Page 4 of The One for Forever

“What?” I looked up, my face flushed.

But whatever scandalous thought I’d been entertaining, this wasn’t it. Rex was holding a bucket of fried chicken. “I picked this up on my way home, and I was probably going to eat it all myself, saturated fats and all. Want to share? Save me from consuming so many calories?”

“Uh, sure.” I shook off my weird train of thought about his muscly arms and sexy voice.

He sat on the lowest porch step again and held out the bucket. I took a drumstick. “Sorry if it got cold sitting in your car,” I said.

“Don’t worry about that. I think it’s better cold anyway.” Then Rex held out some napkins with his other hand, and as I grabbed one, our fingers brushed.

Contact.

My throat was closing up. Heat raced through my insides. My heart sped up to a hundred miles an hour. He’d turned away, calmly biting into a thigh piece. But I felt elated and sick all at once.

If one touch of his hand made me feel like that, what would the rest of him do?

Oh God. I really shouldn’t think things like that.

Maybe Landon had been onto something. I was a good girl who wanted to be bad. But not with a high school boy.

Rex Easton was all man.

Right. As if Cliff’s dad would ever look at me that way in a million years. In fact, it would’ve scared me if hedid.

But that didn’t stop me from imagining him leaning over. Kissing just under my ear, the scruff on his chin tickling my skin as our fingers tangled together…

“Should I put on some music?” I asked.

“Great idea.”

“I’ve got a 90s playlist. So you’ll probably know a lot of the songs.”

He grinned. “Probably.”

We didn’t get up and dance, but we swayed in place and sang along to songs we both knew. We sat on my front porch until we were both yawning. Cliff was spending the night at the prom after-party, so he wasn’t coming back. It was just Rex and me on the cul-de-sac. Of course, nothing was going to happen.

But inside my mind, my fantasies were in overdrive.

Rex said goodnight to me at the front door, reminding me to lock up and set the alarm. “Thanks,” I said. “You saved my prom night.” I wanted to make a quip about him being my hero, but everything that came to mind was way too cheesy.

“Just being a friend. Like you were to Cliff and me after Lydia passed. Don’t forget what I said, Quinn. You deserve someone as special as you are.” His smile was bittersweet. “Be safe.”

“I will.”

I went inside, watching through the window until he vanished from view. But I already knew I was doomed.

I had a full-blown crush on my best friend’s dad.

My only hope was that I’d get over this quickly. And if not, I’d head off to college in a few months. It would be out of sight, out of mind. EvenIwasn’t hopeless enough to pine over a man I could never, ever have.

Please say I’m not that hopeless.

1

Present Day

Istep into the ballroom, smoothing my hands over my satiny, floor-length dress. This is the same Ocean Lane hotel that hosted my senior prom all those years ago. They’ve updated the decor, and tonight’s event is crawling with high-powered lawyers instead of teenagers. But it’s probably an equal level of maturity.

At least I’ve got a more subtle fashion sense these days. I even remembered my waterproof mascara. Though if I wind up crying tonight, something will have gone seriously wrong.

---