by E L Bossert
“Everyone has stuff, baggage, whatever you want to call it. Yours just happens to be people who want to take pictures of you for some quick, dirty money. Once you two walk out in the sunshine, it will no longer be interesting. The paparazzi will find something more exciting to chase. You’ll be a boring couple. Doesn’t that sound wonderfully mundane?”
Jamie smiled at her friend’s barely disguised disdain for the mundane parts of life that she herself cherished. She also appreciated what Gabriela was trying to tell her.
“Chief tells me the same thing. Have you two been talking?”
“Yes, that’s how we spend our time after phone sex, talking about you and Boo.” Gabriela winked at Jamie with a hint of delighted mischief in her eyes.
“Oh, I did not need to hear that,” Jamie exaggerated her offense, shaking her head at Gabriela’s antics, whether they were true or not. “Okay, I need to concentrate on work for the next couple of days. Then I’ll have a heart-to-heart with Boo when she returns from her trip.”
JAMIE’S RENEWED ENERGY made the workdays in the city fly by. She felt good about what she accomplished before returning to Crestwood. Her future work plans were firming up and she looked forward to new challenges.
The rest of the week passed quickly. On Saturday morning, Jamie rose early to prepare for the Bikes-for-Kids event, driving to her parent’s house to help with last minute details. Sarah and Bryan would bring Max and their kids later, in time for the main event. Chief had gathered free helmets and pads for each child receiving a bike. Shon helped with organization and set-up. Dani wrote a story about the program and today’s roll-out. Gabriela designed T-shirts for the volunteers and a special T-shirt for the children. Everyone was pitching in to make this a memorable day for the children and their families.
In Jamie’s mind, the only thing missing was Boo, who had been out of touch for five long days. The silence weighed on Jamie’s mind.
The event began with a mid-morning brunch at the local park. The local bakery contributed a variety of muffins and juices, while vendors from the farmer’s market donated fresh peaches and other in-season fruits. The diner on the north side of town brought fresh coffee and poured glasses of milk for the kids. It was a community event in every sense of the word.
Just before noon, Philip and Lessa made their way to a platform set up in front of the three large vans used to transport the bikes and equipment. Taking turns at the microphone, they thanked those responsible for making the event possible. Each registered child would receive a bike, safety equipment, and instruction. Rounds of applause showed the appreciation of the children, their families, and the community for the effort it took to create the program and make it a success.
Jamie’s job for the event was to help Chief fit each child with a helmet and protective pads for their arms and knees. During the process, Jamie visited with the families and Max earnestly shook hands with each child.
After a child was fully outfitted in safety gear, the family walked across the platform to receive a bike. Volunteers rolled each bicycle from the back of one of the vans, staying with the child and their family for a short lesson in bicycle maintenance. Riding lessons followed for those who needed them.
After the last child was outfitted, Jamie and Chief began repacking the extra helmets and pads. Two volunteers rolled out the last bicycle onto the far side of the stage.
“Boo,” Max yelled, bolting from Jamie’s side to run across the platform and jump into Boo’s outstretched arms.
Boo released the bike to the other volunteer just in time to catch Max.
“I’ve missed you,” Boo told Max as she held him close, tousling his hair, and checking out his newly un-splinted hand.
Jamie looked up when Max yelled. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the sight of the tall, dark haired woman holding her son and walking toward her. She glanced at Chief, who smiled in the way friends do when they just did something wonderful.
Jamie walked into Boo’s outstretched arm, entwining herself into Boo and Max’s joint embrace. She willed herself to not break into tears of joy. A couple of nearby cameras clicked, but she could not have cared less. Jamie finally looked up into Boo’s warm eyes.
“Surprised? Good surprised?” Boo asked.
“The best surprise.” Jamie sighed her relief at having Boo back in her arms. “When did you get here?”
“We came in last night.” Boo motioned with her head to one side of the crowd. Standing next to one of the vans were Isabella and María, now joined by Shon and Chief. They all beamed. “Isabella and María helped me drive the moving truck—they weren’t taking any chances.”
“Moving truck? Where is it?” Jamie looked around.
“We already unloaded. Shon helped me find a place close to them. I thought, well, it might be a little presumptuous to show up on your doorstep with a moving van. Especially since we haven’t officially had our first date yet.”
“Well, then, we need to rectify that immediately. Boo Charming, would you do me the honor of going out with me? On a date? Today? Five o’clock, my place?” Jamie raised her eyebrows.
“Me, too,” Max chimed in.
Jamie and Boo laughed at Max’s enthusiasm.
“Yes, I would love to go on a date with you, Jamie Jordan.” Boo kissed Jamie’s forehead. “And, Max Jordan, you may join us until your bedtime.”
Boo put Max down and pointed him toward their gathered friends and family. Jamie took Boo’s face in her hands and kissed her slowly and softly. Twice.
“Just so you know, there will be a lot of kissing on the first date, and all subsequent dates.” Jamie winked.
Jamie took Boo’s hand as they walked toward the people they loved, to continue the day, together.
Acknowledgments
MY DEEPEST GRATITUDE to Janet James for reading and encouraging, and for putting down her camera long enough to thoroughly edit the manuscript and try to teach me how to be a better writer. My extraordinary beta-team read the manuscript and provided insightful comments and reactions. Thank you to Clare for the running commentary of her thoughts as she read the book (I wish there was a “reader’s commentary” version so others could enjoy the comments as much as I did). My appreciation to Beatriz, who translated my poor Spanish into something that made sense. Kristen, thanks for the very explicit suggestions; every romance writer should be so lucky to have a sexologist friend willing to provide comments. Thanks to Paz for the generosity of her time and insights. I am grateful to Anne for years of encouragement, and all of the romance books she passed along. To my mother, who has always supported and encouraged me – I am a very lucky daughter. And, my partner, Sherry, for going along on this journey.
Please note: The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Please do not take medical or legal advice from this book or any work of fiction. While I do research on topics I write about, I am not trained in the medical field nor am I a lawyer. Although, according to experts, and in my experience, the part about copperheads giving off a faint cucumber odor is true.
Other acknowledgements:
Cover Design: EL Bossert
Cover Photos: rzoze19/Shutterstock.com (top); Gabriela Palai/Pexels.com (bottom)
About the Author
EL Bossert was raised on a small quiet farm, near a small quiet town in the Midwest, with horses, goats, cats, sometimes chickens, and a large black Newfoundland dog who was occasionally mistaken for a bear. EL currently has a day job as a professor, writing books and articles about positive LGBTQ identity and same-sex relationships. EL enjoys spending time with her partner, hiking, and watching movies with friends.
Read more at EL Bossert’s site.
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