Page 22 of The Wild Card
I’ll vote for anyone who plans to move the festival back where it belongs—in a month where people aren’t sweating their [censored for language] off.
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CHAPTER 6
Molly
After I getout of Collin’s truck, he creeps alongside me for a few feet until I stop on the sidewalk. The truck stops too.
I turn toward him, hands on my hips, though I’m not really annoyed. I kind of think it’s cute how nervous Collin seems about dropping me off. “You need something?”
He leans across the front seat. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’m happy to come up with you and talk to Chase and Harper. To, uh, explain everything.”
It’s kind of adorable how nervous he looks. Does he think my brother is going to try to fight him? Does he think my brother could actuallywin?
Spoiler alert—no matter how fit he is, Chase isn’t taking down Mr. Biceps.
I shake my head, smiling a smile that I hope exudes a confidence I don’t feel. “I’m not afraid of the big, bad brother.”
Mostly true.
It’s not that Chase is scary, but I am afraid of disappointing the one family member I haven’t yet.
“Plus,” I add, “you’ve got your own explanations to do. We’ll divide and conquer.”
Honestly, after spending the two hours or so with Collin, sticking together sounds much more appealing to me. Which is exactly why I need him to go.
I’ve got to clear my head. And I can’t do that when Collin Graham is nearby, looking at me with those deep-blue eyes, full of concern.
“If you’re sure,” he says.
“I am.”Mostly.
He looks like he’s about to say something else when a horn honks. A police car has pulled up behind him. Collin waves, trying to get the cop to go around him, but the cruiser continues to idle.
“Move along, Romeo!” the officer calls from his open window.
With a sigh, Collin waves to me and drives off. The officer tips his cowboy hat to me—because apparently, cowboy hats are the uniform here—and follows, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk. Only when Collin’s truck turns out of sight do I realize we never exchanged phone numbers.
Kind of a big oops considering our current fake relationship status.
Despite the fact that I’d really like to get out of these boots because I think my feet are bleeding, I turn around and head in the opposite direction. Away from the loft where I stayed with Chase and Harper last night. Away from a conversation I’m not eager to have.
Collin and I agreed to tell our respective families the truth. And I will.
Soon.
Ish.
But right now, I need some time to process the day’s events before facing the judgy eyes of my older brother. And the look he gave me before he left my lunch with Brightmark promised lots of older brother judginess.
As I wander down Main Street, I’m struck again with the quaintness of Sheet Cake. The row of historic buildings looks like it was built for a movie set. It’s easy to see why Brightmark Studios chose to set up here in Sheet Cake. There’s even a cute little town square with a gazebo in the center, like it was plucked straight from Stars Hollow. I halfway expect to run into Lorelai and Rory Gilmore in the coffee shop I’ve been wanting to try.
Instead of a grumpy Luke behind the counter, I get a friendly and gorgeous barista with a baseball cap who takes my order with a smile.
