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“Okay, so I know I can’t convince you to get food, but what would I have to do to convince you to get me a frozen lemonade?”
Austin purses his lips, and I can see in his eyes he loves this idea. “I can think of a few things.” He waggles his brows, and my heart instantly aches because it wasn’t Austin that I saw in that moment but the spitting image of Tanner.
“Ew, you perv.”
“Who you calling a perv?” he shrieks. “I meant like the laundry, the dishes, the grocery shopping. I think you’re the perv.” He huffs out a long, playful sigh.
We both laugh.
“One frozen lemonade coming up.” He taps the tip of my nose with his finger.There it is again—Tanner.He always knew I hated that gesture yet constantly did it because he loved getting a rise out of me. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Before I can respond, he’s already halfway to the line. Instead of standing in the middle of the crowd, I head over to one of the picnic tables and set the panda bear down before taking a seat beside it. “Guess it’s just you and me, Mr. Panda.”
I’m adjusting the big red bow around his neck when giggles and bouncy blonde curls catch my attention above the bear’s head.
I look up to find Tripp with his niece perched on top of his shoulders. His hands hold her legs steady while she bangs her little hands on the top of his head like a bongo drum. He’s having a conversation with his brother, Leighton, and his sister-in-law, but I guess he’s rather bored with whatever they’re saying because he scans the crowd. His eyes land on me, and I give a small wave and smile. He smiles back at me, although it seems a little forced.
Earlier this week, he called asking for a second date. I told him I think we’re better off as just friends. He seemed to be okay with it, but I’m not so sure now, seeing as how his smile isn’t the same smile that he’s given me before.
Tripp finally breaks his gaze when his niece covers his eyes with both her hands. It’sthenI see a genuine, wide smile appear on his lips.
Austin approaches, holding out a cup full of the pink frozen treat. “One frozen lemonade, m’lady. They had different flavors, so I grabbed you a watermelon lemonade.”
“Ahh, you’re the best.” I grab the cup and take a long sip from the straw. My lips pucker at the tartness, and I know if I don’t slow down, I’ll be getting brain freeze. “You wanna sit and people-watch or continue walking around?”
“You good with walking around? That way, I can feel a little better about all the food I ate this morning.”
I push up from the table to stand, pulling my legs out of the bench one at a time, and tip my straw in his direction. “Hey, you only have yourself to blame.”
Austin rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Want me to carry your bear?”
“Nah, I got it. You got your little baby dragon.”
He mocks me, and I can’t help but laugh as I adjust the bear on my hip.
Tripp and his family are gone by the time we pass by where they were standing. Probably for the best to avoid a potentially awkward encounter. Hopefully, one day we can just all get past it.
“Wonder what’s going on over there?” Austin tips his head toward one area just ahead of us that has a crowd swarming around.
I shrug as I try to remember the map of the layout of the festival but am coming up blank. We push our way through the front of the crowd, and my jaw drops.
Cooper is sitting on a collapsible metal bench above a mini pool-like tank, taunting Beau, who is standing a few feet away from him, throwing another ball toward the circular target to the right of Cooper. I wonder how his mama got him to agree to work the dunk tank?
“Marshall, if you don’t hit this target, you’re gonna get double the number of drills to do on Monday,” Cooper yells with his hands cupping his mouth.
“You mean youwannabe dunked? Isn’t that like against the rules or something?” Beau shakes his head, and I have to say I agree with him. It’s a little strange, but maybe it’s a strategy?
“No, I don’twantto get dunked, but watching you miss all these makes me think I’m not doing my job right,” Cooper taunts back.
Beau lets out a loud laugh and tries once again. The pitch is fast and hard, but there’s a slight curve to it, and it narrowly misses the red circle.
Come on, Beau. Fucking dunk him.
Part of me wants to stay to watch Beau hit his target and dunk the motherfucker. Maybe he can put his money where his mouth is. But when Cooper scans the crowd and his blue eyes lock on mine, the air rips from my lungs, and I wish we had never stopped by the dunk tank to begin with.
Thankfully, since our explosive encounter last weekend, we’ve both been able to avoid each other. It’s impressive, being that we live in such a small town.
Coop never takes his eyes off mine, even as he resumes his teasing to Beau.
