Finding Focus (27 page)

“I’ll get it!” Deacon yells, swatting Cami’s ass with a kitchen towel as he walks by. She retaliates by throwing a half ear of corn at his head and the fight is on. He has her up and over his shoulder before she even knows what’s coming.

“Deacon Samuel, if you make a mess in my kitchen, I’ll beat you into next week!” My mom is shooing them out the back door when the knock at the front door grows louder.

Dani is shucking corn at the table and laughing her head off at the entire display. I shoot her a wink as I walk by, and she smiles even wider, shaking her head. Our normal playful flirting has turned a little more heated since our talk in the grocery store parking lot. I notice her watching me. I see her eyes grow dark, and I know what she’s thinking—or, at least, I hope I know what she’s thinking. I hope she wants me as much as I want her, or even a fraction of how much I want her. But more than that, I hope she wants to
be
with me, because for the first time in my life, I want someone for more than just a one-night stand or occasional hook-up. I want to
be
with her. I want her here with me on nights like this. I want to go to the grocery store with her. I want to take walks and sit and talk for hours. And all of that scares the shit out of me because it’s new and uncharted territory.

“Someone get the damn door!” my dad yells as he walks out of the kitchen carrying bowls full of crab legs and shrimp.

“I’ll get it,” I say, wiping my hands on the towel over my shoulder.

I run the rest of the way to the door and swing it open.

“Were you going to let me spend the night out here on the front porch?”

“Piper Grey?” I know exactly who she is, but as usual, I decide to give her a hard time.

“Of fucking course, the one and only. You have
got
to be Micah Landry,” she says, sticking her hand out for me to shake. Her shoulder-length brown hair and pale brown eyes are exactly how I pictured her—spunky and cute.

“The one and only,” I reply, shaking her hand and appreciating her tenacious grip. No one likes to shake a wet noodle.

“Where’s our girl?” she asks, poking her head around my shoulder. “As much as I like standing here talking to you, I miss the shit out of her.” She pushes me aside and walks past me like she owns the damn place.

Yep, I like her.

“Sheridan Reed!” she calls as she walks through the foyer.

I chuckle at the display, shut the door, and follow her into the kitchen. When I get there, Dani is out of her seat and wrapped up in Piper. The two of them are talking so fast, I can’t make out what they’re saying, but it’s obvious they’re happy to see each other, and seeing Dani so happy makes me happy. This is exactly what she needed.

My mom catches my eye from across the kitchen and smiles.

Yeah, I know, Mama. Mission accomplished.

The night is filled with good food, good friends, family, and lots of laughs. It’s a pretty typical Saturday night for all of us, but it’s a new experience for Dani and Piper, and they seem to be soaking it up.

Dani looks so content sitting in the chair beside me. The fire in the pit flickers, making her skin glow. Her red hair is piled on top of her head and her cheeks are a little flushed, probably from the heat. Her arm hangs over the side of the chair, stroking Jose’s fur. He’s just as content as she is, making no plans to leave her side.

And I’m now jealous of a dog.

“Thanks again for the amazing dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Landry,” Piper says, kicking back in a lounge chair beside Dani.

“What did we tell you about that Mr. and Mrs. thing?” my dad asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“Sam. Annie. Got it. Sorry.” She smiles, and I glance over to see Tucker watching her intently.

“I’m going to get something else to drink,” Cami says, standing up. “Anybody else want anything?”

My dad, Deacon, and I all call out for another round of beers. Dani and Piper say they’ll go with her to help carry them all. My mom follows behind, saying something about needing to put a few things in the fridge.

“So,” my dad says when all of the women are out of earshot.

“Go ahead, Dad. I know you’ve got somethin’ to say.”

He laughs, shaking his head. “I was in the kitchen earlier, and I overheard your mom and Dani talking about your trip to the grocery store today.”

I groan, afraid of what he might’ve overheard. “I swear, it’s like everywhere I go, there’s someone from my past.” It’s the truth. The Trishas, Beckys, and Valeries are everywhere; I can’t seem to escape them. And it scares me. What if my past keeps me from having a future with Dani?

“You can’t change your past,” my dad says as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“That’s for damn sure,” Tucker chimes in, laughing. “And Micah’s got a past.” He scratches the back of his head, leaning back in the chair. I’d like to kick his ass.

“Like you don’t have a past, Tucker the Fucker.”

He picks up a loose piece of gravel and throws it at me, but I dodge it.

“But you want this, don’t you? Like
really
want this?” Deacon asks, eyeing me from across the fire. “You’re not just stringing Dani along like those girls, right?” He pauses, and my dad chuckles. “Because if you are, I’ll have to kick your ass.”

“No! Fuck no. I want this.” I stand up from my chair and pace in front of the fire. “It’s just a lot harder than I thought it would be. And I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”

“Listen, son,” my dad says, standing up and placing his hands on my shoulders to force me to look at him. “If it’s got tits or tires, it’s gonna require some work.” He looks me square in the eyes. “And I know you’re not afraid of a little hard work. So, if this is what you want, work at it. Show her you’re serious.”

Laughter coming from the back door causes us to shift gears. I know what my dad is saying is true. In his own way, he said the exact same thing my mom has been saying. She didn’t pull out the
tits and tires
line, but she said I’d need to work at it. So I will. I’m going to show Dani how much I want this.

“So, where are you from?” Tucker asks Piper when the girls sit back down. I turn my head to keep my smug-ass smirk to myself. I know where he’s going with this. He likes her. It’s so obvious the way he can’t keep his eyes off her and hangs on her every word.

“Who, me?” Piper asks, setting her beer down by her chair.

“Yeah, we know all about Ms. Reed, but not much about you. Are you from New York?”

“Well, my family is from Connecticut. I moved to New York for college. That’s where I met
Ms. Reed
,” she says, smiling over at Dani. Dani just shakes her head and laughs. She’s already grown accustom to Tucker’s suave ways. “Dani and I became fast friends. It’s pretty much been me and her against the world since.”

“Until you left me,” Dani teases. There’s a smile on her lips, but I don’t miss the flash of sadness in her eyes. She’s truly been missing her best friend. On the phone the other night when she told me she felt alone, I knew I had to change that. I had to show her she has someone . . .
people
. . . in this world who care about her . . .
for
her. It’s what made me jump in the car and head to the airport. I couldn’t get to her fast enough.

“Oh, Dani,” Piper says, reaching over and grabbing her hand. “You know I didn’t want to leave you.”

“I know. I’m just teasing.” She shifts awkwardly in her seat, obviously not fond of all the eyes on her. “Besides, if you hadn’t moved to Birmingham, I would have never had the chance to meet all of these awesome people,” she says, waving her hand around the fire.

“And what a tragedy that would’ve been,” Deacon pipes up from the other side of the fire pit.

“Right?” Cami says, chiming in. “I mean, how on earth would you have survived, Dani?” She laughs as Deacon pulls her over onto his lap.

“Well, I love you all, but I’m pooped. How about a big breakfast in the morning?” my mama asks, standing up from her chair.

She’s answered with unanimous approval. Tucker even says he’ll be back out, but I’m guessing it’s for more than just breakfast.

“I’m hittin’ the hay, too,” my dad says. “Y’all be good. Make sure the fire is out before you turn in.”

“Ten-four,” I tell him, knowing I’ll probably be the last one here.

“I think I’m going to have to call it a night, too,” Cami says. “Carter is with my parents and it’s way past his bedtime.”

“Well, I rode with Cam, so I guess I’m out, too,” Tucker says, standing and stretching his arms above his head. I catch a glimpse of Piper checking him out. Maybe the feeling is mutual. “But,” he says, clapping his hands together, “I’ll be back bright and early for breakfast!”

“I’m gonna walk them around to the front and then head to the house,” Deacon adds. “I’ll see y’all in the mornin’.”

“I think I’m gonna go to bed,” Piper says. “It’s been a long day.” She stands up and hugs Dani, and just like that, Dani and I are alone.

“I had fun today. Thank you.” She’s leaning back against the chair and I reach up to brush a stray hair from her face.

“I’m glad you had a fun day. You needed it.”

“I could use a whole bunch of days like this.”

I smile, liking the sound of that. “Wanna take a walk?”

“Sure.”

I pour a bucket of water over the dying embers and take Dani’s hand into mine. This isn’t the first time I’ve held her hand, but it’s the first time I’ve done it and felt like there’s a real chance for more. I thread my fingers through hers, loving how they fit perfectly between mine, and we walk the short distance to the pond.

When we get there, we both sit on the edge of the dock and Dani slips her hand back into mine. “I like holding your hand,” she says quietly when she notices me looking at her.

“Is that permission to hold your hand anytime I want to?”

“Yeah, I guess so.” She twists her mouth into an adorable smile. I can’t help but think back to the first time we took a walk out here and how badly I just wanted to touch her, but I’m eternally grateful I didn’t. I’m sure I would’ve royally fucked up and we might not be sitting here now.

That whole patience talk from my mama is playing on a loop in the back of my mind.

“What about kissing you? Can I do that?” I ask, not wanting to take this a step further than she’s willing to go, but wanting it so bad, I had to ask. My stomach is in knots at the thought of her lips pressed against mine. I haven’t thought this much about a kiss since Cindy Maloney kissed me in the seventh grade. She was a ninth grader, and she kissed like a senior. I didn’t know what to expect, and after it was over, I definitely didn’t know what hit me. Pretty sure I barely remembered my name

Dani looks over at me, her smile falling. I’m afraid she’s going to tell me no, but she swallows hard and leans a little closer. When her tongue darts out and wets her lips, I lean even closer. “Is that a yes?” I ask, feeling nervous yet hopeful.

She doesn’t speak. She just nods her head, leaning until our lips are almost touching. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first day I met you, so you better make it good,” she whispers. I can’t help but smile before softly brushing my lips against hers. The movement is slow and gentle, but intense and heated—unlike any kiss I’ve ever experienced.

Reaching up, I place my hand on her jaw and pull her closer, deepening the kiss. She opens her mouth, inviting me in. She tastes so good and feels so right, I have to repeat my new mantra over and over in my head:
slow
.

Kissing a girl has never felt this good. I just found my new favorite pastime—kissing Sheridan Reed.

Sheridan

I’M AWAKE BEFORE THE SUN,
lying in bed, letting my mind drift. My fingers go straight to my lips, brushing over them, remembering the kiss from last night. It was everything I dreamed it would be and more. There was a feeling that started in my head and went all the way down to my toes. It left me breathless, yet full of life—content, yet begging for more. I dreamed about it—his lips, his hand on my cheek, his breath on my skin—and more. So much more.

My alarm goes off way too early for my liking. I set it for six so I’ll have plenty of time to pack my things back up and spend some time on the internet working out my itinerary for the next week. I’m planning on taking a laid-back approach. I mean, when in Rome, right?