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I stared down at my hand. “Yes, well, the reality of it is crazy and,” I sniffled, “Rory Ferguson, you surpri
se me every damn day.”
“That’s a good thing, right? I know today is your day and all. And I shouldn’t have horned in.”
“No.” I went up on my toes and kissed him. “No, it’s absolutely perfect.” I stared at the ring and had to use my pinky to straighten it since the stone was so large it kept twisting.
“Besides, I want the whole town to see a ring on your finger. Once they start tasting your ice cream, they’re going to try to steal you from me.”
I laughed. “Never.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Now maybe we open a little early?”
I looked down at my watch. It was just after eleven. “Ice cream for breakfast isn’t a bad thing, right?”
He rubbed his belly. “I know it works for me.” He walked around to the front of the truck and waited at the edge of the shutters we’d put up to keep some of the details a secret. Most of the town knew, but we’d added a few new flavors after some taste-testing.
I went to the other end and we lifted them up, securing them with the huge hooks August had installed for me.
After jogging to the front of the truck, I turned on the music, using the app on my phone that Rory had made work with the ancient radio. I pressed play on “Start Me Up” and it blared out of the speakers.
I slipped into the back of the truck and opened the window to peek out. “Rolling Cones is open for business.”
I turned to find Rory next to me, ice cream scooper at the ready.
“I’d like a banana split, please.”
I laughed out loud at my brother’s voice. He and Kinleigh were waiting in front of the window.
“You know we had to be your first customers.” Kinleigh put her hand on August’s shoulder to boost herself up a little. “I’d like a Paint It Black Cherry cone please. You know, in honor of the Stones.”
“Coming right up.”
“What would you like for your flavors on the banana split, sir?”
August’s lips twitched. “Traditional. I’m that kind of guy.” He smiled down at Kinleigh, who quickly removed her hand.
“Boring. Look at all those flavors.”
“I like what I like.”
Hmm, that was odd. Kinleigh and August’s teasing had an extra layer of snark today, and the look they exchanged had been almost…sparky.
What the hell?
I didn’t have time to think about it. The orders came fast and furious after that. I scooped so much ice cream that my shoulders ached. More sprinkles and caramel got caught in my ring than anything.
And everyone asked about it. Including my brother when he wound back around later in the afternoon.
He was happy for me—for us. But there was more than a little sibling worry in there too.
I barely had time to focus on his concern with all the scooping and squealing from the patrons. The rock of Gibraltar I was wearing was the talk of the town as much as my flavors.
Rory made me take a break at dinner and handed me a hamburger from the cookout going on over on the pier. I might’ve almost eaten my own fingers with how fast I wolfed it down.
August worked the dinner shift, and my mother came to help for the evening. She oohed and aahed over the ring and teared up a little and hugged Rory. All very good signs. My dad was supposed to take a last shift before the fireworks, but I ran out of ice cream.
Literally, all of it—gone.
