Page 104 of Love Thy Neighbor

She needs someone to push her. I’ll be that person for her.

I’ll be damned if I sit on the sideline and watch her let this pass her by.

* * *

Every yearthe city shuts down the entire one-hundred-acre park for the jubilee, the biggest event of the year. Somehow, already, this one feels bigger than all the others, and it doesn’t even officially kick off for another thirty minutes. I swear several hundred people are milling about already.

“Hey, man,” Dean says, walking up to me. “Nice sweater.”

“Shut up, asshole,” I mutter, noting he’s wearing his standard weekend attire of jeans and a faded band tee. “Caroline made me wear it.Dress nice but not too nice, she said.”

“And you went along with that shit?” He shakes his head, taking a drink of his coffee. “Someone’s pussy-whipped.”

Guilty as fucking charged.

“Whatever,” I tell him. “Does The Gravy Train have a truck here? I didn’t even think about stopping to grab a coffee on the way. I could use one right about now.”

He nods toward the direction he just came from. “No, but I passed at least ten trucks on the way over here.”

“Meh,” I say. “That’s not the same.”

“Why do you think I grabbed one before coming here?” He takes another sip. “So, how’s it going in there?”

“Not sure. They’ve already rearranged things twice since I’ve been standing here, and it’s still ‘not right,’ as River keeps saying.”

“Again? They did it twice when I was here helping them set up.I thought they had it all planned out already—River hasn’t been able to shut up about it for weeks.”

“Tell me about it. When Caroline and I aren’t—”

“Having wild, wild sex?” he interrupts, smirking.

I laugh. “Yeah, that. When we aren’tpreoccupied, it’s all she’s talked about, making sure everything is perfect and in place.”

“Did she change her mind about her display?” I shake my head, and Dean frowns. “Damn. River was really rooting for her. Sucks, because from the way River tells it, your girl is mad talented.”

She is.

And when I get the chance to talk to her, she’ll realize sheneedsto do this.

I know she will.

“Well, since they’re still in there working, I’m going to take a walk around and scope out the competition, see who I can charm over this way,” Dean says.

“Is that your role in all this?”

“Yep. Want to join?”

“Sure.” I shrug. “I have nothing better to do. But first, I need some caffeine. I’m going to head that way,” I say, pointing the way he came from, back where all the food trucks are. “Find some coffee. Then I’ll catch up with you.”

“Sounds good.”

He takes off to scout things out, and I start toward the caffeine. I stop at the first truck I find, not caring who it is, and place an order for two black coffees.

One is for me, and the other I’ll use to try to entice Caroline when I give her my big speech.

She needs to get out of her own head and realize she’s talented, realize we’re not all just blowing smoke up her ass and her “silly, homemade” designs are worth more than she gives herself credit for.

When she sees how right I am, how much I believe in her by bringing her designs, I know she’ll see I’m right.

---