by Kristy Marie
“Oh,” Mom sits down, rubbing her hands together eagerly. “What did you do?”
Fenn groans. “Come on. Really?”
“Really,” Dad adds. “Let us live vicariously through you.” He’s kidding. No way does my dad give two shits what my brother did last night. He knows something. The question is, what?
“Stop giving him a hard time, Von Bremen.” Cade strides in with Bennett following behind.
I try not to glare at Bennett. Even though Cade and I worked out our pent-up anger, it doesn’t mean more didn’t build up overnight.
“Jameson,” Dad clips. “Worry about your own demons.”
Cade winks at me and tips his chin. “How’s your shoulder this morning?”
The entire kitchen falls silent.
“Uh, it’s—”
“What’s wrong with your shoulder?”
Bennett tries pushing past his father, but Cade stops him with a muscled arm to the island, serving as a barrier. “She’s fine. Have some breakfast.”
Bennett’s mouth falls open in protest when Cade arches a single brow. It’s his scary look that no one dares argue with.
Except for Bennett, because he’s apparently lost his mind. “Aspen,” he says over his father’s shoulder, “are you hurt?” His jaw ticks and his voice has an edge to it.
It’s no match for Cade’s though. “Bennett, we’re leaving for the carnival in ten minutes. I suggest you eat.” His voice lowers. “Now.”
Bennett stands there, tension coiling through his body as he faces the older version of himself.
“Are we going to have a problem, son?”
I can hear his teeth clench. “No, sir.”
“Good,” claims Cade. “Pass me those strawberries please, Aspen.”
Quickly, I hand over the bowl. Bennett still hasn’t moved.
It’s not until Dad stands and breaks the tension that anyone breathes. “Come sit at the bad kids’ table with Fenn, Bennett. You two can sulk together until we leave.”
My mom smacks him on the shoulder, but it doesn’t stop him from getting up and making his way to the island. “Asp,” he scolds. “I know you didn’t sneak around and play with my toy again.” He’s referring to Cade, not the batting cage.
Everyone in the kitchen bursts out laughing. Well, everyone but Bennett and Fenn.
“Come on, princess,” my dad says, pulling me down from the island. He grabs the bowl of strawberries from Cade. “You’re riding with me so I can correct all the crazy ramblings Jameson put into your head.”
No kissing—even for charity
Bennett
“Anniston, do you want me to go to jail? Is that what this is about?” Aspen’s father glares at his wife. “If you need a weekend alone, just tell me. Don’t make me kill the young.”
Anniston flashes my mom, Breck, a conniving smile.
“Hell no. Both of you need to stop,” Theo adds. “This is not a joke. You’re endangering lives.”
He looks at me for help. I tip my chin. “Uncle Theo is right. You can’t expect men to behave around Aspen.”
Especially when she’s talked to my father about something.
“Oh no,” Anniston disagrees. “Fenn will be with her. He’ll make sure everyone stays a gentleman today.” She looks at Fenn, who is engrossed with something on his phone.
“Yeah. I see that going well.” I mumble.
“Anniston,” Theo barks. “Fenn isn’t even listening!” He snatches the phone from Fenn’s hands.
Looking around like he just realized people surround him, Fenn asks, “What am I supposed to do again?”
Theo grabs his shirt and hauls him closer. “You’re watching out for your sister while she participates—” he flashes Anniston a glare, “—in the kissing booth.”
Fenn’s face scrunches up. “And what? You think she’ll actually have a line of pervs waiting to cop a feel?”
Theo shoves him away, his anger finally emerging. “Fuck no. I’m putting my foot down. Aspen isn’t doing this.”
Anniston grins, but it’s Aspen who speaks up. “Excuse me. I’m twenty-three, not thirteen.” Theo curses under his breath. “The kissing booth has been the highest-grossing revenue stream in the carnival’s history,” she says. “I’ve already agreed to help.” Aspen looks at my mom. “Right, Aunt B?”
This time, it’s me who grumbles. “Dad,” I plead. “Can you please talk some sense into them?”
“Yeah, Jameson,” Theo adds. “Think of all the bodies you’ll be stuck burying tonight if this goes down.”
My dad, always the calm—and sneaky—one, sighs in defeat.
“Come on!” I yell.
“I think Aspen can handle herself,” he assures me. “But just in case, I’ll make sure Hayes checks on her frequently.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Theo’s voice is a hard grit. “Hayes? He sucks—”
“Theo,” Anniston interrupts, her voice stern. “It’s for the foundation—a charity for Marines. No one would be stupid enough to harass our daughter while dozens of Marines linger close by. Stop being ridiculous. Aspen will be fine.”
For confirmation, she looks at Aspen, who blatantly winks at me before announcing, “I can handle myself.”
I take a step forward. Does she think this is some kind of game?
“Relax,” growls my dad, tugging me back by the shirt. “You’re helping your mother at the front entrance.”
“I don’t want—”
He cuts me off, his voice full of finality. “You’re helping your mother.”
My mouth snaps shut. My father is a patient man, but after bowing up to him this morning, I don’t doubt he’s itching to give me a piece of his mind.
I nod, my father acknowledging my acceptance before turning on his heel and heading to the driveway.
My mother grabs my hand, pulling me forward as we follow Dad to the front where, apparently, I will work all day. Coincidentally, it’s out of sight from the kissing booth.
“Aspen will be fine,” my mother whispers.
Her words don’t help, and I look back to see Anniston pulling Theo away, leaving Fenn with Aspen.
“Fenn will wander off,” I note aloud.
My dad doesn’t take the bait. “Aspen will be fine.” He pushes me toward the table where two chairs and a metal box sit. “It’s a twenty-dollar donation to enter,” he tells me. “Ask if they want a receipt.”
“I’ll handle that,” says my mother, taking a seat at the table, opening the box, and pulling out the receipt book.
My father scans my mother’s body with a hooded gaze. She looks ridiculous in a baggy t-shirt with the foundation’s logo on the front. My dad forced her to take his shirt when hers looked like it had shrunk in the dryer.
“Make sure you direct them to the ticket booth where your brother and I will be.”
I don’t answer; my gaze had wandered to the back of the property, straining to catch a glance of Aspen. “Bennett?”
“Yeah, I got it,” I finally clip out. It’s no use; I can’t see Aspen from this far away.
My father hesitates, and I find his hard stare. “I’m fine.” I put my hands up in surrender. I don’t need a lecture or him lingering, making sure I follow the rules.
Finally, he seems to believe me and nods, stepping back but not without warning, “Behave. I can’t contain your uncle and you today.”
“Yes, sir.”
My words are biting, but he lets it go, walking toward my brother and pulling him from a girl he corralled, and dragging him to the ticket booth.
“Sit with me, Bennett.” Mom pats the chair next to her.
I don’t want to. I want to stand. Maybe go find some binoculars—anything but sitting down with my back to Aspen.
But I don’t have time to make up an excuse to leave because Bianca, Uncle Hayes’s wife, yells, “Gates are open!”
Fuck.
I march around the table and yank my chair out, throwing myself down. This carniva
l can’t be over fast enough. I need to speak with Aspen. I shouldn’t have locked the window. It was stupid and immature. But honestly, I couldn’t face her. Not after what we did in the pool—what I agreed to. What was I thinking? Twenty-four hours of no rules? Clearly, I wasn’t thinking. I reacted selfishly. For once, I thought about what I wanted.
Her.
The first wave of families funnels down the drive. My mother smiles as I take the entry fee, mumbling a “thank you” when she elbows me in the ribs. Soon, the metal box is overflowing with donations, and mom’s hand cramps. “I think we might need to switch,” she tells me.
I push the box across the table and take the receipt book.
“Bennett. Ms. Jameson.”
A voice I recognize pulls my head up.
“Liam.” I sound unimpressed, and that’s exactly how I intended to come across.
“It’s good to see you both again.” Liam holds up the line with meaningless conversation. “Anniston insisted I stop by before I caught my flight back home.”
How hospitable of Anniston.
I nod. “It’s a fundraiser. I’m sure they have those in Barnesville.”
He flinches, missing the fact I didn’t like him on our first encounter.
“Boston,” he corrects. “I’m from Boston.”
I smile and it’s full of irrational hatred. “Good for you.”
Feeling the tension, he nods curtly and hands over a twenty-dollar bill. Immediately, I hand it over to mom. “Do you want a receipt?” I ask and it couldn’t sound shittier.
He waves me off. “No, thanks.”
“Cool. Have—”
“Don’t forget to stop by the ticket booth,” my mom adds. “You can say hi to Drew and Cade.”
Liam nods. “And Aspen is over at the kissing booth. I’m sure she’d like to see you before you go.”
My heart stops, and I whip my head over to the Judas next to me.
“Absolutely.” Liam is already stepping away from the table. “I’ll definitely stop by. Thanks.”
He turns and damn near sprints to the ticket booth. “Are you serious?” I don’t even try to keep the fury out of my voice. “Now he’s buying a ticket to kiss her. Are you not considerate of Theo’s feelings?”
Mom laughs, throwing her head back. “Bennett,” she says after a round of giggles. “Someone can clear their throat in Aspen’s direction and piss off Theo.”
I give her a bored look. “Liam will be her boss.”
My mom shrugs. “He’s not her boss yet.”
Heaven fucking help me.
First it was Dad, now my mother is giving me fits.
“I can’t believe you sent him to her,” I mumble, watching as Liam pushes through the crowd, heading for Aspen.
“It’s for the foundation, Bennett. He’s harmless.” She pats me on the shoulder. I’m tense and ignoring the next person in line. “I’m so sorry,” I hear my mother apologize. “Have a great time.”
After a minute of staring after Liam, who is no longer visible, my mom sighs. “Why don’t you take a break? Maybe do a sweep of the property and make sure everyone is behaving?”
Music to my fucking ears.
“Sure. Can I bring you anything back?”
It’s the least I can do since she’s basically allowing me off the leash.
“Just send your brother or father over to help.” She fights back a smile.
I don’t give her a chance to change her mind. Standing, I slide the chair back under the table, and kiss the top of her head. “I’ll be right back.”
I don’t plan on stopping by the ticket booth and telling my brother to take my spot—a text will have to do.
I need to check my blood sugar. Help mom.
It’s a lie, but my father is not stupid. He’ll want an explanation, and my brother isn’t the best at lying on the fly. This way, he can remain blissfully ignorant.
I give the ticket booth a wide berth as I pass and see Drew hop over the edge, foregoing the door.
My phone chimes.
Dad: Send Fenn to help me since Aspen no longer needs him.
Dammit. I shake my head and avoid looking at the ticket booth. Instead, I text him back with a thumbs-up emoji. I refuse to look up and see his shit-eating grin. They only separated Aspen from me to be aggravating. I’ve been a real prick since last night. I get it. But why cause me more stress? I’m already a wreck trying to figure out how to handle Aspen.
My phone dings again, interrupting my impending panic.
Dad: Get Aspen to really check your sugar while you’re there.
I nod, pocketing my phone, and push through the crowd. My father doesn’t need me to text back; I can feel his eyes on me, watching as I disappear into the crowd.
As expected, the kissing booth has a line that wraps around the neighboring booths. And guess who’s waiting his turn like the good boss he is? Liam.
“Good, you came to replace me,” Fenn interrupts my glare at Liam.
“Yeah. Dad wants you to help him.”
It’s difficult not to look over at Aspen. I can handle many things, but I don’t think I could take watching another man kissing her.
Fenn shivers. “I’d do anything to get away from watching my sister get kissed. The last five minutes, I’ve debated on rubbing hand sanitizer in my eyes just to get a few minutes of relief.”
What did I tell you? No way was Fenn going to protect her from straying hands.
I clap him on the shoulder. “I’ll handle it. Go before you vomit.”
He punches me in the arm. “Don’t maim Liam.” He nods to the line where Liam waits.
Guess my source of frustration is transparent.
“I won’t,” I promise.
I have another idea for this kissing booth monstrosity.
Fenn has turned and jogged off to catch up with a girl by the time I’ve turned around. I’m not surprised. Honestly, I doubt it was the kissing that bothered him, more like being chained to a booth while hot girls wander around unaccompanied.
Shaking my head, I push through the line, coming face to face with Aspen. “Bennett,” she says. “So nice of you to give me a whole fourteen minutes alone. I wondered if you had lost track of time.”
“Cute,” I tell her, hopping up on the ledge of the booth and waving through the next guy in line. He hesitates.
I lift a brow. “You’re next, aren’t you?”
If my father knew how I was talking to donors, he’d have my head, but at this point, I don’t care. I’ll gladly take a two-hour lecture about respect and selflessness later—as in, when this madness is over.
The guy, about my age, takes a few hesitant steps forward. I nod to the jar on the ledge. “Five tickets,” I tell him, just in case he forgot.
He nods and slides the red paper through the opening.
“Cheek only,” I clarify when he just stands there waiting for my permission.
Aspen plucks the gum out of her mouth, her eyes seeming to sparkle in the light. “He’s playing. Don’t mind him.”
The guy looks at me for reassurance. He gets none. “Cheek only.”
Slowly, as if he’s grabbing fire, he snatches Aspen’s hand and kisses the top.
“Thank you for the donation,” I tell him. “Enjoy the rest of the carnival.”
Heavy sighs erupt from the line as everyone exits the line, leaving only Liam waiting. I tamp down a growl. Somehow, I just knew this fucker wouldn’t leave.
“Hi, Liam.” Aspen acts like I’m not seconds away from exploding. “I’m glad I got to see you before you left.”
I hang my head, my legs tense as Liam approaches the ledge. Surely he isn’t that stupid.
“You know, I think you’re even more stunning in the daylight.” Liam’s drawl isn’t southern like mine. It also lacks the asshole undertone.
“And I see you’re a charmer,” she returns, popping a fresh piece of gum in her mouth. “You failed to mention that in the interview.”
Brea
the, Bennett. They’re only talking.
“I try.” He leans against the booth, his face closer to Aspen. “Have you considered my offer of a game?”
I cut in. “She’s busy. We’re headed to the lake when we finish here.”
Aspen’s gaze jumps to mine, her lips fighting a smile.
It was a rash move, but one she’ll never let me take back.
“Yeah,” she adds, backing up my story. “The guys and I wanted to spend my last weeks home together at the lake house.”
The invisible knife twists inside my chest.
“Nice,” he lies, smiling. “How ‘bout when you get to Boston, you call me. I can carry a mean box. Moving is my specialty.”
And I can punch a mean jaw. One he’ll need wired shut.
“Yeah,” Aspen says, her tone dipping low. “Sure.”
Liam nods like he’s really invested in the conversation, but his hand twitches against his pocket. “So… I… uh…” He chuckles, shaking off the nerves. “I bought two rounds worth of tickets.” He fishes the perforated paper out of his pocket and holds them up in between his fingers.
I jump down. “Sorry.” I look at my watch. “We’re closed.”
The stars in Liam’s eyes fade as he straightens, facing me. “You just opened.”
My tone is lifeless. “And now we’re closed.” I shrug like I can’t help the ridiculous schedule we’re given.
“You know, Bennett—”
I’m ready to fight. I’d love nothing more than to punch Liam’s face right now.
“He’s right,” Aspen cuts in. “I’ve had way too much coffee this morning.” Her mouth turns down in a pout. “Give me ten minutes for a bathroom break?”
I jerk around and glare. “You might need more than ten minutes.”
She’s quick to argue. “Ten minutes is adequate.”
My voice is tight. “But you might want cotton candy.”
“Why don’t I look around and come back later?” Liam suggests.
My glare is still focused on Aspen when I clip out, “Sounds good.”
At that, Liam backs off and gets the fuck out of my way. “You’re done for the day.” I bark at Aspen, my voice trembling as the beast inside me rages.
