The Bequest
Chapter 57—Amanda

He hasn't moved, but I know he's listening. Even with my heart pounding loudly in my ears, I can tell he's following my every word.

"What if, for my last few weeks here, we saw each other, but I was intentionally careful not to post your face."

"You're saying we can't defuse the bomb, but we tiptoe around it?" When he turns, his eyes are hopeful.

I still can't believe he wants to date me. No matter what he said, I was sure he'd walked away because he hadn't been too interested. Or I worried that he'd realized that he was way out of my league. "My fans like the mystery. And your side profile is good enough to string them along for a few weeks."

"Oh, I'm already getting ideas of ways you could photograph me that wouldn't show my face." His wicked smile heats parts of me that shouldn't be getting hot at a family event.

"Maybe we shouldn't be talking about this right now," I say, glancing over my shoulder at where his date is watching us.

He follows my eyes. "Do you mean because of Rebecca?" He laughs. "She's my manager. I still do gigs occasionally, local stuff only. Birthday parties, weddings, that kind of thing. She takes fifteen percent for setting them all up and collecting payment. I told her I wasn't coming tonight, and she showed up at my place and dragged me here. Her kid's turning two soon and she wants to make enough money to pay for some kind of themed birthday." He shakes his head. "After I sing at one of these things, there's always a little flurry of new bookings."

How did I read that so wrong?

But Rebecca's certainly curious about us. She's looked over here no less than five times. "So she's married, then?"

Eddy pauses. "Actually, she's single. The dad turned out to be a jerk."

Which means I was right. She may want the bookings, but that doesn't mean she's not also hoping for Eddy himself. "Listen."

The music starts up then, and two or three couples walk out onto the middle of the dock. White twinkle lights wound around the handrails and up the light posts click on, and a nice breeze blows across my heated cheeks. "Do I have to listen to whatever lecture you have prepared right now?" His smile is back to being wicked. "Or can I collect on my dance now, and get lectured later?"

"Eddy-"

He wraps his arms around my waist and tugs me toward the dance area. "I learned something, growing up with a sister," he murmurs near my ear.

Rebecca's most definitely watching us now. As we spin around, I notice that Robert is too. He throws me a thumbs up. "What's that?"

"It's easier to beg forgiveness than to get permission most of the time."

I can't imagine ever being able to refuse him anything, not when he looks at me like that.

"And I should confess that I already have plans."

"Plans?"

"You agreed to one dance, but I'm greedy. I always want more."

More of me? "I'm not sure "

"I know, I know. You have a date. The thing is, I haven't seen him around. He's from the city, so he's probably accustomed to taking his time. We country boys know that you have to make hay while the sun shines."

"A few weeks ago, I had no idea what that meant, but now I know it's cutting the hay at the right time so it can dry and be baled without molding."

Eddy grins. "You're learning."

"But I don't mold when I get wet." Weirdly, that sounded a lot flirtier than I meant for it to sound.

His smile becomes a little wolfish. "Good to know."

"What I mean is, there's no reason to rush with me."

His arms tighten around me, moving our bodies just a hair closer. "Oh, I disagree. You said you only have a few more weeks." His head ducks down lower, until our faces are only inches apart. "I mean to make the most of every moment." It feels like he cherishes me. I've never felt like that in all my life.

The second the dance ends, Robert beelines for us. He looks suitably annoyed that I was dancing with someone else, which makes me all kinds of giddy. I know it's fake, but it's the first time I've ever had two guys fighting over me. And I love it.

Although, the one person who really has two guys interested is sopping wet and on her way home right now. Maybe it's a better fantasy than a real life occurrence.

Without letting Eddy say a word, Robert takes my hand and pulls me back out to dance. "That's going well." He's grinning like a dog with a bone-a little gloaty and slobbery, but probably perfect for my purposes. And he keeps looking at Eddy and grinning wider. "This is more fun than I thought it would be."

"As fun as shoving someone in a lake?"

His hands stiffen. "That was an accident, and I didn't shove her." The muscles in his jaw work, which only makes him look more masculine.

"You accidentally chased her out there?"

He stumbles, almost knocking us both to the ground.

"Whoa."

"I'm sorry," he says. "I wanted to stay and help, but I might need to head back early."

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"I think I can take it from here."

Robert's smile returns. "I think maybe you can." He presses an unexpected kiss on my cheek. "I'm going to bail before I get a black eye. Best of luck." He darts away. Eddy doesn't stop when he reaches me, moving past to follow Robert. I grab his arm. "Slow down there, Cujo."

His eyes are wide when he turns back to me. "Cujo?"

I shrug. "An attack dog? I don't know. That's what came to mind."

"He's not an attack dog." He laughs, his shoulders relaxing and his focus returning to me. "He's bitten by a bat and becomes rabid." "Maybe."

"Maybe?" He's laughing harder. "I'm a vet. I think I would know."

"Mom?" Maren's voice is not joyful.

I scan until I find her. "Yeah, darling. What's wrong?"

"Izzy and Whitney and Gabe just left. Ethan, too. Can we go?" Her eyes dart to Eddy and then back to me, unapologetically.

"Right." I forgot I had the kids and didn't plan to stay for the dance. "Of course. Grab Emery and meet me at the car."

For once, she doesn't argue with me. It's a miracle.

"About to turn into a pumpkin?" Eddy asks.

"I guess so,” I say. "Though I refute the premise that I'm a princess who can't come up with her own ballgown. I own plenty of ballgowns." "You can't leave quite yet, though, right?"

"Why not?"

He slings an arm around me. "Fourth of July? Your followers will be expecting some kind of fireworks."

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A lump forms in my throat. My hands start to sweat again. So stupid. "But-"

"I was thinking." His hands drop to my hips and maneuver us backward, then to the side, then backward again, until we're standing against the rail, near the edge of the water.

"You're not about to toss me in, right? Because that's not something I'm interested in doing."

His laugh comes from deep in his throat. "Not at all."

"That's a relief."

"But I do think that, if I were to hold my camera just right..." He angles it and holds it away from us. "I could get a really great profile shot of us."

"Oh, really?"

"Really." His face lowers slowly. So slowly that I'm aware of my heart racing. Of my hands trembling. Of my breath coming more quickly. And still, he's so far away.

When is he going to take the photo? Will it even show up when it's this dark?

His free hand tilts my chin up and his fingers brush against my lips. Then he shifts my hair away from my brow, and his mouth lowers toward mine. There may not be any explosions happening in the sky above us, but there are more than one kind of fireworks. These are the most intense I've ever felt.

His lips are less than a fingertip away from mine when he stops. And then he straightens. "Alright, let's see what I got."

I feel like a puppet with my strings cut. Or a participant in that dumb ice bucket challenge. What just happened to me?

The smile on Eddy's face has never been more devilish. He's an expert at denying himself, and now he's torturing me with the same skillset. He shifts so our shoulders are touching and swipes on his phone. "They're not bad. What do you think?"

He's right. They might be even better than a kissing photo, because we're both practically quivering with longing. His eyes on mine, his body angled around and over me. I'm leaning toward him, like a desperately cold traveler hovering over a borrowed campfire. I can practically taste what it felt like, yearning for him to kiss me.

"I know you have to go. I'll text them to you." His eyes are staring at my mouth, again.

"You're a little bit evil." My eyebrows pull together. "You know that?"

"Or a little bit brilliant?"

Maybe a perfect mix of the two.