Page 62 of Sweets and Sycamores
A lean figure sat on the porch swing, drowning in an ocean of red hair, holding two cups in her hands. Dominic walked to her like a moth drawn to light, and he could swear the air was warmer as he got closer to her.
“Dom,” Allie said when she noticed him climbing the porch stairs.
His name like that on her lips made his heart somersault inside his chest. Dominic didn’t remember why he had angrily rushed out of the bakery earlier, leaving her behind. How could he be angry with her?
Allie had said they were only friends, but if she didn’t want anything else, wasn’t friends better than nothing?
“What are you doing here?” A smile spread on her face, one of those large and genuine ones. Was she happy to see him?
“I came to pick you up.” During the drive, Dom had considered inventing a reason to come to Riverbend, thencoincidentally leave with Allie. Then he had thought better about it and decided on the truth: he just wanted to take her home. No lies, no games.
The door slammed open and missed hitting Dominic in the face by a hair’s breadth.
“I found the—oh. Hey, D,” Brandon greeted him with a shit-eating grin. Heknewhe had gotten under Dom’s skin. By coming here, Dominic had just proved his friend right. Admitted he had gotten under his skin.
“Brandon,” Dom said with a slight tip of his chin. He scowled at his friend, whose smile only grew. Then he noticed the blanket under his arm, and Allie holding two cups...
It wasn’t hard to put two and two together, and hell would freeze over before Dominic let Brandon get all cozy next to Allie. Without another thought, Dom grabbed the cups from Allie’s hands and handed them to Brandon as he snatched the blanket, fluffed it up, and draped it over Allie’s shoulders.
“Let me know when you’re ready to go.” He sat next to her and held his arm around her longer than needed. Allie leaned closer to him, a sparkle in her chocolate eyes that had Dominic thinking it was more than just the lamplight reflection.
“Ekko’s not back yet. He’s roaming around the farm, probably in the orchards.” She chuckled softly and shook her head. Dominic wanted to swallow that breathy sound.
“I can bring him back.”
“I bet you can,” Brandon mumbled, barely containing his laughter. Dom turned murderous eyes on his friend, who had the audacity to say, “I would have driven Allie back. You can spend the night here, too, if you want,” he addressed the beautiful Witch.
Dominic wanted to punch him. He wanted to punch him so damn much.
He replaced that urge with a flare of his power, flicking his wrist and sending a gust of wind through the farm to find Allie’s dragon. It blasted to life more powerfully than Dom had anticipated, and he positioned himself in front of Allie to take the brunt of it. Brandon swore and moved his arms in front of his face, spilling hot chocolate on his shirt.
“Was that necessary?” his friend complained.
“I’m bringing Ekko back so we can go home.” Dominic didn’t leave Allie with the choice to accept or reject Brandon’s offer. He knew it was a jerk move, but he’d rather suck the air out of his own lungs than hear Allie say she wanted to stay here. Away from him.
“Good,” she said in a sweet voice that brought his eyes back to her.
Good.
A chittering chaos of purple flew to them from the darkness as Ekko fought the gale with his head upside down. Dominic slowed the wind and placed the creature in Allie’s lap. His snout was smudged with dark purple, and his cheeks were rounder than usual.
“Ah, he found the winery,” Brandon said.
“I’m sorry.” Allie laughed as she struggled to clean the baby dragon with the end of her sleeve. “He really likes grapes.”
“You can bring him here any time.” Although Brandon was talking to Allie, he threw Dom a look full of meaning, and he answered with one full of menace.
“Thanks, Brandon. Your farm is really lovely.” Allie gave him one of her radiant smiles, then cupped her palm up and lit a fire in her hand. “Ready?” she asked Dom. He looked pointedly from her hand to Brandon and back. The Witch inched closer to him, her tangerine smell wrapping around his senses. “You trust Brandon, right?”
With my life.
The simple question made Dom reconsider his childish behavior. He placed the car keys in Allie’s other hand and said, “The car is just outside the front gate. Get in. I’ll be right there.”
Allie nodded, then smiled and waved at Brandon before leaving. Ekko flew to him and nuzzled his jaw while Brandon scratched under his chin and said, “You’re welcome.”
Alone with his friend, Dominic crossed his arms and glared in what Brandon had always called his “signature move.”
“Fine,” he barked. “I like her. Are you happy now?” He felt as if someone dragged needles through his throat.
