Page 61 of Stick Around,
That possibility felt like a stone in my gut. Now that I’d finally let my guard down with Quinn and let myself want something, the idea that she might choose one of us over the others made it suddenly harder to breathe.
Not that I’d blame her. What did I have to offer? A knack for understanding creatures that couldn’t talk back. Had I been foolish to think someone like her would see anything lasting in someone like me?
“Then we respect her choice.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue, but I meant them. “Whatever happens, we can’t let it damage what we have here, but I also won’t get in the way of one of you finding happiness.”
“But what if she doesn’t choose?” Kellan’s voice was so hopeful that it made me pay closer attention.
Enzo stopped spinning, his chair making a small squeak against the wooden floor as he planted his feet. “Is that even possible long-term?” His voice carried equal parts hope and skepticism, like he was afraid to consider the possibility but couldn’t stop himself.
“I don’t know, but I’m not ready to decide it’s impossible before we’ve even tried.” Outside of the occasional moment where I watched the two of them with someone, we’d never seriously considered being with a woman like this. Now that it was a possibility, and we were all open to it, we had to give it a chance.
“So what are you suggesting?” Enzo leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Besides the obvious.”
“I told her we should go on a date. All four of us.”
Kellan sat up straight like the thought had never occurred to him. “Like, together? At the same time?”
I rolled my eyes. “That’s generally what ‘all four of us’ means.”
Enzo looked skeptical. “What did she say?”
“She seemed surprised but not opposed to the idea.” I shrugged, trying to appear more casual than I felt. Taking her out as a group was a declaration. We weren’t just fooling around anymore. We were in this.
Kellan pulled out his phone. “Then let’s get to planning.”
Thirty minutes later, we had a solid plan for a group date that we hoped Quinn would enjoy when there was a knock on the office door.
“Busted.” Kellan jumped to his feet as Quinn opened the door.
“Hey, guys. Do you have a minute? The kids are done with their stick horses, and they would love for you to see them.” She smiled at the three of us before turning back to the chaos.
I stood, stretching my arms overhead. I was feeling much better now that we’d talked and agreed on our first date activities.
We stepped into the indoor arena and straight into glittery chaos. What had been a relatively controlled craft situation had evolved into full pandemonium. Five children galloped around on their newly decorated stick horses, leaving trails of loose glitter in their wake.
Walter darted between the kids, barking excitedly at the commotion. He was going to get himself stepped on or become a tripping hazard. I whistled sharply, and he veered toward me, tongue lolling and coat covered in at least three different colors of glitter.
“You’re having a little too much fun, aren’t you, buddy?” I picked him up and brushed at his fur, sending pink sparkles onto my shirt.
Quinn had made it back into the center of the arena, her hair escaping from her ponytail in wild tendrils, laughing as one of the boys did an exaggerated jump over an imaginary fence. “Higher, Liam!” She clapped as he leaped, his face screwed up in concentration.
A little girl galloped past Quinn with surprising speed for someone with such short legs. Quinn caught my eye and grinned, and something inside my chest did a strange flip. I blamed it on the excessive sparkle in the air.
“Cowboys!” Quinn called out, waving us over. “Come show these kids how it’s done!”
Kellan immediately jogged toward her, ever the showman. Walter wriggled in my arms as if he didn’t want to miss theexcitement either. The dog’s enthusiasm was infectious, even as I brushed pink glitter from my shirt with my free hand.
“Who wants to see the real cowboys do some tricks?” Quinn’s voice carried across the arena.
A chorus of excited yells erupted from the kids, who started jumping up and down, causing a shower of glitter to rain from their horses.
Enzo hung back beside me. “I’m not getting on a stick horse.”
Quinn beckoned us over with an exaggerated wave. “Cowboys, these fine equestrians want a demonstration!”
Enzo’s face transformed into a mask of horror. “She wouldn’t.”
“She absolutely would.” I was oddly okay with my fate.
