Page 16 of Red Flag, Green Light

“It’s just so…peoplelyin Bandera. In the city, I could get my groceries delivered to my door and not have to open it until the delivery people are gone.” My love of nature really plotted against me here. I thought it would befabulousto live somewhere with more of a property line, a yard bordered only by trees, and no HOA telling me that I have too many pots on my porch. Silly me.

Mars states, “That somehow seems unhealthy.”

“Who made you an authority on the subject ofhealthy behavior?”

His mouth opens and closes in the same second. Dragging his attention off my fingers, he mumbles, “I’m allowed to be a self-aware hypocrite.”

“Aren’t hypocrites the most revolting of people?”

“Aren’t all people hypocrites?”

As he collides with the point, I arch a brow and say, “Yes.”

His mouth does another open and close, then his eye twitches.

And this time I didn’t even need to mention his brother’s government name.

Heh.

I don’t know what it is about this man. My usual default ofpleasinghas reversed intoantagonism. It’s refreshing.

“You’re not moving,” Mars says, with finality. “You’re helping me plan a Flag Day festival for the deprived people of Bandera, who have never before witnessed the full delight of flags.”

I remove my phone from my skirt pocket, place it on the table, and begin a lazy scroll on Zillow.

“Ceres.”

“Yeesh.Nine hundred dollarsa month to an HOA? I thought I checked theabsolutely notbox.”

“Ceres.”

Jutting my lip, I glance at Mars as though I am not having the time of my life.

He reiterates, “You’re not moving. You’re helping me plan my Flag Day festival.”

“Your delusion is nearly admirable.” I lock my phone. “Okay, fine. I’m curious enough to humor this conversation further—why Flag Day?”

A sliver of amusement touches the corner of his mouth. “Because. Flag Day is the most romantic holiday of the year.”

“Are you mistaking Flag Day for Valentine’s Day next week?”

He closes his fingers together beside his napkin-wrapped silverware. “No. They’re entirely different holidays celebrated in entirely different months.”

“So your delusionisactually admirable.”

“I don’t make the rules.”

“Right, yeah. You just break them.”

His teeth flash in a chilling smile that sends a shiver tracingdown my spine.

While I’m busy shuddering, Mars orders our drinks and an appetizer, sparing me the need to communicate with the waiter. Once our drinks arrive, I reach for my straw and cave into yet more curiosity. “Give me one good reason why I should do this.”

“You won’t have to put all four of your tires back on.”

“Free flowers make that worth it. Try again.”

“You’d be sharing the magic of Flag Day with the cold hearts of the poor people of Bandera.”

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