Page 58 of Spark

“Atta boy.” Savage fist-bumps me. “You’ve got this, brother.”

“Thanks for the strategy sesh. I feel confident now.”

Laila appears in the aisle, and Savage and I immediately shut up and smile.

“Hey, KC,” Laila says. “Do you want to sit here for the rest of the flight? I’d be happy to grab my stuff and?—"

“No, I’ll go back to sitting with Ruby. We were just shooting the shit.” I slide out and Laila slides in. “Good talking to you, Savage.”

“You, too, KC.” He winks.

I start walking back to Ruby. But then I remember I wanted to talk to my brother to let bygones be bygones. Kai might very well have changed the trajectory of my relationshipwith Ruby, but he didn’t do it on purpose. Plus, now that I’ve got my plan in place, I’m choosing to believe everything happens for a reason. As it should. That when Ruby finally falls in love with me this week, her love will arrive right on time.

16

RUBY

“Ididn’t know you like having flowers in your house,” I say, gesturing to the spray of orange tulips on Kendrick’s kitchen counter. I’ve just entered his living room with my suitcase, after parting ways with him for a few hours after the airport to check on the status of my place and grab a few things.

“I got them for you. To welcome you here.” He smiles at my shocked reaction. “It’s no big deal. I always get my mom her favorite flowers, too, whenever she comes to visit me.”

“That’s so sweet. How did you know tulips are my favorites?” I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that to him.

“On tour once, when you were feeling homesick, you stopped at a flower stand and bought yourself a huge bouquet of them for your hotel room.”

“I did? Which tour was that?”

“Our very first.”

“As openers?” I’m flabbergasted Kendrick remembers a meaningless detail like that, let alone from so long ago, especially when I don’t remember it myself.

He smirks. “You also sing ‘Tiptoe through the Tulips,’whenever you get drunk, so tulips were a good bet, regardless.”

I giggle. “That’s one of the first songs my mom taught me on piano. Her mom taught it to her.”

“I know. You told me.”

Again, I’m surprised he remembers that detail. “What’s your mom’s favorite flower?”

“Hmm?”

“What do you get your mom, when she comes to visit?”

“Oh. Uh. Hmm. What’s the flower that smells really good?”

“Lilies, maybe?”

“Yep. That’s it. Lilies.”

Kendrick’s doorbell rings, and he looks toward the door with a look of surprise on his handsome face. “Nobody knows I’m back yet.”

“It’s probably the air mattress I ordered.” I hold up my phone, displaying the delivery notification that just popped onto its screen.

“Why’d you order that? My bed is plenty big enough for both of us.”

“Staying here with you is one thing. Staying hereandsleeping in your bed, when we both know you’ve been dying to get home and sleep like a baby in your own bed, is a bridge too far.”

“Ruby, I slept like a baby with you last night, remember? You saved me from insomnia.”

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