Page 141 of Always Meant for You
Shaun nods. “I can respect that.”
Me too.
A teenage girl walks up to us. Her scarf is knotted tight at her neck and bright enough to draw the eye. The cracked print on her vintage T-shirt reads Duran Duran.
She eyes the bleachers and frowns. “What’s going on, Dad?”
“Your mom’s helping with a project,” Shaun answers.
The girl turns to me. Her eyes narrow slightly. “Who are you?”
“I’m Mabel. I like your scarf. Is that Tory Burch?”
She beams. “Yes! I saved up babysitting money for it. I got it secondhand.”
Shaun pats her shoulder. “Kayla’s our fashion expert. She lives online.”
Fashion expert? Lives online?
My heart is in my throat. In the whirlwind of the last ten days, I almost forgot about my past.
“How fun,” I say, pulling my Eat Elverna hat a little lower.
“I follow vintage fashion vlogs and blogs,” Kayla explains. “One of the influencers I follow is a world traveler. She finds the best clothes. She ties her scarf this way. It’s a French knot.”
My stomach flips. “Is that right?”
The girl looks me over. “I like your skirt. Is it Chloé?”
This kid does know fashion.
Before I can answer, Kayla’s gaze drops to the M at my neck, then slides to my crossbody purse. “Do I know you?”
The breath catches in my throat.
I tuck the necklace beneath my shirt. “I don’t think so.”
She studies me.
I swallow hard. “Hey, have you heard of the Castle King?” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.
Kayla tilts her head and frowns. “Is that a fashion label?”
What am I doing?
“No, it’s nothing,” I stammer.
She lights up. “Wait, I do know you. My mom follows you. You’re the couple with the baby animals. You named your goat after him, and your boyfriend named his kitten after you.”
My cheeks heat. “He’s not my boyfriend. We work together.”
Kayla’s expression turns knowing. “Are you sure?”
Before I can respond, the whistle blasts again, followed by cheers and applause. Dozens of kids add their edited passports to the box as Cougar moms beam, high-fiving.
“Kayla, honey, come on over and take a picture of us!” Kathy yells.
“Better go, sweetie,” Shaun says to his daughter.
