“I’m sorry it took me so long to find you.”
“Oh gawd, Chase, it wasn’t your fault. I was stupid,” she said, her voice wavering a little less. “I went with him behind the curtain thinking all he’d do was kiss me, but …” She hesitated. “Please don’t tell Mom or Dad. I mean, it’s not like something really happened. He didn’t even get inside my shirt. I was just … so pissed that I fell for him and that I couldn’t stop him. He was stronger than I was.” She bit down on her lip. “Please, please don’t tell. You know this would freak them out and Dad … Hell, Dad would kill him.”
Yeah, his dad probably would kill him. Chase knew he wanted to. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
She took a few steps closer. “Thanks to you, I am. And I’ve been so mean to you today. I’m sorry I was a bitch. I promise you that I’ll never be a snot to you again.”
Seeing Mindy acting like Mindy, the nicer Mindy, had the panic in his chest lessening. Unfortunately, the panic was probably what had stopped his hand from hurting, because it was throbbing like a mo fo now.
Before he knew what Mindy intended to do, she hugged him. They hadn’t hugged each other since his mom stopped making them hug to make up after a fight. Oddly, this one was nicer.
He really did love his sister, even when she was a snot.
“Thank you,” she said and pulled back.
She looked around him. “Here comes Tami with the ice.” She glanced down at his hand. “I’m sorry you got hurt.”
“I’m fine,” he lied.
She made a face, looking from Tami back to him. “Look, I know you have a thing for Tami and … if you tell her I said this, I’ll lie and say I didn’t, but …” She looked up again. “She kind of has a thing for you, too. I didn’t approve, but after seeing you two today, I think you might be great together. So, go for it. You have my permission to date my best friend. But be nice to her.”
Chase’s head reeled with that piece of information.
“Here.” Tami came running up with a cup of ice and some paper towels. “They didn’t have any plastic baggies, so this will have to do.” She pulled him over to the picnic table. “Sit down and let me put ice on it.” He sat down on the bench facing her instead of the table. She stepped between his legs, and quickly started emptying ice into the paper towels.
“I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt at all.” It wasn’t a lie this time. Hearing that Tami had a thing for him chased the pain away.
She picked up his hand and dropped the paper towel filled with ice on his hand. “You were awesome,” she said. In the corner of his eye, he saw his sister move a few feet away as if giving them space.
He glanced up at Tami. “Not really. I should have chased his ass off a long time ago.”
“Mindy wouldn’t have let you. Besides, I … never thought watching a guy fight would be hot, but it was.”
“You think I’m hot?” he asked, loving the sound of that.
She grinned. “I think you’re a hero.”
“So I’m not hot?”
She laughed. “You’re both.” She dipped her head and kissed him. It wasn’t one of those that came with tongue, but it was much more than a simple peck.
And it didn’t end quickly. It lasted, not long enough, but long enough for it to mean something.
When she pulled back, he looked up at her. “Are you only kissing me because I hit Eric? Because I don’t want to have to hit a guy every time I want to score a kiss.” He smiled at her, his heart still racing from feeling her lips against his.
“No,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time. And …” she made a funny face, “since I’m gonna die soon, I figured I’d better do it.”
“In that case, do you think you should do it again?” It was a lame line. But it worked.
She kissed him again. And this one did come with a little tongue. He was nervous at first, but just like he thought, he didn’t suck at it. He suddenly felt confident. He even reached up with his uninjured hand and held the back of her head.
The sound of a ringing phone broke the kiss. His sister stood about ten feet away staring and smiling as she pulled her phone out.
When she looked at the phone’s screen, her eyes widened with panic. She came running up. “It’s Dad. Pleeeasse tell me you didn’t call him about this.”
“I didn’t,” he told her and stood up. “He’s probably just checking in.”
She inhaled a breath and took the call.
“Hey, Dad,” Mindy said, sounding extra cheery, but she really did sound okay. She paused. “I hate that. Yeah, we were ready to come back anyway.” She looked up at Chase. “Okay, we’ll meet you in twenty minutes.”
She dropped the phone back in her pocket. “He’s picking us up early. Something about a storm and a surgery he’s been called in to do. We’re going to have to leave this afternoon. Like soon, because everyone is trying to get out of town before the storm.”
“I hate that,” Tami said.
“Me, too,” Chase said. He wasn’t ready for this weekend to end. He plopped the ice he’d been using on his knuckles on the table. He moved his hand. It wasn’t broken, just bruised.
Mindy stood there staring at him, looking worried again. “Promise me you aren’t going to tell Mom or Dad about this.”
Chase studied her frown. “Promise me that you’ll be more careful from now on. And not hook up with jerks.”
“I promise,” Mindy said. “Now you promise. I want to hear it.”
Chase shrugged. “I already promised, but to make you feel better … I promise I won’t tell Dad or Mom.” His sister came over and hugged him again.
“I love happy endings,” Tami said.
As they walked back to the place they were supposed to meet his dad, they passed the palm reader. She was with someone else, holding a man’s palm in her hand, probably telling him lies. Then, as if the palm reader felt them, she glanced up. Her dark black eyes followed them. But it was her expression that concerned him more. It wasn’t evil. Not angry. It was sad.
Chase looked away quickly, glad Tami hadn’t seen her.
He didn’t believe the woman. He didn’t. But he gazed back one more time and for some reason he recalled what Tami said. I love happy endings.