Page 47 of That Kiss

“Yeah, at least that’s what I told myself. But when Camilla came back and I looked at her—trying to convince myself that I could love her again—I couldn’t. When I was with her in Texas, I put Juniper out of my mind. I convinced myself she didn’t exist. It was the only way I could try to live my life without her.”

“Did you love Camilla?”

“I did. I really did. She’s a wonderful woman and had she said yes that night, I know I would have continued to love her till the day I died. But I feel guilty.”

“Guilty for loving her?”

I shake my head. “Guilty that I’m glad she said no. The day after that was the day I drove home and surprised everyone.”

“I knew there was a reason beyond you wanting to see family.”

“That trip home was the first time I kissed Juniper.” Ranger’s eyes bug out. “Yeah, I wasn’t thinking straight, but when Camilla rejected me, it felt like it brought me back down to earth in some weird way, like suddenly everything was clear.”

“I wish I had some words of wisdom for you, but you saw the way I fucked around for years and almost lost my chance at happiness with Dolly. Talk about getting in your own fucking way. The one thing I can say is, you can’t worry about what our family or anyone else will say. If she’s the one for you, they’ll be supportive. And I think you know damn well our family would welcome Juney with open arms. She’s practically already family.”

“After the way Dad reacted in the truck with the text?” I can barely get the sentence out—we’re both laughing so hard recalling that day. By the time we finally regain our composure, we have tears in our eyes.

“Do me a favor,” Ranger says around another fit of laughter, “please tell Juney that story someday.”

Ranger and I shoot the shit for a bit longer, walking over to join our dad and Uncle Drake as they walk around and shake hands with everyone. It’s wild to see Uncle Drake smiling and laughing with people from town after the stories we heard growing up about him before he met Aunt Celeste.

“Come here, Son.” My dad motions for me to follow him as he steps away from the crowd. “I want to have a quick talk about something.” I follow him over to the corner of the fairgrounds. “Do you love her?”

My head snaps up and he gives me a knowing look—that one he used to give us as kids that said, Don’t bother lying; I already know the truth.

“Yeah, I do.”

“And you’re serious? This isn’t one of your flings?”

I want to roll my eyes, but I know I’ve earned this reputation. “No, I’m done with that shit, Dad. I meant it when I said I left it in my twenties. Juniper is it; she’s the one.”

A look passes over my dad’s face—one that tells me he had no idea just how serious I am about her. “Does she know that?”

I shake my head. “Tried telling her the other night, but it ended in more of an argument, and I didn’t want her to think I was saying it to get her to talk to me.”

“Son, you know that I lost my first wife, Milly’s mom, before you were born.” He looks at me, and whenever he brings up his first wife, I know it’s a serious conversation. He doesn’t mention her often, but when he does, it’s to drive home a serious point. “If there’s one regret I have about my relationship with her before I lost her to cancer, it was not telling her enough how much I loved her. I know it sounds cliché, but Son, life is too short. Just because you’re young doesn’t mean tomorrow is guaranteed.”

“You want me to tell her? Thought you weren’t too keen on the idea of the two of us together?”

“It was never about that, Deck. It was about the fact that her father and I have a respect for each other that I never want to break. He and I have been friends since we were boys, and while I know she’s had a crush on you for a long time, I thought you respected her and her father enough not to take advantage of that.”

“I’m in love with her, so I’m not taking advantage of anything.”

“I know, and that’s my point. I’m sorry I assumed you were. While I know you two thought you were sneaky these last two years, her father and I have had a lot of conversations about you.”

“You what?”

“Oh, come on. He and I both knew it was only a matter of time before you two fell in love and admitted it, or you fucked around and turned it into a mess. Obviously, we’ve always hoped for the first situation, which is why I’m telling you this.”

I want to laugh and yell at the same time, because I could spend my entire life trying to outrun the care and love my family has for me, and I’d never succeed. I was a fool for ever thinking I could, and I was a fool for taking this for granted.

“So all that to say, you think I need to man up and tell her I love her before it’s too late . . . and apparently her dad is happy for us?” I ask.

“We both are. It’s a blessing to see your kid grow up and marry your best friend’s kid.”

“Marry? Damn, Dad, I just admitted out loud that I’m in love with her.”

“That kind of shit only happens in those Hallmark movies your mother loves. Just saying.”

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