Page 86 of First Chance

Lochlan

She flits around in her sundress like a fairy through the grass, winning over the people I’ve grown up around my entire life. All of the people who abandoned me after I was falsely accused.

She insisted that the Rollins County Fair was a good place to practice being a couple, but she doesn’t understand how easy it is to be infatuated with her.

She still thinks my reluctance to this engagement has anything to do with me when it’s entirely because of her. She’s beautiful and brilliant. She has a bright future ahead of her, and I’m terrified to ruin it for her.

My heart was screaming at me to kiss her, but my head knew how selfish it is to claim her lips when they aren’t truly mine to claim. She deserves all of her firsts to be as special as she wants them to be.

I am in no way deserving of any of them.

“I heard some frat bros over there thirsting over your girl,” Hayes says as he plops down on the picnic bench next to me. He’s eating a giant cheeseburger. It’s the fourth thing I’ve seen him with since we got here.

“Yeah, well, I don’t blame them.” I don’t bother correcting him for calling her mine. I know she isn’t mine, but I’ll damn sure protect her like she is.

“Who knew Lochlan Dane would get engaged? I hope I’m your best man.”

“Shut the fuck up, Jensen.” I only use his first name when he’s annoying me.

“This indifferent attitude is going to blow up in your face when she leaves.”

“I know.”

“Ah, there they go.” He nods his head toward the two guys wearing khaki shorts and V-neck T-shirts snaking through the crowd to get to Jo. She’s standing with Curtis and Jordy, but unfortunately neither of them look like much competition to cocky college kids.

“Should I go over there?”

“Let’s see what happens,” he murmurs in amusement.

The two guys approach, easily earning a few smiles from the woman who has an endless supply. It only takes a moment for me to see the corners droop slightly. She’ll keep the appearance up because that’s what she’s been taught, but I can tell a real smile from a fake one. I’ve studied them closely.

“Oh, look at that good fiancé,” he remarks when she lifts her left hand to show her engagement ring.

One of them nods his head at Curtis and Jordy, but she shakes her head no and turns to point at me. They all look in my direction, and I meet their stares head-on. Hayes waves with his fingers like the cheeky fucker he is.

Jo smiles.

That beautiful, beaming smile has me up and out of my seatin one second flat like a magnet pulling me in. If she honors me with a look like that, then I’m taking full advantage.

By the time I get to her, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb have disappeared.

“They wanted to dance with me,” she explains. There is a live band and an open grassy dance floor in front of the stage.

“And, you told them that the boogeyman was watching.”

She rolls her eyes at me. “No, I told them my fiancé was right over there and I’d be dancing with him.”

“I don’t dance.”

“Oh, right.” She blinks away her disappointment quickly, but not quickly enough.

“But, I also don’t share, darlin’.” I grab her delicate wrist, pinning it to my chest. “If you want to dance, it’ll be with me.”

“Okay,” she responds breathlessly, her blushed cheeks begging to be caressed. Kissed.

I’m not much of a dancer, but I can get by without stepping on her feet. A simple sway and one or two steps here and there are the extent of it. It doesn’t matter, though, because all I care about is having her in my arms. Getting to hold her on purpose without a definite time limit is a privilege.

“Thank you for humoring me,” she whispers sweetly, tilting her face up to look at me. I can’t stop looking at her lips.

---