Chapter Thirty-Four
Lucy
Otis peeked out at Lucy from the playroom. She didn’t even have to look up from the silk gloves she was embroidering with tiny skeletons to tell. The girl who’d ordered the corset for her Halloween party had stopped by with the gloves, asking Lucy to spruce them up. It was delicate work and required a steady hand.
Now her concentration was wrecked by the lurker who should be playing video games. “What, Otis?”
A thump and a chuckle. He was acting so weird, like he was in on a secret or something. But nine-year-old boys didn’t have secrets, so whatever he was laughing at was probably related to farts or other bathroom humor.
Grinding her teeth, Lucy stitched the outline for the next skeleton. Its bones were so tiny, barely a few threads wide. She needed to concentrate, but she couldn’t seem to do it. Maybe she needed a break, and she definitely deserved something sweet. Setting the work down, she stretched and called, “Mom, I’m going to the Wooden Spoon for some bread pudding. Want a piece of pie or something?”
“No!” Otis burst out of the playroom. “Don’t go.”
“Why not?”
His jaw worked, but Mom stepped in. “It’s almost two. Isn’t that auction buyer coming by?”
Oh, right. Damn it, she really could use some caffeine and a breath of fresh air to clear her head. “I’ll wait.”
Mom and Otis shared a look that set Lucy on edge. “Okay, what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Otis sang.
Before Lucy could grill her mother in turn, the bell above the shop door rang. “Probably the buyer. I’ll go.”
“No, I’m up. I’ll see who it is.” Mom scurried out before Lucy could protest, and Otis slammed the door to the playroom. A moment later, the theme to his favorite superhero cartoon blared through the door. She was about to tell him to knock it off, when Mom said, “Lucy? I’ve brought the buyer back.”
She didn’t have a chance to wonder why her mom sent the buyer to the back before Dylan stepped through the doorway, the curtain falling back into place. Mom’s footsteps receded to the front of the store.
“Why do I get the feeling I’ve been set up?” she asked. He looked good, dressed in a brilliant aqua polo that set off his tanned skin. “That’s a great color on you. I didn’t know you wore anything but Nike and Under Armor.”
He laughed, self-conscious. “I’m trying to impress a girl.”
“Ah.” Lucy’s face went red hot. “But what’s this about the buyer? Did I not really sell anything?”
“No, you sold everything.” He stared at his shoes. “I told my grandma about your auction. She loved your work, and my oldest cousin has two little girls. She had to outbid some lady in Oregon for that little ducky robe, but she beat her down.”
A smile tugged its way across Lucy’s face. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. I heard about Serena’s farm and wanted to help. My grandma loves this kind of stuff, so I called her. Whatever she didn’t want…I, uh, bought myself.”
“You bought a pink bustier with spider web needlework?” she asked. What was he up to?
“I bought it so I could give it back to you.” He looked up, cheeks flushed. “I didn’t think you’d accept a donation from me, so I won the auctions instead.”
Lucy sat back in her chair. Her chest had gone tight, and it was hard to force air into her lungs. “You did all this…for Serena’s chickens?”
“No.” He took a step forward. “I did it for you.”
Tears pricked the back of her eyes. “Why?”
“Because I thought it would make you happy.” He frowned. “Should I not have done it? You love those chickens and I thought… God, did I mess up again?”
Lucy rose on shaking legs. “You did all this, just for me?”
“You wouldn’t see me.” His words were coming faster now, tumbling out. “I couldn’t figure out what to do. I messed up so badly. Lucy, my tryout wasn’t your fault— It was mine. I expected everything to go exactly like I planned, and it didn’t. Then I acted like a big baby about it. I was so stupid. I lost you. It took me a while to realize that I need you in my life. You make me feel alive…and I didn’t know I wasn’t until I met you.”
Lucy pressed a finger to his lips. “My turn, okay?” He nodded, looking scared and hopeful. She smiled crookedly. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me before. I’ve had guys shower me with compliments, send me flowers, one even wrote me a poem.”
Dylan’s eyes widened, and she could almost see the thought “Shit, I should’ve written a poem,” run past his eyes. Lucy shook her head. “Thing was, they weren’t doing it to make me happy. They were doing it in the hope that I’d make them happy. You get me like no one ever has. I don’t know how, since we’re so different. But I don’t care that we’re different. I’ve missed you the last few days…” Her voice faltered, and she had to swallow against tears rising to the surface. “More than I thought I would. It, us, probably won’t be easy, but good things usually aren’t. So, if you’re asking, then I’m saying yes.”
He pulled her fingers away from his lips. “I’m asking.”
Her lower lip trembled, but she was so happy, she was about to burst. “Then, yes.”
“That’s what I wanted to hear.” Still holding her hand, he leaned in for a kiss. When his lips touched hers, it was like sunlight blossomed in her chest. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. This was right. It was.
“Good job, Dylan,” Otis said, laughing from behind them. “Oh, sorry. I’m interrupting. And kissing’s gross. The end.”
He shut the playroom door again, and Lucy pulled away. She shook her head, sighing. “You want to retract your offer? I’m kind of a package deal.”
“Otis and I have an understanding. Man to man.” Dylan leaned his forehead against hers. “And nothing will make me change my mind. I’m looking forward to the chaos you’ll bring to my senior year.”
“And I’m looking forward to the order you’ll bring to mine.”
They went in for another kiss just as the curtain flapped open. Mom squawked and backed out of the workroom. Lucy dropped her head against Dylan’s chest. “You want to get out of here?”
“I thought you’d never ask.” A wicked smile spread across his face. “We could go swimming.”
Laughing, Lucy said, “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”