Page 17 of Always Him

“So glad you remembered me,” my mom says with a smile, but my dad is too busy chatting with the customers to notice her.

She rolls her eyes and sighs. “It’s a good thing I love that man.”

I snort a laugh as I press a kiss to her cheek, grabbing onto Vincent’s leash and tugging him gently into the slowly growing throng of people milling about. All around us, popup stands line the street of downtown Santa Cruz, each booth featuring different items for sale. You can find anything from fresh fruit and veggies to homemade soap and lotion. I fucking love coming down here. You can find the weirdest stuff.

“Where are those pastries again?” Finn asks.

“They’re usually all the way in the back,” I tell him as we make our way slowly through the crowd. “And you have the bag, right? Because I’m leaving here with a ton of shit, Finn. You’re not holding me back this time.”

Finn holds out a hemp bag and ruffles my hair. He tries to reel me in when we come here but is mostly unsuccessful. I have my ways of convincing him to let me go wild.

“Good, because look, I’m getting the fucking Llama Lotion this time,” I say, my eyes wandering the stands, looking for the booth with the two older ladies hunched over behind it. They look a million years old, but their skin is so shiny.

“Jesus, not again,” Finn mutters, his pinkie slipping beneath my shirt and stroking the skin of my hip.

“I want the fucking lotion, Finn. You saying no to it only makes me want it more.”

“It looks shady. You’ll probably break out in a rash if you use it.”

“You’re so judgmental. Those ladies have very soft skin.”

“They have oily skin.”

“Pfft. I’m going to buy it and you’re going to rub it all over me.”

Finn shakes his head as Vincent nibbles on someone’s skirt. I apologize profusely and then lean down a little, Finn’s hands encircling my waist as I do so.

“Don’t do that, little dude. You’re going to get us kicked out of this place and my dad would be heartbroken.”

Vincent just stares up at me, his ears twitching, and then bleats loudly.

Apparently, he’s not keen on listening to me.

“You do know he can’t understand you, right?” Finn says when I straighten back up.

I shrug and then smirk. “I don’t know why you grumble so much. You’ve been in this family for how many years…?”

“Eight years.”

“And you’re still surprised we talk to goats?”

Finn smiles at me softly and I lean in, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

He sighs and then says, “Let’s go get your fucking lotion, but don’t blame me when you end up in the emergency room needing a skin graft.”

We meander the stalls for about an hour and I purchase my lotion, a handful of exotic vegetables my dad doesn’t grow, a succulent, and a small bushel of sage and oregano.

“You’re not going to burn that shit in your apartment, are you?” Finn asks me as I bring the herbs up to my nose and inhale.

“You bet I am. She said it wards off evil spirits.”

He stares at me and I laugh. Fuck, I cannot wait to light this up in front of him and watch him grumble and moan.

“My cousin, Aspen, swears by it,” I say.

“Your cousin is insane.”

“No, he’s not. He’s just eccentric.”

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