Page 36 of Stay for Forever

Chapter 13

If an animal’s eyes have the power to speak a great language, I don’t want to know what those beady chipmunk eyes are trying to tell me.

Maverick

Ishift my weight from foot to foot before I raise my hand to knock on Juniper’s door for our date. I wanted to bring the Maserati to show off for her, but cars are not allowed in the environmentally conscious Winter Falls. So, instead, I’m rocking grandpa’s golf cart. I don’t think she’s impressed with material items anyway – despite claiming to want to win my luxury car in our bet. No, she was trying to hit me where it hurts.

She has no idea how little I care for the cars and houses and other trappings of wealth associated with being a star. None of it means a thing if I don’t have her by my side. These past months when she refused to talk to me, I came to some harsh realities.

Starting with how all of it feels empty without Juniper by my side. I took her for granted. I assumed she’d always be waiting here for me no matter what. I learned the hard way how untrue my assumptions were.

And now I have to win her back. I don’t care what I have to do. I will weasel my way back into her life and her heart, because Juniper’s mine.

The door opens, and a dog flies out. He’s followed by another dog and a – is that a chipmunk?

“Stop Dale!” Juniper shouts. Dale has to be the chipmunk, right?

I chase after him and he dashes up a tree. Shit. What now? I ditch my leather loafers and begin climbing the tree. He peers over at me from the end of a low branch. Is he laughing at me?

“If I rattle the branch, can you catch him?” I ask Juniper. When she doesn’t answer, I glance over my shoulder to discover her staring at my backside. I wiggle my ass and watch her eyes widen. The weaseling my way back into Juniper’s life has begun.

“June Bug!”

She startles and a blush spreads across her cheeks and down her neck to the top of her shirt. I know from experience the blush will continue to her breasts. My pants tighten. Uh oh. Wrapped around a tree trying to save a chipmunk is not the appropriate time to get hard.

“I got him,” she hollers.

I jiggle the branch and the chipmunk loses his smile. Ha! That’s what you get for laughing at my tree climbing capabilities. Great. I’m having a conversation in my head with a chipmunk.

As I watch, the animal falls and Juniper catches him. She immediately cuddles him like he’s a baby and not an annoying rodent. The woman does love her animals.

“Back in the house with you,” she coos to him, “or I won’t let your brother Chip come over tomorrow for a play date.”

I climb down the tree and slip my shoes back on. When Juniper notices me brushing off my slacks, she cringes.

“Sorry, Mav. I’ll have those dry cleaned for you. I know how important your clothes are to you.”

Whoa. Does she think I’m some materialistic man who’s obsessed with the trappings of wealth? I glance down at my Prada loafers and wince. What was I thinking putting on Prada loafers and Versace khakis to accompany Juniper to the local brewery? I was thinking she’d be impressed. She’s obviously not.

“It’s fine. These are old anyway.” I hold my breath and hope she buys my lie.

“Okay.” She doesn’t appear to believe me, but as long as she doesn’t call me on my lie, we’re good. “Let me round up Bark Twain and Indiana Bones and we can go.”

“Do you want me to search for them?”

“I got this,” she murmurs before clearing her throat and yelling at the top of her lungs. “Bark Twain! Indiana Bones! Get your furry butts home or you will not be getting a cheese treat ever again. Cheese!”

I hear barking before the two dogs blast out of the next door neighbor’s hedge and barrel to the door. They screech to a halt at Juniper’s feet and stare up at her with their puppy dog eyes. She immediately melts, and suddenly I’m jealous of two furry mutts. Why can’t she melt for me the way she does her dogs?

She places Dale on her shoulder before digging two treats out of her pockets for the dogs. They snap them up and she motions inside her house. “Get moving.”

They scurry inside, and she turns to me. “I’m ready to go now.”

“Were you planning to bring a chipmunk with you?” I wave toward her shoulder. “I’m fine with it, but I don’t know if they’ll serve him at the brewery.”

She rolls her eyes before picking Dale up and setting him down in her hallway and shutting the door behind her.

“There! Now, I’m ready.”

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