Page 116 of Lemon Crush

“Great.” Kingston latched on to that offer like a lifeline, confusing the hell out of me. “You’re riding with us.”

“Hot damn.” Dalton smiled at me. “I’ve never hung out with a famous person before.”

Kingston looked so pleased I didn’t have the heart to tell him Dalton was more of a sci-fi fiend than I was, and a huge fan of Chick’s movies.

He’d find out soon enough.

“I’ll start welding when I get back. You want a doggy bag, boss?”

“I’m good.”

I was lying my ass off. But it got them all out of the garage.

“Nothing I do can make her stay.”

“It means she’ll leave.”

I’d talked my way into August’s life with a few half-assed plans and years of built-up what-ifs in my pocket. And, in a way, I’d gotten exactly what I wanted. I knew what it felt like to have her now. She was in every part of my life. Beside me in bed. Here at work. In my head all the time. But I couldn’t keep burying that head in the sand.

History told me she’d leave, and so did the two people who knew her best. She wasn’t gone yet, but I had to let myself consider the possibility that it would happen, no matter how good we were together, and sooner rather than later.

I couldn’t regret it, no matter how bleak my life would look without her in it now. I only wished I’d had the balls to take a chance a little sooner, instead of using bad timing as an excuse.

Maybe you should take Chick’s advice and talk to her instead of giving up.

I wasn’t giving up yet. There was no way in hell I’d cut our time short because I might not get my way in the end. But Iwasthinking about taking a page from her book. Maybe I’d give living in the moment a try instead of waiting for the inevitable. Tomorrow was coming, whether I wanted it to or not. But that’s when I’d deal with it. Tomorrow.

Until then, I wanted to make some more memories.

24

AUGUST

“I can’t believeit’s over.”

Bernie solicitously slid my margarita and a basket of rolls toward me. “Is she okay? Is this normal?”

“She’ll be fine.” Chick squeezed my hand, his voice low and comforting, as if he were attempting to soothe a skittish, injured animal. “It’s all part of the process.”

I picked up a roll and stared at it like I’d never seen one before. Was I supposed to eat this? “I think I might be sick.”

“You can’t be sick; I see the waitress with our lunch. And don’t start crying again unless you want to scare Bernie.”

“She wascrying?”

“Mm-hmm. For an hour after she sent the email.”

The wordemailhad me pushing back my chair, anxiety making my stomach cramp. “What if I sent them the wrong file? I should go back and double-check?—”

Chick’s fingers clamped on my shoulder, keeping me in my seat while he replaced the roll with my margarita. “Drink your medicine, August.”

I started to obey but hesitated before the salted rim touched my lips. How could I drink at a time like this?

“I was right there with you, and we triple-checked that file before sending what I know is some of your best work. You did the damn thing. Now take a drink and celebrate with your friends.”

The waitress arrived, her worried frown saying I probably looked close to tears, so I took a healthy swallow as she plated our table. Someone who knew me had ordered me the small appetizer quesadilla. Bernie had a Caesar salad with a side of fries. And Chick had gotten the chicken fried steak, which he stared at with equal parts hunger and horror.

“What is it with this state and these giant servings of fried food? I have extra plates for my sides,” he emphasized, “because this steak takes up one entire plate all by itself. You could feed five people with this single slab of fried meat.”

---