“But were you engaged to him?” Bex asks, looking pointedly in Riley’s direction as they both laugh.
“Don’t be a smart-ass, Bex, you just got to town.” I say this teasingly, wagging a finger at her as she holds up her hands in mock surrender. I turn my attention back to Riley. “It was a series of unfortunate circumstances that have led us to this. It’s out of sheerneed.”
“The kissing? What did you need…mouth to mouth?”
“Breath mint check,” Bex adds as Riley slaps her with a high-five.
“I think I’m done,” I say, starting to stand but realizing my foot still kind of hurts, so instead, I throw myself against the back of the bench. “Are you two finished?”
“Not by a country mile,” Riley purrs. “We still need to discuss where your engagement ring is. And what was it like kissing him?”
I look down at my left hand, staring at the ring finger. “I didn’t even consider a ring.”
“Who cares about that?” Bex chides. ”Hello! What was it like when he kissed you?”
“In a word, hot.” As I say it, a very wicked grin creeps across my face. “I didn’t want it to stop, ever.”
My hand flies to my mouth in reflex as the memory of his soft lips closing down on mine hits me like a ton of bricks. These two see it and they don't miss a beat.
“Oh wow,” Bex whispers. “Did you see that? She’s reacting like he just did it.”
“I know,” Riley acknowledges. “Your cheeks are even flushed. Wow. You’re catching feelings for him, aren’t you?”
“I’m not catching anything.” I swat Riley’s arm. “We’re helping each other out.”
Riley tilts her head to the side. “With kisses.”
“Not just that,” I argue. “With lots of things.”
Riley’s eyebrows lift.
I shake a finger at her. “Not those things that you’re thinking about.”
She winks at me as she whistles, calling the dogs back up to us. “This is a conversation we need to finish, but I gotta go pick up Jake.” Jake December is her ice hockey-playing husband. His team, the River City Renegades, had been away in Canada playing a series of games and he’s finally cominghome for a quick break. I know this because it’s all she talked about in the car on the way over to the dog park. She reaches under the bench and grabs my crutches, handing them to me.
“Thanks,” I say, using them to stand up. “One more day, then all gone.”
“How many people do you know have dropped their phone on their foot and ended up on crutches?” Riley asks no one in particular.
“The same number of people I’ve known to fake an engagement,” Bex retorts. These two are on fire.
I don’t say anything back, I simply hand Riley Toto’s leash. She takes it from me and looks at Bex.
“Can you help me get these three dogs in the car?”
They corral our crew, and after clicking leashes onto collars, make their way over to our cars. I follow behind, taking my time. My foot may ache, but I’m not in pain like I have been, evidence of its healing. But I do let Riley’s words sink in. After all, she’s been Levi’s bestie for reals since they were kids.
What am I doing? Am I safe? Is my heart?
Will Duncan be okay in all of this?
I’m still trying to sort out my feelings for Levi; I only know that they are big and wide, like a canyon. Or the ocean, really, as I’m beginning to realize. I’ve had tingles for the past year when I’ve thought about him, but those tingles have been replaced ever since our kiss. Now, I feel a heat rippling across me when he comes to mind. It’s like I’ve been in a dark room for ages and someone’s turned on a light. It’s not really bright, but it’s enough for me to see what’s in front of me and has been all along.
This doesn’t change that I need to prepare myself for the fact that Levi could be only in it for the way things look. Maybe he got carried away when we kissed. Maybe it’s me and I was the one who got carried away. Am I a harlot?A shrew needing to be tamed? Am I probably putting too much weight on this?
Yeah. Probably.
As for getting carried away, it’s something I can’t be sure of until I see him next. I can only protect myself so much, but the question remains.
