Page 57 of The Future Play

“Then I’ll be there.”

“Yeah?”

I press onto my toes and kiss his cheek. “Yes.”

He wraps his arms around me, and though it takes me asecond to quiet the voices telling me not to give in, I drown them out and hug him back.

It might be a little messy, but I like the path we’re on, and I’m cautiously excited to see where it will lead.

I’m waitingin the entryway of Mixed Brews, a large coffee in hand. Mixed Brews is in the neighboring town of Lacy Creek, and it’s technically two businesses in one. On one side is a coffee shop and on the other is a brewpub. The brewpub is where I’m having lunch with Jamie and his family today, but I got here early so I could grab a coffee because… coffee.

I also snagged a copy of local author Zoey Holloway’s latest book. Before they go live in the big stores, she usually will put a few copies at local indie stores. Since she’s from Lacy Creek and knows the owner of Mixed Brews, they have a stand of her books there, and I was excited to find this one.

“Cal, wait for us,” Marissa calls as the door swings open right in my face and a little boy comes tearing through.

I quickly side step into his path. “Whoa, buddy. Slow down.”

Marissa and a young girl step through the door.

“Thank you so much.” She laughs a little when she realizes it’s me. “Hi.”

“Hi. I got here early.” I wiggle the coffee in my hand.

“Well, I’m glad.”

She looks down at Cal, who bounces in place. Seems every bit like the chaos Jamie described him as.

Speaking of Jamie… he strolls up to the door, then ducks as he walks through with a little girl—Mila, I’m assuming—on his shoulders.

“Cal, you can’t run away like—” He stops short as his eyes land on me. “Hi.”

The other little girl—Penny—looks up at Jamiethen back at me. “Wait. Are you Amanda?” She turns to Jamie and whispers, “TheAmanda?”

Jamie’s cheeks instantly go pink, but he smiles and nods. “Yes.TheAmanda.” But his voice says something else. Notthe.My. Like he sees me as his.

As much as my brain yells at me to keep my guard up, my heart is all melty and gooey. Part of me is still wary. But with each passing day, the wall around my heart crumbles a little more.

“You have to have lunch with us!” Penny exclaims.

I squat down so I’m at her eye-level. “I am going to have lunch with you. And how would you feel about me coming mini golfing with you too? We could team up.”

She bounces up and down. “Yes, please!”

“Can we eat? I’m starving,” Cal whines.

“Only if you can walk to the table like a well-behaved child might,” Marissa says.

Cal pouts. “That’s no fun.”

Mila takes his hand. “I’m hungwy too.”

It’s adorable how Cal softens with Mila’s hand in his. It reminds me of how Pete’s demeanor changes between Josh and me.

“Ready for chaos?” Jamie’s warm breath tickles my ear as his hand lands on my back.

I glance up at him. “I’m sure I can handle it.”

We end up in a half-circle booth, Jamie on one side of me and Penny on the other, then Mila, Cal, and Marissa.

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