Page 56 of Every Bit As Perfect
Sunday I walked the beach.
And when he showed up, I said nothing.
When he linked his fingers with mine, I squeezed him back.
An hour later, bringing the back of my hand to his lips, he murmured, “I’ll leave you here.”
The problem was, I still wasn’t any clearer exactly where ‘here’ was.
18
Let Me In
Oneday,Ipromisedmyself, one day I’d actually have confidence in my ability to pull off these events without having to fake it.
The family focused fundraiser went off without a single hitch, including a seamless transition to the adult portion of the evening.
On-site childcare turned out to be a huge draw for many families, especially parents with young children who craved a few minutes of uninterrupted adult company.
The silent auction was buzzing, and the wine and cheese appeared to be a big hit.People were laughing and talking and several expressed how much they enjoyed the day.They loved the idea of the kids winding down here with movies and crafts rather than fighting to get them out of here at the height of the excitement.
And the best part was the tally.
Already, even without the wine and cheese or the silent auction, we had beaten last year’s total.
By a lot.
Daire was as wonderful as always.He hauled boxes, set up chairs, helped monitor the children’s area, where he was a huge celebrity with the kids who knew him, and offered support in the way only he could.
All without a single hint of impropriety.
Did I miss my chance with him?
It would serve me right if I did.
No, I argued to myself.If the opportunity passed me by, it wasn’t meant for me.And I’d been smart to guard my heart.
“What’s going on with you and Daire?”Noelle asked, watching me carefully.
I shrugged.“We’re friends.”
She took a sip of her soda water.“He’s a pretty freaking devoted friend, Shrimpy.That man worked as hard as you did today.”
“What do you mean?Were you watching him?”
“No,” she replied nonchalantly.“But everywhere we went, we saw him.In the children’s section, hauling chairs around, cleaning up the food tent.He’s a one-man-crew.”
“He’s actually so special,” I agreed softly.
“Mhm,” she hummed.
I shook my head.“Noelle, just because you have the romance of the decade doesn’t mean everyone else is getting stung by Cupid.We are just friends.”
Looking over my head, she smiled wider.“Speak of the devil and he will appear,” she teased, jerking her chin up.Suddenly, her face soured.“Oh, ew.Queen bitch bimbo alert.”
I turned around in time to see Daire’s back and Natalia’s big, fake smile for half a second before she buried her face in his chest and threw her arms around him.
He stiffened, and I laughed to myself, waiting gleefully for him to put her in her place.
