Page 30 of Summer Affair
“Probably and actually are two very different things,” Jillian said. “Ask him which one.”
Darcy’s fingers flew over the screen and as fast as she hit Send her phone pinged. “He isn’tsuresure, but when I mentioned what was going on he assumed it was Clay,” Darcy said. “I guess he used to play in the Tiny Tikes when he was little and likes to give back.”
“But he didn’t give back, he paid for Sammy and didn’t tell me. Why would he do that?”
Had he made the call before or after he’d kissed her? One would irritate her, the other would boil her blood.
The women exchanged another look, having an entire silent conversation about Jillian without including Jillian. “You tell us why,” Piper said.
She hadn’t a clue. They’d just agreed they were a bad idea, so why do this? What was in it for him? She wished she could take this as a sweet goodwill gesture. But with her past, she just couldn’t.
The men in her life had a habit of walking all over her and railroading her into situations, which was why she’d walked away. Jillian was no longer a doormat.
“I can’t believe he’d do this.” A familiar feeling rose up and slowly tightened around her throat—panic.
Darcy sighed. “What’s the big deal. I think it’s sweet.”
“Sweet?” Jillian asked, outraged. “How is going behind my back sweet?”
Darcy’s expression became soft with concern. “Is there something you’re not telling us?”
Jillian took a deep breath. “I wasn’t going to say anything because it isn’t a big deal.”
“Your expressions says differently,” Piper said quietly.
“If I tell you, do you solemnly swear by the power of besties that you won’t make a big deal over what I’m about to say?”
Darcy nodded and Piper said, “Scout’s honor.”
“Neither of you were even a scout.”
“I lived by a code of my own,” Piper said. “It’s rock solid.”
“We may have kissed.” She prepared for the onslaught of questions.
“Oh, we know.”
Jillian choked on air. “You know? How? It just happened.”
Darcy’s eyes went wide, and she sucked in her lips, as if having to bite back her comment.
“We were talking about the smooch the other week on the front porch,” Piper said. “As for the how? Ms. Lambert took a video and posted it on TikTok.”
“You follow Ms. Lambert on TikTok?” Ms. Lambert likely at the OK Corral, was half blind, and used a walker just to walk across her porch.
“Oh, she posts all the tea,” Piper said. “Like you and Clay locking lips. She put it toShut Up and Kiss MebyMary Chapin Carpenter.”
Great, who knew how many people in town saw it. “That was an accident.”
Darcy snorted. “What, did you stumble and fall into his mouth?”
“No,” she scoffed. “He went in for the cheek kiss and I accidentally turned my head the wrong way.” Saying it out loud sounded ridiculous even to her. Had it been an accident? Or had she subconsciously jumped at the chance to kiss her crush?
Then there was the kiss at the hospital, which had been meant as athank-youkiss and quickly morphed into anI want youkiss.
She blamed that podcast. If it hadn’t been for Dr.Claire, she never would have activated her Girl on Fire, who was now refusing to be silenced.
“And the second time. Was that an accident, too?” Darcy asked, and Jillian wanted to hide under the bleachers.
