Page 76 of Class Act

The three of us fell into a good-natured debate and ended up agreeing that we’d never agree. I was smiling at their antics and arguments when I felt Ford slide in next to me.

“I’m so sorry,” he said leaning down, the warmth of his breath raising goosebumps on my neck.

“You’re a popular guy,” I replied with a shiver.

“It’s my cologne. It has pheromones.”

I blinked and then a laugh burst out. I covered my mouth with my hand to reign the sound back in before everyone looked at us. “That explains it.”

“No one can resist bobcat scent.” He straightened with a smile.

I nodded, biting my lips, my dimples pushing into my cheeks. “Irresistible for most.”

“For most?”

I pointed to myself. “Not for me, of course. I’m impervious to wildcats.” I scooted forward in line with the kids, and Ford followed. “In fact, I’m buying the pie today in order to prove how honorable my intentions are.” He started to shake his head, and I shook mine back at him. “No arguing. Besides, I purposely ordered the most expensive thing I could at dinner last week, so it’s fair.”

His face split into a bright grin. “You purposely did that?”

“Yes.”

“Joke’s on you, then. I didn’t pay for that meal.”

“What?” I whispered, guilt flooding me. “Who did?”

“Randy. He invited me, remember?”’

The line moved forward again, and this time, Ford stayed close, so close I could feel his shoulder brushing mine. “I’m a terrible person,” I whispered.

“Nah. Just really bad at knowing who is actually paying for things.”

Before I realized what was happening, he handed the pie stand cashier a few bills while the kids ordered. He was slightly bending forward to reach the cashier, and it put our eyes level as I glanced at him. I could see the way he was enjoying this, and my heart completely halted in my chest, realizing I was enjoying it, too. So much. I swallowed hard, and he watched my throat work before he stood up straight and reached for our pie slices. Hillary and Henry already had theirs and were finding a place to sit. Ford balanced his and mine in his hands, and I fell into step behind him, following the kids, their giggles leading the way, until we found a free bench and sat down in a row.

“Why did you purposely order the most expensive thing the other night?” Ford asked as we all bit into our food.

I closed my eyes, letting the pie rest happily in my mouth for a moment before chewing slowly. I opened my eyes to find him watching me with a happy expression, and it did strange things to my stomach but not enough to keep me from fully enjoying the pie and cream before swallowing and clearing my throat.

“I can’t remember. I think you said something irritating.”

He gave a brief nod. “It’s possible. Your revenge tactics could use some work.”

I pretended to think about it and shrugged. “I’m an only child. My revenge skills are seriously underdeveloped.”

The four of us chatted comfortably about everything and nothing much while we ate. The kids told me what booths they wanted to see, and Ford vetoed a few of them with teasing eye rolls that had the kids laughing. Through it all I felt surprisingly content. Comfortable. Like I was sharing a piece of pie with one of my friends, only there was a simmer below the surface of pure attraction. It was a new feeling, and it made me realize how much I really had been missing out on in past relationships.

“Miss Hailey, can you fix my hair? It got stuck on the swing, and now it’s all out,” Hillary asked as Ford and Henry carried our trash to the can.

I turned on the bench and began braiding new pigtails while she chatted happily. It felt so natural, sitting there in the autumn sunlight, braiding her blonde hair, that I wanted to pinch myself.

Some commotion caught my attention as I finished the second braid, and I looked up to see Aryn and Ruby headed my way with delighted looks on their faces. Ford was behind them, carrying napkins to help his kids clean up by wiping their faces. I made the mistake of glancing over their shoulders at him just as my two friends arrived. Their eyes shot toward him, then at each other, then at me as their smiles changed from happy to see me to slightly devious.

“Hey,”’ they said to me in eerie unison.

“Hey,” I said back, wary.

“How’s the fair going?” Aryn asked.

“Anything tasty on the menu?” Ruby winked.

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