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“You are very … grinny today,” she said, glancing askance at him as they walked around some rubbish on the sidewalk.
“I’m holding hands with the most beautiful woman in the world. Don’t you think I should be?”
“Oh, boy. Now that I’ve agreed to go to the wedding with you, are you going to be spewing out fake, gushy compliments constantly?”
They reached the courtyard of the church. It was a classic and stately brick building with a low wrought-iron fence lining the sidewalk and separating it from a graveyard around the side. A bubbling concrete fountain and a spot of green grass were the only decorations out front. It was free of garbage and graffiti, and that was impressive in this neighborhood.
A family and an older couple walked in. They raised hands to Ellery, and she waved back.
Derek stopped walking next to the fountain and tugged her around to face him. “That compliment wasn’t fake or gushy.” She’d started the gorgeous teasing. He’d called her breathtakingly and astoundingly gorgeous, and she’d giggled. Now she was giving him a hard time about ‘beautiful’? Was she going to tell him once again she was going to Augustine as his ‘friend’?
“Yes, it was.” She wrinkled her nose.
“I’m going to give you loads of compliments, and you’re just going to have to accept them.” He gave her a bold pump of the eyebrows even as he prayed he wasn’t pushing too hard. He probably should wait until she was on that plane and his captive audience of one before he went full-court press.
A scared little filly? But she wasn’t. Not his Elle. She was brave, confident, and could cheer for an adversary as easily as she turned him down for a date. He loved her confidence, but he wanted her to stand by his side, not put him in his place, lying on the ground beseeching her to give him a chance. He was a once-confident prince humbled completely by this kind and tough lady.
“Oh, I am, am I?” She pulled her hand free, planted her palms on her hips, and tossed her hair.
“So sassy.” He chuckled, hoping he wouldn’t regret this interchange and lose the ground he’d won with her.
“What if I don’t accept your loads of compliments?” She was still smiling.
“Then I’ll …” He paused, looked around, and grinned. “Dip your head in this fountain.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” Her green eyes glittered defiantly.
A family with several tall teenage boys walked past. The boys were gawking at the two of them. Their parents smiled—friendly, welcoming smiles.
“What do you think, guys?” Derek called to them. “Should I dunk her in the fountain for refusing to let me tell her how beautiful she is?”
“You wouldn’t dare,” the mother gasped out.
“Do it!” the youngest boy called.
“That’s Prince Derek, the Ninja Prince,” the tallest boy told his brothers.
“Of course it is. He’s dating Ellery, duh,” the middle boy said. “You’re the best athlete in the world!”
“Thank you.” Derek said to the boy. He turned back to Ellery. “I think that’s approval, and I need to show off my warrior and prince status.” Derek tossed a wink to the teenagers, grasped Ellery around the waist, and easily flipped her upside down.
Her dress slid to her knees. He carried her toward the fountain, her long hair dangling toward the ground.
“Yes!” the boys cheered their approval.
“You put her down,” the mom demanded.
“I will. In the water.” Derek pumped his eyebrows at the boys as they laughed and cheered.
Ellery hadn’t made a peep, but she was used to hanging upside down on all sorts of obstacles.
She suddenly grasped his hands, flipped to the side and twisted, breaking his grip, performed an aerial and a one-eighty, and landed in a crouch.
“You go, girl!” the mom cheered.
Ellery punched a fist in the air and then straightened her dress.
Derek and the boys all groaned. He imagined the boys were disappointed their show was over. He was only disappointed Ellery wasn’t in his arms.
