Page 66 of Poppy Kisses
“Oh, about our date night tomorrow night?—”
“Don’t worry about it. Clover’s in town, and you’ll want to be with your sisters.”
“I thought maybe we could do it Sunday, but with Auggie?”
Surprise flitted through me. I’d been ready to write off the date altogether. I looked forward to them, but not if they were an obligation. “You want him to crash our date?”
She shrugged. “Why not? I mean, it would help fit the narrative that we’re marrying for real. But I’m sure he’d like to go out with us.”
“He’d love to, I just thought… I know you like him, but you don’t have to entertain him for show.” I held my hope back. For my son’s sake, I had to make sure her offer was genuine.
She frowned and crossed to me. “Do you think what I’m doing is performative?”
“No, not at all. Just that you’re not obliged to spend time with him.”
She recoiled. “I never feel obliged with him. He’s a great kid, and he’s not just a student. None of the kids I work with are.” Hurt crossed her features. “I’m sorry if you thought that. I really didn’t mean to?—”
“His mom never wanted him around.” It sounded so much worse when I said it out loud. Damn, I hated talking to Poppy about this. I hated to have her see what I’d been willing to put up with. “I was always asking Hassie to spend time with him, but he was scared of horses.”
“She didn’t want to hang out with her own kid?” Genuine confusion mingled with the disbelief in her eyes.
What did I tell her? I couldn’t just brush her off, and surprisingly, I wanted to share. “Once I realized Hassie’s priority would always be her horses and competition, it was easier to understand.”
“But it’s not right.”
“No. It’s not.”
Her puffy lower lip stuck out. “Poor Auggie.”
Her concern was genuine, so had her offer to have a date Sunday with him. Affection swelled so big in my chest it turned into something different, something deeper, richer. An emotion I wasn’t ready to face just yet. “It’d mean a lot to him to go out with us.”
“Let’s make it a date day.”
As much as I wanted to frolic with them, I had promised her to get the house ready. “I was going to sand the cabinets.”
She shook her head. “We have a whole year after we say our vows. Let’s go to Twelve Mile Bay, grill some hot dogs, throw a frisbee, skip some rocks. It’s supposed to be beautiful.”
“What about Clover?”
“She’s going to leave Saturday, and besides, there are three other sisters in town. It’s you, me, and Auggie. To be honest, she’d probably love to hang out with him for a while too, but I’m kind of looking forward to a day out with just us now.”
Auggie didn’t have aunts or uncles. He still talked about the gathering we had to meet her parents. “Change grilling to going out to eat after and it’s a date.”
The corner of her mouth lifted. “A family date.”
* * *
Poppy
My hands were getting sweaty. I could not touch this dress. I’d leave stains. A faint tremble traveled through me as I gazed in the mirror. I’d never worn something so fancy. “What do you think?”
Clover rolled her eyes and snapped some pictures with her phone. “What doyouthink?”
I stared back at myself. Sleek, silky fabric hugged my body all the way to the floor. The dress had a deep V-neck and it gave me va-va-voom curves. “It’s glamorous.”
“Glamorous isn’t what you wanted?” Lily gave me an intent look. She had Cali perched on her lap.
“You look like a Barbie,” Cali said.
