Page 60 of Bottle Rocket
A slow, devastating smile stretched across his face. His stubble sparkled in the morning sun slipping through the window, tinges of red mixing with the dark brown. He was so handsome. No man should be allowed to be that handsome.
“But I can say it when you’re not freaking out?”
“Maybe. I need to go.” She had champagne poppers exploding in her chest. She had to get out of there. She needed time to calm down and examine what was best for her without the distraction of flight or fight.
“Take as long as you need. I’m not in a hurry, Rosie Posey.”
“Don’t call me that.”
He ignored her huffiness. “I’ll be in Memphis for a week, and then I’ll be wherever you want me to be.”
“Fine. Okay.”
He stood and wrapped her in his arms. She wanted to cry.
“This isn’t the end unless you want it to be the end,” he said.
She pressed her forehead into his throat and didn’t respond. As much as she had hoped that the Summer of Rosie would make her more spontaneous and open to change, she was still the reserved woman who needed time to study and consider and weigh her options.
And yet, Leo wanted her.
“I’m not going to say goodbye,” she whispered against his skin.
“Good.” His voice was fierce. “Can I have a kiss before I leave?”
She threaded her fingers into his hair. She could tell he expected her to overwhelm him with a kiss, to drown him with it. Instead, she kissed him lightly. Gently.
Lovingly.
Fuck.
He said her name against her lips, like an impulse or a primordial instinct. She touched his face—skimmed her fingertips over his eyebrows, along his stubbled jaw, around his lip piercing—trying to memorize it.
“I have something for you,” he said. He handed her a big bundle wrapped in crisp brown craft paper. “Be gentle with it.”
She nodded, kissed him one last time, and left.
* * *
Rosie didn’t makeit two blocks before she called Sasha.
“Leo’s leaving for Memphis today,” Rosie said conversationally as if it wasn’t a huge damn deal.
“Do you wanna fuck some shit up? Or do you want emergency brunch?”
“How in the world would we fuck shit up?” Rosie asked.
“I could find a bunch of breakable stuff, and you could go to town on it with a bat. I’ve seen that on TV,” Sasha said.
“Oh my. I’d need protective equipment. Safety glasses and gloves.”
Sasha laughed. “I love you, Rosie. I’ll see you at brunch.” She hung up.
Rosie sighed. She hadn’t wanted this to devolve into their normal sibling séance. She’d wanted to vent a little in the privacy of her own vehicle. She was used to helping Sasha and Benji figure their issues out. It was part of her oldest-sister role. The reverse made her uncomfortable.
Still, she made the fifteen-minute drive to Jolly’s Café and parked in the almost empty parking lot. She was pretty sure the Holiday family was the only thing keeping this place in business.
Before going inside, she decided to open the present Leo had given her.
