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There are easily over two hundred people standing out in the middle of Summersweet Lane right now and shutting down the street, everyone performing a dance routine to “All I Know So Far” by Pink. A song I’ve made Ryan dance to numerous times when he came home from work.
“What the hell?” I mutter, unable to wipe the shocked smile off my face or calm my racing heart.
All my friends, all their men, Ryan’s bowling team, Shepherd’s baseball team, Quinn’s teammates from the Sharks, Emily’s cheerleaders, and half the damn island, from what I can see, are all performing a flash mob out in the street, dancing in sync and singing at the top of their lungs to the song blasting from the Tourist Information Booth speaker.
And right out in front in the middle of everyone is a nerd—who isnotwearing a shirt—shaking his ass in khakis. He’s at least five moves behind everyone else, completely out of step, but he’s singing the words to the song louder than everyone else as he looks right at me.
“How in the hell is this even happening right now?” I mutter, my eyes filling with tears as I shake my head and laugh at the completely adorable, insane, frustrating man who shut down Summersweet Lane for me to make a fool of himself.
“Ryan had me make up the dance and post a video with instructions on when to be here in the island’s social media group last night,” Emily informs me, her shoulder brushing against mine as she does the moves to the dance on the sidelines, shouting at someone when they do something wrong, like the cheerleading coach she is. “Jazz hands are in the next eight-count. Oh my God, get it together, people! You’ve had fourteen hours of practice!”
Before I can even get over the shock of Ryan setting up a flash mob for me, all of a sudden, water starts falling down on everyone out in the street. No one is even fazed that they’re getting all wet, continuing to perform their routine without missing a beat… except for Ryan, who spins around when everyone is facing forward, and then just shrugs and keeps going, dancing his fucking heart out while he gets drenched. Tears are falling down my cheeks, one right after another at this point, when I see Ryan had the fire department park their pumper truck off to the side, and they’re showering water down on everyone in the street. But the only person I have eyes for is the man singing and moving out of sync as he awkwardly dances his way over to me standing on the curb, holding his hand out and curling his finger at me.
“Get out here and fist in the rain with us!” he shouts, wiggling his hips, making me shake my head and laugh.
I let him grab my hand and pull me out onto the street, and the water falling down from the firehose mingles with my tears and washes them away as Ryan tugs me out into the middle of the crowd and makes me dance with him. We jump all around, and we sing and laugh and splash through the puddles, until the song slows down, and Ryan tugs me up against him, our sopping-wet bodies pressed together, just like the night of our first date.
We stand in the middle of the wet street, staring at each other, with people pairing off and dancing slower all around us. I feel Ryan let out a huge sigh as he tightens his arms around me and I rest my hands against his slick, naked chest, like he can finally breathe now that I’m in his arms. Dipping his head and putting his mouth right by my ear, he sings the last few words of the song to me, about being with me until the world blows up, and my broken heart is suddenly put back together again.
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, hugging me to him as I wrap my arms around his shoulders. “I love you so much. I got scared, and confused, and I was a fool, and I never should have let you walk away. I’m so sorry I didn’t believe what was right in front of me. I’m sorry I let someoneelseget in my head and make me doubt you. That mural is so beautiful, and perfect, and I love you so much for painting us there, in my happy place, so I’ll always be able to look up and remember the day my life got so much better. Butyou’remy happy place too, okay? I’m crazy about you, and I hate myself for hurting you. I promise I will never let that happen again, if you give me another chance. Come back home, Danica.Please.”
He kisses my cheek, holding his lips there for a few seconds, and I close my eyes and let out my own huge breath of relief at hearing him say these words.
Pulling back just enough to look at him, I grab his face in my hands and make him keep his eyes locked on mine. “It’s okay if you have a little doubt, or you’re a little scared. This relationship is still new, and we’re still kind of getting to know each other and build trust as we do that. But you havegotto start believing in yourself, Ryan,” I tell him as he nods in agreement in my hands. “You are just as wonderful and amazing as you think I am, and so absolutely deserving of having my positively badass self in your life. Just likeI’mlucky to have you in mine. We’re a lucky strike, baby.”
Ryan’s face lights up with a grin when he realizes why I chose those words to paint above our heads on the bowling alley mural.
“I promise I’ll do better at remembering how awesome I am.” He smiles down at me, turning his face to kiss my palm. “Does this mean you forgive me for being an idiot? I will take my shirt off and dance awkwardly in the middle of the street every day for the rest of my life, if that’s what it takes.”
“Please don’t.”
I quickly drop my hands and move away from Ryan when his dad is suddenly standing next to us, holding an umbrella over his head while a new song starts playing over the speaker, and even more people come out onto the street to dance in the firehose rain.
“Hey, I got the proper permits to shut down the street this time.” Ryan grins at his father, while I just laugh as I look at the man I love, who likes to be wild with me sometimes but still likes to follow the rules.
Mr. Hutton turns to look at me then. “You left city hall yesterday before I could say something to you, young lady.”
Here we go. Ryan might love me and finally realize he’s strong enough to handle me and deserve me, but his dad probably isn’t going to be so easy.
He pauses, and Ryan puts his arm around my shoulders, letting me silently know he believes in me, and inus, even if other people don’t.
“Nice right hook, Ms. Brewster.”
That is not atallwhat I expected to come out of his father’s mouth, and I’m even more shocked when a slow grin spreads across his face.
“We have a saying in our family. You should never throw the first punch—”
“But you damn well better throw the second,” Ryan finishes for him with a big smile on his face that matches his father’s.
“Yeah, except I kind of threw the first one,” I remind them sheepishly.
“He insulted you and my son, and he was trying to take advantage of this island. I’d say that was the first punch. I’m sorry I misjudged you, Danny. I won’t make that same mistake a second time.”
He holds his hand out, and I gladly shake it, unable to wipe the smile off my face.
“I hope I’ll see you at family dinner this Sunday?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
