Page 21 of Tastes Like Watermelon Moonshine
“All glory goes to God.” Ms. Rosa pats my knee. “You got one of those fancy phones? Look up the song ‘Love Lifted Me.’ Let it become one of your theme songs. Lean on Him. He’ll lift you from those waves.” She presses another kiss to my head.
The squeal of hinges in the kitchen announces the presence of Coach and my brothers. I’m glad the boys were outside for all of this. They haven’t voiced it, but I’m certain that my choice has had an effect on them.
Thanks to the boys and me, Coach and Ms. Rosa’s house is all set up for Christmas. Our house is next: the tree to put up, lights to hang outside, candles to place in the windows. Basically everything left to decorate… Except for one thing. The mistletoe in the doorways. Every single doorway. Those go up in November.
Mistletoe.
I’ll never look at it without thinking of Austin. I finger my necklace and finally open up that little memory box in my brain and relive those delicious moments.
Chapter 11
Austin - The Past
ApparentlyintheCarterhousehold Ticket To Ride is quite the competitive game. Riley won in the end. But only after a ton of fighting with Robert. Mr. and Mrs. Carter are in the kitchen, working on the dinner dishes. They assigned Raegan and I to clean up the game. Not that hard of a task.
I stand in the cozy green plaid wall-papered den perusing a wall of built-in bookshelves which hold a lot of ranch guides, cookbooks, books for children, and a large selection of adult fiction. The rest of the shelves house a myriad of board games, DVDs, and a few video games.
The table for playing games is worn, giving testimony to the competitiveness of this family. Sometimes I’m a little jealous of them. They’re a perfect family. A mom and dad; clearly in love by the copious amount of PDA that is always happening. They don’t care if I’m around, they kiss like no one is watching. And thereare three happy children. All adored by their parents. None of them ignored or forgotten.
“Help me get these pieces put away,” Raegan whisper-yells. I pull my finger away from the spines of the books I’d been sliding it along.
“Sure-” I pause, and lower my voice. “Why are we whispering?”
Raegan shrugs her shoulders sheepishly and grins, her eyes twinkling.
She starts scooping up the green trains and I go for the red. Our hands brush and a buzz of awareness shoots a shiver down my spine. Did it happen for her as well? This feeling is incredible, better than the feeling from a home run. I need to chase this feeling. I want more of it. I want that electricity to take me to my knees. I need her fingers to touch mine again.
The trains are all safe in their little baggies, and I hold out the box lid for Raegan. I grip it awkwardly, hoping that her fingers will caress mine as she takes it from my hands. She tugs on the corners, and I refuse to let it go. My heart starts beating in triple time. If she wants this box lid, she’s going to have to pry it from my hands.
She doesn’t loosen her grip on the edges of the box. Instead, she slowly makes her way around the table, closer to me. Her blue-gray eyes lock with mine. The sparks of steel that crackle in her eyes make my body heat, like someone hiked the thermostat to eighty.
Her thick lashes brush her cheeks as she slowly blinks at me. Her eyes hold mine, not wavering. My palms are sweaty, and I’m pretty sure my forearms are starting to shake. I nearly let go of the box as I memorize every feature of her face. Her adorable nose, and that little dip right above her lips.
I want to taste them. I need to taste them. What do I do next? Just lean in and kiss her now?It takes all my concentration topull my eyes from her face. I dart my eyes around the room, allowing my blood to cool just a few degrees. A sprig of mistletoe hanging in the doorway snags my attention.
An idea begins to form. The doorway can’t be seen from the kitchen. My eyes flit from the mistletoe to Raegan and back. She looks at me like she’s trying to figure out what I’m thinking. I release the box into her grasp and step toward the doorway.
“Come here.” It comes out as a deep husky whisper.
Confusion covers her face, as she stares at the box lid in her hands. She cocks her head, her gaze now on me. My chest rises and falls rapidly as she studies me. I flit my eyes up to the mistletoe above me and then back to her.
Her lips take on a cheeky grin as she places the box on the table and walks slowly toward me. She carefully steps over a spot that I’ve noticed squeaks when stepped on.
My pulse is buzzing. She’s got the idea now, and my stomach twists because I’ve never done this before… What if I mess it up? What if she doesn’t like my lips? What if they’re too wet? Or somehow I drool on her?
There have been plenty of opportunities to steal a quick kiss. And I’ve waited. Wanting to make sure we’re both ready. I don’t want to rush her or intimidate her.
She stands in front of me. Her hair, golden in the glow of the low lighting.
Goosebumps pop up all over my body. Like a sloth, I raise a shaky hand to her cheek. My fingertips trail from her cheek down to her chin. She’s so smooth and soft. As if I could break her if I press too hard. The contact shoots heat through my veins down into my belly.
My eyes wander her face, taking in the light freckles, the long lashes, the pewter in her eyes. I grab her one arm with my sweaty hand, I hope it doesn’t gross her out. My thumb rubs smallcircles on her wrist. Her eyelids are closing, and I can hear the little puffs of air as they exit her nose.
Is this going to happen?
I lean down. Too quickly, and our noses crash together. My heart races like a ball player trying to beat the outfielder scrambling for the ball.
Her minty breath whispers over my lips. She’s breathing just as fast as I am. I swallow and it seems to echo through the room. The tension is so thick, and I nearly lose myself in her eyes.
