Page 18 of Hers to Kiss
“It’s not lip service, you goof,” she argued.
Their fingers intertwined, and they both eyed their hands. Stuck in the marshmallow bag. When they both pulled back, their hands remained in the bag they had lifted off the table together.
Pete placed the chocolate on the table and wrapped his other hand around Keke’s forearm as she continued to thrash it around, taking his arm with her. “Relax,” Pete ordered. “You’ll rip the bag, and there will be marshmallows everywhere.”
She stilled beneath him, and he removed his hand first and held the bag so it wouldn’t fall off her wrist. Even in the firelight, he could see the goosebumps on her arm. She was nervous.
“There. You are free, m’lady.”
M’lady? Where did that come from?He hadn’t played a Middle Ages fantasy game in a while.
She hurried to put the bag on the table. “Thank you,” she murmured.
When she finished piling marshmallows into a bowl, Pete grabbed a couple for him and Lea. “You seeing anyone?” he asked casually.
“Huh?” Keke gave him a weird look.
Pete shrugged. “You know. Did you meet anyone in school? You have a boyfriend?”
“Aren’t we nosy.”
“No! I’m sorry…I didn’t mean—”
Keke laughed. “I’m just messin’ with you. And no, are you kidding? I’m happily single.”
Pete studied the side of her face. Even though she’d just laughed, her jaw appeared tight. “Why say it like that?”
“Like what?” She continued to avoid eye contact.
“Like it would be terrible to have someone special.”
Keke bit into a marshmallow. “I’m not the relationship type.”
Pete frowned. Her parents famously had a tumultuous relationship. Well, her father was known as the hard one and her mother as the meek and timid woman most people wanted to save, but few would ever risk talking to her about leaving Mr. Kaye.
“Does it have anything to do with your parents’ marriage?” Pete asked softly. “I mean, I get it if that’s the reason.”
Keke gave him a closed-mouth smile. “Look, you are doing a great job with Lea. Keep up the good work.” She patted him on the back and moved toward the gigantic campfire. Kids cheered and screamed when she presented her group with extra marshmallows, chocolate, and crackers. Greedy kids reached for the bowl, but Keke ordered them to keep calm and pass the bowl around.
Pete went to sit next to Lea. She smiled and chatted about her upcoming summer fellowship, excited to finally be able to do serious study in the field of marine biology. Pete politely nodded and dropped a few “uh-huhs” and some “that’s amazings” to keep the conversation going. It amazed him how little effort it took to have a conversation with her.
If only he was interested in what Lea had to say.
He glanced at Keke. The same closed-mouth smile with very little happiness in her eyes. Talking with her only further intrigued him. What else would she teach him?
Whatever lessons she had planned, he’d start using them on her.
