

DELILAH STEWART: I spilled my coffee on it.

DELILAH STEWART: But it’s okay! I dried it off with a blow-dryer.

DELILAH STEWART: Only burned off a corner of it when it caught fire!

DELILAH STEWART: It’s still together. Mostly.