AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Jess’s body melts into me, and I hold her in my arms. “I’m fine. I’m excited to be here.” That’s great, except she doesn’t sound excited.
“Is it Noah? Has he done something?” It’s the only thing I can think of. This isn’t the first time she’s reacted like this in his presence.
Jess’s head turns to me, her eyes wide. Not with fear but surprise. Just as quickly, she shutters away the emotion, leaving nothing but uncertainty staring back at me. “He hasn’t done anything. I just didn’t expect them to be here.”
My hand slides to the lower curve of her spine, and we wait for Avery and Noah to join us. The tension doesn’t return to Jess’s body, but I still get the feeling I’m missing a giant piece of the puzzle. A puzzle thatmightbe tied to whatever resulted in her PTSD, but it’s impossible to tell.
I watch for signs of what it could be, but she’s all smiles for Noah and Avery as they approach the group. And they respond the same way to her.
“Are you okay if we check out the marketplace first?” Simone asks the women. “I’m on the lookout for some more artisans to showcase in my subscription boxes.”
Everyone agrees to the plan, and we pass through the festival gates and head in that direction.
On one side of the large field, several carnival rides have been set up: a carousel, Ferris wheel, pendulum, a small roller coaster for younger kids. Screams and laughter come from that way. There won’t be any rides at the With Hope Festival, so we don’t bother with that section of the grounds.
Ahead of us, a large stage has been set up for the entertainment, and a local country band is playing. The gravelly male voice is singing about losing his love and finding her again. The Sunshine Festival only books small acts. Nothing popular like the rock band Pushing Limits.
Simone leads us to the area where the outdoor marketplace booths have been set up. An array of smells fills the air from the nearby food trucks. The delicious aromas of deep-fried treats and grilling meat and popcorn dominate.
Jess checks over her shoulder. Her body stiffens, and her hand tightens around mine.
I stop walking, causing her to abruptly stop too, our fingers still entwined. I scan the area where her gaze is directed. All I see is a person dressed up as a rag doll, making balloon animals for the kids lined up for her, an ice cream truck, and the petting zoo. A father is looking at his phone and points in the direction we came from. Several other families are heading for the entrance to the petting zoo.
As far as I can tell, everything seems fine. But I can’t be sure. “Is something wrong?” I ask Jess.
She tears her attention from where she was looking and turns back to me. “No, I’m fine. I just had a weird feeling someone was watching me. But I guess I was imagining things.”
Something red hot turns on inside me. Because I’m pissed at whoever was responsible for making her paranoid? Or because she might be wrong to brush off her concerns? I hate that she can’t escape her fears for even a few hours. “Can you think of any reason someone would be watching you?”
She shakes her head, and her shoulders loosen from their knot. A smile captures her mouth. It’s the same curve of the lips, the spark in her eyes I’m seeing more of lately. The smile is enough to knock the air from my lungs—like it does every time she gifts me with it. “No. It’s just my imagination working overtime. We can blame it on the suspense novels I’ve been reading.”
“Those books about World War II spies might also have something to do with it.”
She laughs. “Yeah, that too.”
I glance behind us to Lucas and Kellan. Both have also stopped walking, probably because we have. Lucas is talking, but Kellan appears to be only half listening. I recognize the expression on his face.
The rest of Kellan’s attention is on our surroundings and the crowd. I have no clue what he’s searching for. It could be he’s expecting to bump into a friend here. Though I don’t think it’s that. He’s in protective mode. Except that doesn’t make sense either. The person he’s most protective of is Emily—though I doubt he realizes that himself. But Emily is ahead of us, with the rest of the group.
He turns back to us. The guarded look vanishes, replaced with an expression that’s as readable as a soggy blueprint. Even after knowing Kellan most of my life, this is one expression I can’t decipher.
The others are waiting for us at the entrance to the marketplace when the four of us join them a few minutes later. Kellan leans in closer to Jess and tells her something, his voice so quiet I can’t hear what he’s saying. She releases my hand, and they move aside to talk in private.
An unexpected rush of jealousy surges in my veins. This isn’t the first time I’ve noticed the subtle shift in their friendship that started last month. It’s not as if Kellan wasn’t friendly toward Jess before that, but he had that same restraint that holds him back with most people.
And it’s not only that he’s friendlier. He’s protective of her too.
He shifts his body so his back is to her. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was guarding her.
We wander from booth to booth, mostly trailing the five women as they check out the different vendors. The guys and I discuss last night’s final game of the Stanley Cup playoffs while we wait.
The women stop at a booth selling handmade soaps and candles. The place is busy, so we don’t bother joining them. We position ourselves slightly away from the crowd and continue our hockey discussion.
A hand rests on my shoulder from behind. “Hi, Troy.”
I twist around. Katelyn’s smiling, her eyes wide and doe-like. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I hear Katelyn talking to me, but I don’t really pay attention to what she’s saying. I’m too focused on Kellan and why the hell he’s acting like Jess’s bodyguard. I’m her boyfriend—whether she wants to give it a label or not.
