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Angel screamed out with laughter under the sparkling shower shooting over them from the firetruck. She grabbed at Porter. His plan was going even better than he thought.
“Porter!” She rushed into the protection of his arms, not that it did her much good. She was soaked through and through.
Water trickled through her tight curls. Her clothes were plastered to her like a second skin. He held her tightly as they swayed under the water in a soggy two-step. She reminded him of a graceful water nymph. She leaned her head back, holding out her hands under the spray and laughing. Water dripped down her chin, her long neck, her arms and legs—dang, he’d noticed how long they looked in those shorts. His momma would wag her finger at him if she could read his mind.
He was head over heels for this girl!
Angel had tried to thank him for the clothes, but she must’ve caught the eye of some other do-gooder in the town. He hadn’t done it, though he wished he’d thought of it first. She’d kept tugging on Emily’s borrowed clothes, but… he had a different grand gesture in mind, and he was working double-time to earn her forgiveness, pre-blowup.
Cole had almost ruined that by talking about Nash though. At least his brother had the good sense to cover up the blunder, but Porter didn’t have much time. He could see that now, and he couldn’t hide Angel under the crashing water for long, in order to keep back all curious onlookers.
Grey stumbled over to them, looking like the mangiest rabbit he’d ever seen. That monster costume had clearly seen the last of its days. His brown fur was matted on one side and flattened on the other. Grey’s mother, Kris, shouted angrily at him, since she’d been the first creator of this costume before he’d made his “improvements” at the last Easter Egg Hunt. “You stop right where you are, Grey!” His mother shouted. “Charlie and Pip are terrified!”
Not anymore. Every kid knew who was behind that mask now… after their parents had to talk them down after that disastrous Easter celebration a few months ago.
When Grey refused to back off, his mother shouted out for reinforcements, giggling uncontrollably while she did it. “Merritt!” she called out to her husband. “Control your boy.”
Fortunately for her son, Pops had wandered over to the dessert table situated on the far end of the park, tucked safely away from the action, and where he’d have absolutely no competition for snarfing down the best food in the county.
Porter was surprised that Pastor Brown had ventured away from the grilling, but he’d been smug in his efforts to turn the town against him with their huge stashes of water. It would’ve worked if Porter’s mother hadn’t overheard the aunts shaking their heads over the whole affair. Their mother might pretend to be above the action, but she’d been their best spy. Sophie had told Mrs. Lindgren that the Winslows had told the Westbrooks that they were toppling the water fight champion this year, and that they were getting Maverick, Swayze, and Hunter in on it. Lori and Emma were the masterminds.
Of course… there would be no winner this time. They were all soaked, but the Slades and that ugly rabbit had done pretty well for themselves, considering that Nash was missing this year.
Grey ripped off his rabbit head. “Porter! Quit messing around. Funches has recruited the whole town against us, even Allie’s pouring bowls of water out of her apartment window above the Sticky and Sweet Honey shop. And every kid is after my blood. They all want a piece of the rabbit.”
Sounded serious.
Sky ran forward. “Kylee turned on us, and now all her giggling friends are screeching after us like witches. Maybe you could pretend to be Nash for a second, really pour on some Nash charm, and then we can get her.”
Yeah, he couldn’t last a second longer without the truth coming out. Porter turned to see Angel playing in the water next to some children. His heart lifted when he realized she couldn’t have heard, but still… mingling with everyone at the barbecue would definitely let the cat out of the bag that he had a twin. Porter needed to steal her away and fast.
He dashed back into the water to capture her arm and tug her away from Grey and Sky. Angel shook the sparkles from her hair, watching him with such a flood of affection that his insides felt all soggy. “Porter! You’re something else, you know that? I’ve never had such a blast! You were right. I really needed this. I’m so sorry! I really misjudged you from before.”
“Is that so?” Porter turned to watch the chaos on Main Street, deciding to take her the other way. He led her through the floats. The streamers whacked him across the forehead. “There might be a reason for that,” he said.
“No, you didn’t deserve my anger. The way you treat your family and the people you really care about? You really are very sweet.”
“Sweet enough to go on another date with me?”
She bit her lip. “Porter, are you sure about that? Here’s the thing—you can’t leave me hanging. I mean, normally, we’d take our time figuring things out, but I need to know… are you really interested in me, even after everything? You knowtoo much… about me.”
He laughed. “I doubt I know that much, and you don’t know anything about me… yet.” He met her startled eyes. “Let’s change that. But yes, I’m very, very interested in you.”
Her worried expression evaporated.
“What do you say we go to the waterfall?” he asked. “I have a surprise for you.”
Her eyes glittered with both amusement and suspicion. “The waterfall? Again?”
“It’s a different one… I mean, Harvest Ranch is built on a fault, so we’ve got hot springs all over this place. This one’s closer to town.”
“What about the fireworks?”
“You won’t miss a thing. They’ll be shooting them off at four different docks on the Southern Run River. I’ll take you on a raft and give you your own private show.”
Her eyes got wide. “I really love that idea… but…” Her head tilted. “What’s the catch?”
A soft rumble of mirth escaped him. “Ha! I really did mess up if I can’t make you believe that I can take you on a normal date.”
