The Funny Thing about Love: Feel Good Sweet Romance stories

by Laura Burton

  His conviction floored her. She’d never considered what nurses did for their patients. Kayson was a superhero.

  A woman with a black stroller passed them. The baby inside babbled and squealed. A toy flew from the stroller, and Kayson got to his feet. He snagged the toy and jogged to catch up with the mother. Olive watched with interest as Kayson offered the toy back to the baby and chatted with the mom. Mild jealousy stung her while they interacted. She shouldn’t be jealous! Olive had no claim on him. Kayson grinned and waved at the kid, causing Olive’s mouth to go dry. He had to have a weakness. There had to be something wrong with him. He was officially too perfect.

  Kayson headed back but didn’t sit. “I’m ready for the next thing on the list.”

  Olive clapped her hands together. “Okay. Time to feed the ducks.”

  He chuckled as he held his hand out to her. “I have to admit, I thought you were joking on that one.”

  “Never.” She grabbed his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. He tugged too hard, causing her body to collide with his. “Ooof.” She grabbed his shoulders to catch her balance. His free arm wrapped around her waist.

  Olive reared her head back to meet his gaze.

  “You okay?” His voice vibrated out of his throat, making him sound like an actual masked superhero. Chills swept along her arms.

  “Yeah.” He was so close, his clean scent filled her nose. It made her insides crawl with anticipation. She could totally kiss him right now.

  Those thoughts needed to knock it off. The little devil on her shoulder wasn’t being helpful at all. Where was her little angel friend to remind her of her future plans?

  His gaze dropped lower on her face before returning to her eyes. He dipped his head toward hers.

  Olive scrambled out of his arms. There was her angel. Took it long enough to show. Olive couldn’t succumb to any of this. She inhaled and tucked her hair behind her ear. Avoiding his stare, she moved past him and forced a nonchalant tone. “Let’s go.”

  That was too close for comfort. She was rapidly losing her resolve. What would it say about her character if she allowed herself to play with his feelings? But she wasn’t playing, was she? Part of her wanted this to happen.

  Swallowing the lump in her throat, she focused on keeping one step ahead of him. She needed to keep it together.

  Chapter 9

  Kayson’s racing heart refused to slow. He’d come so close to kissing her. What had gotten into him? She obviously didn’t want anything to do with him. The way she ran from him as if her life depended on it was bad enough. Now he had forced her to add avoidance to the mix and made things worse.

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and told them to stay there. Olive wasn’t the girl for him, no matter how much he longed to explore the possibility. After this week, they wouldn’t spend much time together anyway. His hours would increase, and she had her own career. Today was for fun. He had to keep it that way.

  They wandered down a dirt trail toward a part of the park he’d never been to before. It was off the main running path, hidden behind some thick foliage. Olive stopped when they entered a clearing containing little coin operated machines with bird seed inside.

  She pulled a clear bag of quarters from her purse. The coins clinked as she held it out to him. “Grab a handful. You’re gonna want a lot.”

  That beautiful smile of hers filled her face. He waited for the dimple to appear, but it didn’t show. Maybe she had to be laughing.

  Kayson scooped out a handful of quarters and handed back the bag. She moved to a machine, and the two of them filled their hands with seed. When they both had enough to do some major duck spoiling, they crept to the water’s edge. Olive tossed a large pinch onto the water.

  Quacks echoed in the small clearing as a feathered fleet swarmed the floating bits of yellow and cream. Little tails wagged and stuck in the air when heads dipped into the water to catch the denser feed. When most of the seed was gone, Olive tossed another handful out. She glanced at Kayson.

  “The ducks are getting restless. You might want to share.” She giggled. “I’ve seen the impatient ones get aggressive when people wait too long.”

  Kayson stared at his fistful of seed. “Why are we here then?”

  “Because they’re ducks!” She said it like it was the most absurd question he could have asked.

  A large brown duck waddled up the bank, quacks getting louder. Kayson released his fist and threw the seeds. Brushing the granules from his palm, he stepped back, eyeing the fowl. A giggle erupted from Olive again. Kayson smiled and sidestepped the bird some more, getting closer to Olive. The duck followed suit.

  “I don’t have any more.” He held up his hands. “Stop following me.”

  He took another step away. The duck quacked and picked up its pace. Kayson dodged and collided with Olive. She gasped, her arms flailing. Kayson spun and reached for her, but it was too late. She landed in the canal with a splash.

  Quacks rang out, and the ducks scattered in a flurry of feathers. Olive popped out of the water, sputtering and coughing. Kayson jumped into the canal without thinking and helped her to her feet.

  Despite the warm air, she was shivering. Kayson draped his arm around her shoulders and guided her up the bank. “I’m so sorry,” he muttered.

  She coughed again. “I don’t think that duck was going to hurt you. It was probably more scared of you than you were of it.”

  “You didn’t see the bloodlust in his eyes. He was coming for me. I needed a distraction.” He smiled in spite of himself. “That’s where you came in.”

  She pulled out from under his arm. “You pushed me in the canal so you could escape a duck?”

  His eyes widened. “It sounded funnier in my head. I really am sorry.”

  Olive scowled at him for a moment before her face broke into a smile. “I guess it serves me right. It’s not like you haven’t had to deal with my crazy antics. But I am going to need some new clothes if we’re going to keep having fun.”

  “All right, we’ll head back to the apartment—”

  “Nope. I have a better idea.”

  “You do?”

  Olive nodded and grabbed his hand. She dragged him down the path. “We’re going to the second-hand store.”

  “We are?”

  She tugged harder. “Come on, this is going to be fun.”

  When they got to the store, she stopped and let go. His hand fell to his side. He glanced from her hand to his. It looked so lonely. He could have held hers all day and not tired of it. Shoving his hand in his pocket, he focused on what she was saying.

  “Then you’re going to pick out something for me. We’ll change and spend the rest of the day in our outfits.”

  Kayson rubbed the back of his neck. This sounded ridiculous. He didn’t want to run around town in some hand-me-down outfit. But Olive’s enthusiasm was contagious. He had the perfect idea. A wide smile replaced the worried frown. “All I need is your size.”

  Olive clapped her hands and hopped up and down. “Really? You’re actually going to do it? I can never convince anyone to play this game with me… anymore.”

  “Wait, anymore? Why?”

  She looked him up and down. “I’d say you’re a medium in most things. I’m a size four. Meet me at the dressing rooms!”

  “Wait,” he repeated. “What do you mean, anymore? Olive? Get back here.” She waved at him and ducked down an aisle.

  Kayson sighed. Well, he could still pick out something fun. He took a right at women’s apparel. Stretching and standing on his toes, he skimmed the clothing for something specific. His eyes lit on a rack of evening gowns. Kayson looked around, as if he might get in trouble for simply picking one out. A woman scowled at him and glanced away. Was it because he was in ladies’ apparel? Or was it because he had left wet footprints on the commercial grade carpet? His fingers poked through dress after dress until he came across the perfect one. Yes, this would do nicely.

  He plucked it off th
e rack, tossed it over his shoulder, and made a beeline for the fitting rooms. If she wanted to play ball, he was going to win.

  Olive wasn’t anywhere near the fitting rooms when he arrived. She must have still been looking for something. His stomach flipped in anticipation. He was actually having a good day. Spending time with Olive had proven to be more fun than he’d expected. She was a little out there but not completely crazy. Eccentric. That’s what she was. And fun. Someone who added that extra pizazz to his life he’d never realized he needed.

  “There you are.” Olive appeared in front of him, something bright green hanging over her shoulder.

  He craned his neck to get a better look, but she twisted away from him. “Nope, you have to go in that fitting room and hand me your clothes first.”

  “What?”

  “I can’t trust that you’ll put it on if you see it.”

  Uh oh. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and his heart leapt in his chest. It couldn’t be that bad, could it?

  “All right. Here I go.” Kayson slipped into a changing stall and stripped down to his underwear.

  “You ready?” Olive’s voice called.

  Here goes nothing. “Yeah.”

  “Toss out your clothes.”

  He heard the smile in her voice. Rolling his eyes, he picked up the stack of neatly folded clothes and handed them over the top of the stall. Olive’s soft fingers brushed his as she accepted them.

  “I’m going to put these in a bag. Here, put this on.” She flung the green garment over the top of the stall.

  Kayson snatched it and held it up. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  “You don’t have anything else to wear now, so you might as well put it on,” she sang.

  Kayson raised the adult onesie so he could get a better look. Green faux fur lined the collar, wrists, and ankles. A zipper ran from halfway down one leg all the way up to the fur at the collar. A hood dangled on the back, embroidered with two large yellow Grinch eyes and a nose. The words “Never Naughty” across the chest finished off the ensemble.

  No wonder people didn’t play this game with Olive. She was ruthless. He could either dress like the Grinch or leave the fitting room almost naked. The latter was more tempting than he wanted to admit.

  Kayson released a breath and shoved a foot through the leg. It was just one day.

  Chapter 10

  Olive covered her mouth to muffle her laughter. She grabbed her phone and swiped across the screen. Kayson caught on to what she was doing as she clicked the picture.

  “Hey!” He lunged for her. Olive held the phone out of his reach. He wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to take it from her. She spun and dropped the phone into her purse.

  His chin hovered over her shoulder, and for a moment, she pretended he was embracing her. She turned her face toward his, allowing herself to inhale his intoxicating scent. He stopped squirming and froze.

  He jumped away from her. His hands went behind his back, and he leaned against the closed fitting room door. “That picture doesn’t see the light of day—ever.”

  She offered a smug half-smile. “Relax. I’ll let you delete it.”

  “I hardly think I can believe you.”

  Olive winked at him. “You just have to earn it.”

  Kayson rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He threw a sparkly, silky wad at her. “Your turn.”

  She slipped into the fitting room, closed the door behind her, and put her things down. She really hadn’t played fair with his wardrobe choice. She snickered. Oh well, it was only for one day.

  With a shake, she uncrumpled the outfit from Kayson. Her mouth dropped as she took in the stunning evening gown. It was red-carpet worthy. How had he even found it? The silver silk glided between her fingers, and it glittered with sequins and gems under the buzzing light.

  Olive stripped down quickly so as not to keep Kayson waiting. She slipped into the gown and turned to face the mirror. The silky fabric draped off her shoulders, exposing her bare skin. The heart neckline showed off her collarbone. Her hands trailed from her ribcage to her hips, where the dress flared slightly before flowing to the floor. It was probably one inch too long, but otherwise it fit like a glove.

  She opened the door and peeked through the slit.

  “Well?” he asked with mock impatience. “Let’s see it.”

  Olive opened the door wider and stepped through. Kayson’s eyes rounded, and his lips parted.

  “Wow.” He said it under his breath, but she caught the words.

  Her heart fluttered, and her pulse accelerated. She skimmed her fingers down her waist to smooth any minor wrinkles. “I know, right?”

  “You look amazing.”

  A rush of heat started in her chest and spread to her face. Olive tucked a hair around her ear. She could be blunt a lot of the time, but rarely did she get it from others. Turning, she looked at him over her shoulder. “I couldn’t get the zipper all the way up. Can you…?”

  Kayson nodded. He fumbled with the zipper, and it slid upward. His fingers brushed the skin on her upper back, and goosebumps erupted along her entire body. His breath trailed along her neck. He was so close. Too close.

  Olive stepped into the fitting room to retrieve her things. “I guess we’re on to the next activity.” She turned to face him and snickered. “You’re forgetting something.”

  “I am?” He looked around.

  She reached over his shoulder and grabbed the hood. After tugging it over his head, she stood back and giggled. “Much better.”

  Kayson’s expression pinched. “Are you seriously going to make me go out looking like this when you look like that?”

  “All part of the game. Come on, let’s get some lunch.”

  He threw his head back in an exaggerated groan. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

  Chapter 11

  No matter what he did, Kayson couldn’t stop himself from staring. Olive looked like she’d walked out of a fairytale. On that note, so did he—literally. As they wandered down the street looking for places to eat, all eyes were on them. He debated pulling the hood over his face.

  But something about being with Olive made the outfit less embarrassing. Her bright, happy attitude infected him. When guys did double-takes at her and then looked at him with slack jaws, he puffed out his chest and gave them a wide smile.

  Yes, she was with him.

  Well, not really. That put a damper on things. They were neighbors having fun shirking their responsibilities. Tomorrow, this would all be a memory.

  Olive stopped and turned to face him, glittering like a goddess. “Ooh, I love this place.” She motioned to a run-down Mexican restaurant squished between two updated stores.

  Kayson lifted an eyebrow. “Are you sure it isn’t supposed to be condemned?” The bricks were crumbling, the glass in the windows was discolored, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the people who operated it provided service to match.

  Olive nodded and snatched his hand. Her smooth, warm skin sent sparks of electricity shooting up his arm. She yanked him to the entrance, causing him to stumble after her.

  “You’re going to love it.”

  “Like I love the costume I’m sweating in?”

  She laughed and pulled open the door. “Come on.”

  They seated themselves. The waitress who came to take their order kept glancing at Kayson from under her lashes as she wrote down Olive’s request. It was obvious she had burning questions from the way she took in his hood and faux fur.

  When it was his turn to order, Kayson flashed her a smile and shrugged. “Laundry day.”

  Olive snorted, coughing as the water she was drinking shot out her nose.

  The waitress jumped and turned to her. “Are you okay?”

  Olive nodded and waved her hand though the air, still coughing.

  Kayson held up his menu and pointed. “I’ll have the chicken enchilada with red sauce.”

  When the waitress left, Olive was still snickering betwee
n intermittent coughs. “That was awesome, Kayson. Who knew you were so funny?”

  He beamed. “I can crack a joke as well as the next guy.”

  She tipped her head to the side, raising a brow. “Sure you can.”

  “Hey, I resent that. I’ll have you know I’m hilarious.”

  Olive cleared her throat and took a sip of water. “Prove it.”

  Kayson leaned back in his chair. “How am I supposed to do that?”

  She shrugged. “Tell me a joke.”

  He laughed. “How is that supposed to prove I’m funny?”

  Olive glanced at the ceiling and a smile filled her face. “A man walks into a library and asks the librarian for books about paranoia. She whispers, ‘They’re right behind you!’”

  Kayson chuckled. “How about this one? A cement mixer and a prison bus crashed on the highway. Police advise citizens to look out for a group of hardened criminals.”

  Olive laughed. “Nice.”

  He couldn’t have wiped the smile from his face if he’d tried. He loved seeing her laugh. That dimple near her chin made more than one appearance.

  The waitress brought their food, and they dug in. Olive moaned as she took a bite of her burrito. “They make the best burritos.”

  “How did you find this place? You have to admit, it kinda looks like a place you’d wander up to and think, ‘I want food poisoning today.’”

  Olive shook her head. “You shouldn’t judge everything by first impressions, Kayson. You might miss out on some great experiences.”

  His eyes roved over her face. She was right. Had he gone with his gut, he wouldn’t have gotten to know Olive. He moved the rice around on his plate. “How did you get into public relations?”

  She tapped her lower lip with her fork. “I don’t know. I’ve always been good at fixing things. Maybe it has something to do with how often I screw things up.” She winked at him. “I really like it. People can be so judgmental. We need to take a breath and accept we’re all human.”