Page 108 of When We Were Reckless
I caught Quinn watching us, and she gave me a little smile before turning her full attention to Noah while he chatted a mile a minute.
“Down,” Levi commanded, wriggling in my arms.
I knew what would happen if I set him down—he’d take off—so, instead, I swung him onto my shoulders. He patted the top of my head as if to say that he approved of our compromise.
“You might change your mind about kids,” Quinn told Noah as we strolled past the boutiques and a cedar-shingled café and bakery with hanging flower baskets outside the yellow front door. “You still have some time to think about that.”
Like she was talking to an adult, not a seven-year-old who was convinced he’d already met the love of his life. Ever since Noah was four years old, I’d heard about Hayley. He punched a boy in nursery school for making her cry.
“Anything can happen,” I pointed out. “When you get older, you might fall in love with a different girl.”
Quinn glared at me. I didn’t even have to turn my head. I could see it in my periphery. Could practically feel the heat of her glare. That’s how intense it was.
“I won’t,” Noah stated confidently. “I’m gonna marry Hayley.”
“You have a special kind of love,” Quinn said. “So, of course, she’s the only one for you.”
“Yep. My one true love,” Noah said.
Quinn sighed and put her hand over her heart like that was the best thing she had ever heard. Should have known she would find that romantic.
“But my mom said we have to wait until we’re older,” Noah said. “Like, I dunno… I’ll probably wait until I get my driver’s license. Then I can borrow Dad’s truck.”
Noah was dead serious, but I burst out laughing at the thought of sixteen-year-old Noah rocking up in a pickup to propose marriage.
Noah scowled at me. “It’s not funny.”
Quinn reached over and smacked my arm. “Yeah. It’s not funny. It’s good to have a plan.”
Come on, it was fucking hilarious. But Noah obviously disagreed. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, crossed his arms over his chest, and scowled at me. Quinn raised her brows, prompting me to apologize.
I wiped my hand over my face and got my laughter in check. “Sorry, buddy. Didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
His scowl deepened.
“I’ll tell you what. How about I make it up to you with some ice cream?” It had been the plan all along, so it wasn’t like I was offering him something he hadn’t already expected.
He tilted his head and considered my offer. “Well, maybe ice cream will help. ‘Specially if it’s a double scoop.”
“I think we can manage that.” I swung Levi off my shoulders and set him on the ground before I opened the door of the pink and mint green ice cream parlor and ushered them inside.
“You can have a double scoop too,” I told Quinn, giving her a smack on the ass as she walked ahead of me.
“Pfft. I plan on orderingallthe flavors. With all the toppings.”
“So feisty.”
She winked at me over her shoulder. “You love it.”
She was right. I did love it.
In fact, I couldn’t think of anything that Ididn’tlove about Quinn. So it was probably a good thing that I’d be gone in a week.
What we had right now was idyllic. A stress-free summer hook-up.
There had never been a time in my life when I’d had so much free time. Soon, that would change for both of us, and then we’d go our separate ways.
Chapter Thirty-Six
