Page 18 of Another June with You

What a weird thing for him to say. “No, I just need to be rested for the bridal shower tomorrow afternoon. And I really do need to get all of today’s pictures backed up.”

He shook his head, clearly not believing her, and climbed into the car.

Shannon got in and buckled her seatbelt, glancing over at Micah, who had never been very good at hiding his emotions. He’d been upset earlier. And now, he was clearly disappointed.

“Is this because of the flour?” he asked.

“What?”

“The moment with the flour earlier.”

She felt his stare and avoided eye contact.

“I remembered it, too.”

She looked out the window. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do.”

He was right. He had always been able to see right through her. She couldn’t hide that she knew exactly what he was talking about—that floury afternoon in the kitchen all those years ago. The day they made sugar cookies together. Well, they tried, anyway.

“Wait!” Shannon scolded Micah as he plopped a ball of dough on the countertop and began flattening it with the rolling pin. She grabbed the dough and smashed it back into a ball.

“Hey! You ruined it,” he said.

“You have to spread some flour on the counter first or the dough will stick.” It had already started to, so she scraped it off then scooped some flour and dumped it on the counter, spreading it around with her hand to cover the area they would need for the dough. “See.”

He ran his finger through the flour in the shape of an S and touched the tip of her nose.

Her eyebrow lifted, and she wiped away the flour. “Roll that dough.”

Once again, he dropped the ball onto the counter and went about rolling it flat.

“Not too thin, but not too thick either,” she instructed.

“That’s helpful.” He chuckled as he continued to move the rolling pin over the dough.

“No, let me.” She took the pin from him and pushed him out of the way with her hip.

He raised his hands in the air as she took over. “I thought you were going to teach me, not do everything for me.”

She took a pinch of flour and flicked it at him. “Well, if you did it right, I wouldn’t have to take over.”

“Well, if you were a better teacher, maybe I would be doing it right.” He tossed a small handful of flour at her, leaving a white splotch on the front of her shirt.

Her mouth fell open, and she gave him a devious grin. She scooped a handful of flour and dropped it on top of his head, running her fingers through his hair in the process.

He reciprocated with a handful tossed in her face.

She coughed, and flour puffed out of her mouth at him as she came at him with flour in her grip.

He cracked up laughing, trying to duck away, grabbing her around the waist as he snatched more flour and dropped it down the back of her shirt.

Their laughter filled the room as the white powder flew everywhere, covering them and every surface nearby.

Micah pulled her close, his laugh mingling with hers as he began gently wiping the flour from her eyes, her cheeks, her lips.

She gazed into his eyes as they quieted.

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