“Well, yeah. It looks like the shakes are meant to share.”
“What little faith you have in me,” I say as I grab my chest, feigning offense.
“Well, I didn’t hear any arguments about what I ordered, so I assume I chose correctly.”
I turn to look at the waitress and add, “And she will take a strawberry shake. Can we add peanut butter to that too, please?”
“Coming right up,” the waitress says as she walks away.
A slow smile spreads over Kenna’s face. “You remembered. I haven’t had a strawberry peanut butter shake in forever.”
I reach across the table and take her hand in mine, intertwining our fingers. I rub my thumb in circles along her wrist.
The waitress comes back with our shakes and I take my hand from hers. Kenna does the pouty frown again, and it’s so cute the way she’s unaware of her body’s subconscious need for ours to touch.
Kenna puts her straw in her shake and moans when the shake hits her lips. Every noise she makes does me in.
I turn to the waitress and order our burgers and fries. Then I start on my own shake. When the Oreo and peanut butter hit my tongue, I let out a low groan. Looking up, I find Kenna slack-jawed and staring back at me.
“What? Did I get some on my chin?” I grab a napkin to wipe my face, but there’s nothing there.
Kenna’s still staring at me, and I can’t help but laugh. “Did I break you, Sunshine?”
That seems to bring her out of her stupor.
“Har har,” she deadpans. “You’ll have to do far more than let out a guttural groan while sucking down a shake to break me.”
“Noted,” I respond as I wiggle my eyebrows up and down. “Just preparing you for the noises you’ll hear when I sink my teeth into that bubble butt of yours.”
Her cheeks stain the same color as her strawberry shake, and I can’t help but bask in the contentment I feel whenever I’m with Kenna. It’s so effortless. I can just be myself. I don’t have the anxiety that comes with always needing to be on like I do when I’m on campus.
“Can I have a taste of yours?” she asks.
“You don’t ever have to ask, Kenna,” I say as I slide my shake toward her. I grab hers and slide it toward me, and we each take a sip of the others’ shake.
“Mmmmm. You’re right. The Oreo and peanut butter pair perfectly together.”
“If you think the shakes are good, just wait until you taste the burger and fries.”
She mumbles something to herself under her breath that sounds a lot like she can imagine a few things she’d like to taste. That gets me smirking at the way she’s thinking.
Oh, Sunshine. The things I’m going to do to you. Just you wait.
We worked off our lunch as we walked along the river. Then I took Kenna to some of my mom and Katie’s favorite shops that line the historic downtown shopping area. I guide her into one little store with my hand on the small of her back, and pride strikes my chest at getting the chance to be this way with her.
This store is filled with handcrafted jewelry, crystals, and other knickknacks. I watch Kenna as she looks around the store, taking it all in. When I see a piece of jewelry catch her eye, I know I can’t leave thisstore without getting it for her. The turquoise ring is oval and fits her finger perfectly.
“We’ll take this one, please,” I say to the woman working the register. She looks up with kind eyes and smiles when she sees what I’ve pointed to.
“Oh, what? No. I was just trying it on,” Kenna starts, but I don’t let her finish.
“It looks perfect on you, Sunshine. The color kind of reminds me of your eyes when we’re by the lake.”
“You’re too sweet, but really, I don’t need it.”
Ignoring her, I turn to the woman and pay for the ring.
“Afraid to put my ring on your finger, Kenna?” I tease as I pull her in and kiss her forehead. I can’t say it doesn’t fill me with satisfaction to see Kenna with my ring on her finger.
