Page 55 of It's a Love Story

“Okay,” he says. He lets go of my hand and then holds his fingers up to mine so that each of them touch. It feels like a promise. He lets them fall away and gets in bed below me. I hear him pull up his covers, then pull them off again and get up. His face appears at bunk level, leaning in. “I really liked this day,” he whispers. “Besides the time we weren’t together.”

“Same,” I say.

He’s locked in on my eyes, and he’s daring me to say something more. I have too many over-the-top feelings spinning around my head to get a single one out. He reaches out and moves my hair off of my shoulder. The tips of his fingers trace my neck and then my jaw, and I let out a breath that comes from a place I didn’t even know about. He says, “Tomorrow.” Another promise.

CHAPTER 23

WHEN I WAKE UP, SAMMY IS IN MARLA’S BED ANDMarla is in Dan’s. I get dressed for my run in the bathroom and find Dan outside with Cormack, Paula, and Connor. Ruby’s dancing on the lawn.

Dan sees me and springs from his chair. “Hi. Here. Sit.” He motions to his chair, so I do.

“Why are you up so early?” I ask him.

“Sammy came in crying about something—I can’t believe you slept through that.” He drags another chair over next to me.

“I can’t either. I’m a pretty light sleeper.”

“Not really,” Dan says, and Cormack smiles.

“Not really what?” I ask.

“You were laughing in your sleep,” Cormack says. “Dan tells me you woke Marla up too.”

“That is truly embarrassing,” I say. I am not at all embarrassed. It surprises me so much that I scan my body for the normal feelings—tight in the chest, hot in the face. Nothing. I sometimes laugh in my sleep, and I love that.

Paula has a list. “So tonight’s the party, of course. I need you guys there by five, just as an extra set of hands. I’m going to regret letting all the kids come, but that’s how Reenie wants it.”

Sammy wanders out and climbs into Dan’s lap, nearly asleep still. He settles his cheek into Dan’s chest and Dan rubs his little back and my heart does a funny flip.

Paula goes on. “Jane, you’re in charge of managing this.” She motions to Dan like he’s a mess to be cleaned up.

“I don’t need to be managed,” Dan says. “I’m going to hate it, but I’ll do it.”

“That’s the show of confidence we need,” Paula says and shoots me a look.

Aidan comes out with Katie in his arms and hands her to me. I love that he does this. I am the holder of Katie, the getter of muffins, the baker of pies.

“Paula and I are both off today,” Aidan says. “We were going to head to the bird preserve with the girls if you guys want to come.”

“No,” Dan says. It comes out so fast that it makes Aidan laugh.

“Okay,” he says, with his hands up.

“Sorry, no.” Dan softens. “Jane and I are doing other stuff today.” He’s not meeting my eye.

I say, “Well, we were going to go to the beach to find Jack.”

Dan looks at me. The look says so many things so loudly that I’m afraid everyone hears. I smile at him, just with my eyes, over Katie’s head.

“And then we’ve got a bunch of other stuff,” he says. “So no birds for us.”

Aidan and Paula exchange a look, and Paula says to me, “Okay, just make sure he shows up,”

“Tomorrow it’ll all be over,” Aidan says.

“And tomorrow we’re all going surfing,” Connor says. “Six a.m. I borrowed the Murphys’ truck. You in?”

“Sure.” Dan gives Sammy a squeeze and puts him down. “Fine.”

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