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Funches’s eyes lit up and he grinned over at Porter. “You think so? Then I wouldn’t have to see these dorks every time I went into town for snacks.”
She frowned. Clearly, Funches wasn’t a tree hugger. That was the last time that she’d use reverse psychology.
“Hope they sell lots of Fresca,” Porter said with a wink. “They’d make a fortune setting up their place next to Funches.” He hit the rusty side of the man’s truck to signal that they were out of the way. “See you on Saturday.”
The old man peeled off in a cloud of black smoke.
She sighed. Cadence needed to get Funches alone. She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t explain everything that was happening to them in front of Porter, only she’d always had the sense that Lacy was a forbidden topic around him. Porter always clammed up when she talked about Lacy. It made more sense now. He must despise Lacy for being such a bad influence on his twin.
Porter draped a quilt around her shoulders as they walked through Main Street. He squeezed her close to him, and she allowed herself to enjoy his protective embrace. Cadence leaned against his chest. The steady sound of his beating heart competed with the loud motors idling on the street next to them. Traffic was at a complete standstill. The vehicles were bumper to bumper in a line that stretched clear out of town. The headlights illuminated their pathway over the sidewalk ahead. Porter and Cadence couldn’t get a moment of privacy with all the honks and offers for rides.
“No thanks!” Porter waved them off like a celebrity as they made their way to her building in this quaint part of historic downtown. He certainly didn’t care about being seen with her. In fact, he’d flaunted her to all of his friends and family whenever he could. This was so different from Lacy, but then again, she should stop the comparisons already. This was a man who did nothing in secret, and Lacy? Well, Lacy lived for intrigue.
Eventually, they reached the cute yellow door on Maple Street, and just like every time they’d reached this part of their date, her heart gave a little pang at being separated again, especially after today. Porter was more than someone who brought her joy every time they met, but a thoughtful soul with worries and dreams. She was beginning to care about him deeply.
He studied her face, his arms tightening over her. Apparently he was feeling the same reluctance to part ways. “Keep the quilt,” he said. “It looks good on you.”
Her fingers bunched over the heavy material. “I’ll bring it back tomorrow. Oh, and don’t worry about picking me up. Pastor Brown is coming to visit your momma, and she asked him to drive me up too.”
“Pastor Brown?” His forehead wrinkled with concern. Clergy visits must be a reminder that his mother was preparing to make herself right with God. He immediately dropped the subject, and found her fingers. He brushed a kiss over her knuckles. She melted at the sweet move. Porter was turning more and more into her Knight in Shining Armor. “Don’t keep me waiting long,” he said.
“I’ll be sure to hurry the good pastor along,” she joked. “I’m not actually sure what time we’re coming, but he said sometime in the early afternoon.”
“I’ll be waiting.” He leaned over her and ran a gentle kiss over her lips. The answering hoots and hollers from the traffic jam had her giggling. He pulled back and threw a sheepish glance behind them at whatever hecklers he found there. She noticed the two cowboys from the water fight two trucks down. They were closing in on them. Porter blocked her from them with his shoulder and went in for another kiss.
“Awww’s” followed that one. That was two females in a Jeep across the way.
Cadence giggled and stepped back, finally realizing that Porter didn’t have a way out of town. “How are you getting to your truck?” She clasped his arm. “Is it my turn to walk you home?”
He laughed. “Not a chance. You need your rest.” He tapped her nose, his expression filled with the adoration that she’d felt in his lips. “I’ll be fine. Look around us. In case you didn’t notice, we’re surrounded by our neighbors. I’ll hitch a ride.”
“Okay,” she said. “But Funches is right—don’t let anybody jump you with a water gun.”
“Are you kidding? I hope they do.” He was still glistening with sweat under the moon. It was the hottest day yet this year, and the week ahead only promised to get worse. He tugged at his collar. “I wouldn’t complain if they dumped the whole Southern Run River on me.”
“In that case.” She pointed to the two cowboys that she’d noticed earlier. “I think that’s Mike and Ike behind you.”
He rolled his eyes and turned. “Ah, yup… Mikeand Walt. Wish me luck.” He gave her one last kiss against her cheek and headed for the two men. He held his hands up in surrender. “What do you say about giving me a ride to my truck?”
“Sure!” They took out their squirt guns and shot a stream of water straight into Porter’s face.
He glanced back at Cadence with a smirk. “Save yourself!”
She had every intention. With a quick wave, she ducked inside, laughing all the way up the three flights of stairs. This town! It was as darling as Emily had described. As soon as she pushed her way inside the apartment, she found her phone on the bedside table and texted her friend. “You didn’t tell me that Porter had a twin, Emily! Ha! That’s why he’s been acting so weird, because his twin is such a… such a…”
Well, maybe that was rude… but West was a little intimidating sometimes, and Porter? Well, he might be gorgeous, but he was as down to earth as Harvest Ranch.
“They’re just nothing alike,” she finished the text, then sent it off.
When was Emily getting back her phone? If it had been destroyed somehow, Emily could still keep her number and get Cadence’s messages eventually… right?
Cadence went to the packages of clothes that had been delivered this morning, remembering that there were some PJs in there. They’d been silky and pink and perfect for falling asleep in. Wow, Porter was just too perfect.
He wasn’t like his twin at all, was he?
So weird! Deciding that she’d shower in the morning, she dressed for bed and flipped off the light before falling against the covers. She stared up at the ceiling.
The faucet dripped in the bathroom.
