Rosalyn’s mind reeled and she wrenched away from Blaine. She sucked in a breath and looked again in time to see Cade.
Tossing her rose in a nearby trashcan.
* * *
He’d turned into a circus clown.
Cade’s throat knotted as he pushed through the nighttime Magnolia Days crowd, away from Rosalyn. But no matter how fast he maneuvered through the throngs of people, he couldn’t outrun the image of that kiss. Of all the moments in history to have to repeat themselves.
His stomach burned, his fist clenching at his side. All the times he’d held back from kissing Rosalyn the past week, all those efforts to do this the right way. To wait until she was legally free. To be noble. He’d thought she’d wanted that too.
But what had it gotten him?
A big red nose.
Out of breath, he paused near the row of food trucks, the lingering scent of turkey legs and cinnamon nuts doing nothing to tempt his appetite, for once.
The truth turned his stomach—Rosalyn was kissing exactly who she wanted to.
Cade leaned against the side of the Friends of the Library booth, turning his back to the line of kids waiting their turn for Harper to paint their faces, cheeks. Stars twinkled above, breaking the night sky. He crossed his arms, watched the horde of people lining up for funnel cakes, and tried to control his breathing.
It wasn’t just the kiss but the words she’d uttered before that wrung his heart. He’d located Rosalyn in the crowd, after having apparently missed her backstage. He’d seen Blaine approach, then got tripped up by a kid stopped to tie his shoe. By the time Cade had made it toward them, he’d heard the whole story.Silly fundraiser. Felt bad for them. Going back to my real shows…
And then the grand finale that connected all the dots—the kiss. Rosalyn clearly wasn’t over Blaine. The access she’d allowed him into her life and finances, the blind trust she’d given him in the hospital—ifthat whole Saudi Arabia story was even true—made sense now. Cade’s instincts had told him all along that something wasn’t adding up, that someone had a different motivation in play.
He’d assumed it was Blaine, but maybe it’d actually been Rosalyn.
“CadeLandry?”
The voice he’d hoped never to hear again after that night at the Lazy Spoon registered over the din of his heartbeat. He drew a breath, then turned and painted on a smile that should have won an Oscar. “Amber…uh…” He couldn’t remember her last name and didn’t care to try harder.
“Stockwell.” Amber’s eyes narrowed.
“Of course.” He nodded at her, then at the taller, thinner woman standing next to her. “Gabby, isn’t it? I saw you guys across the grounds earlier.” With Rosalyn. Before his heart had cracked wide open. He kept his smile though. “Glad you ladies could make it to the festival.”
“It’s so…quaint.” Amber lifted her chin, lips pursed. “Well done for a small town, anyway.”
Well, she hadn’t changed. “The cotton candy is amazing.” Gabby’s eyes widened with sincerity.
“Even if Magnolia Days isn’t big-city worthy, I hope you’re enjoying yourselves.” Cade slid his gaze to the food trucks, wondering if he could get away with pretending to hear someone call his name. “I’ve got to?—”
“We’re running intosomany people from high school, like Rosalyn.” Amber stood with her arms folded over her cross-body bag. “Andmeeting new ones.”
His smile tightened. “That’s what a festival is for.”
“Like Rosalyn’s husband.” Amber’s grin stretched to catty. “Have you had the pleasure?”
“Pleasure? I thought you hated—never mind.” Cade shook his head. It wasn’t worth it. The aroma of cheese fries turned his stomach, and he started to step away. “I’ve got festival business to attend to, so I’ll see you ladies around.”
“Wait.” Amber stepped forward, unfolding her arms. “I think you left something behind.” She held out a rose.
The rose he’d thrown away, now crumpled. Was that mustard on the petals?
He didn’t take it. Or reward Amber’s tight-lipped, knowing grin with a response.
His heart thudded, and he was right back in the alley of the Lazy Spoon, being made to look a fool as Rosalyn chose to go with Amber and her friends instead of staying to catch up with him. Right back in freshman year, when Amber spread the word about Cade’s father saving him from being expelled about the Justin Davies situation.
Right back in sixth grade, volcano goo dripping off his shirt, Amber and her friends cheering as Rosalyn accused him of being a show-off and ruining everything.
