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“Willow, I can’t…” Closing his eyes, Asher set his jaw.What am I doing?Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and tried to find the rhythm. Willow’s hand found his, her fingers laced through his own, and they began to move together.
“See? You absolutely can dance.”
“I wouldn’t call this dancing. I would call this swaying from side to side.”
When Willow laughed, her eyes reminded him of the stars in the sky.
“They’re going to light the bonfire soon. Just before midnight.”
“That can’t be long from now.”
“Then it will be officially my mom’s birthday.” Her eyes caught his, then darted away for a second or two. “Thanks for coming…and for not judging my family. I know this is strange, but it’s fun, right?”
“Your parents are amazing. And yes, this is a lot of fun. Life with your mom never gets dull.”
“That is true. Life was never dull growing up.”
Laughing, Asher tugged her closer, not able to have her stand so far away. “You have to admit this party is pretty amazing.”
“And that’s evenwithoutyou making a succulent terrarium.”
He grinned as her eyes danced. “Exactly, although maybe I’ll get a chance before we head home. I would like something to remember this.”
The music stopped, and the band stepped back from their positions, all except the main singer.
“We’re just about to begin the countdown, so if everyone could get ready…”
A bit confused, Asher rubbed at the line between his eyebrows. “Countdown?”
Willow nodded, putting her arm through his and snuggling in a little closer. They’d done this so many times before, but this time, it felt different. “My mom wanted a countdown to midnight.”
“Like New Year’s Eve?”
A breath of laughter escaped her. “Yes, exactly like New Year’s Eve, except on a much smaller scale. We are going to have a few fireworks too, I think.”
“It’s a countdown to Meredith’s actual birthday.” In a second, Asher realized what she meant. “I forgot it was tomorrow, not today.”
“Yup—birthday incoming in about ten seconds!”
The countdown began, and Asher found himself counting along with everyone else. It was exactly the sort of thing Meredith would do.
“Ten…nine…eight…seven…”
What will we do when the countdown ends?
“Six…five…four…three…two…one! Happy birthday!”
Everyone cheered, and somebody began to hammer a fast, exciting rhythm on the drums. The band burst into ‘Happy Birthday,’ and almost everyone started singing with gusto. Everyone around them was hugging, laughing, cheering…
The noise was deafening, but for Asher, it all suddenly went very quiet. He couldn’t even hear his heartbeat. It was as if he were sitting out in the middle of the lake, with no one around except for Willow. Looking down into her face, he saw her smile. Fireworks began to explode overhead, reflected in her eyes. And then, in the next second, all of his dreams came true at once.
Willow’s mouth was on his, her lips searching eagerly. Shock tore through him, and he froze, struggling to know how to respond.
This can’t be happening.
It was as if everything fell into slow motion. Her hands were on his shoulders, running down his arms and then climbing up his back toward his neck. She pushed her fingers into his hair, sending sparks running down over his skin, to the very tips of his toes.
And then, he was on fire, his desperate need for her burning furiously. He could hardly contain himself, passion roaring to life, lifting its fierce head as though it were a fiery horse that had been bridled for too long. It was too much. Too much and too little at same the time. He wanted to stop, wanted to pull back and tell her that he loved her, that he’d loved her for so long…but he couldn’t. She was still kissing him, and all Asher could do was kiss her back.
