Bonus Chapter!

James

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Heat. Sweat. Bodily fluids streaming down my body.

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Georgia heat sucks.

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But it’s a little bit better with Amelia by side.

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We walk side by side, a foot of space between us as we stroll past tables and makeshift stands for Sweet Landings’ Market Day. There’s a buzz in the air that feels a whole lot like gossip and nosey people, but I’m slowly getting used to it and the insanity of this little town.

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Just like I’m getting used to Amelia’s presence. But it still never feels like enough. I can’t get enough of her. Of her subtle charm or her quirky comebacks. Of her laugh or smile or terrible jokes. Any free moment we get, we seem to flock to each other, even though we haven’t called this anything official. So when she asked if I wanted to come to Market Day, my natural instinct was to say yes just for an extra moment with her. I’ll take any opportunity to get to know her better.

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She stops at a stall of homemade desserts, browsing them all like this is the most important decision of her day. I hesitate behind her before stepping up next to her, making sure we’re close enough for our hands to brush.

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But I don’t actually grab her hand because I’m too much of a coward. Too nervous around her, even after a few weeks of seeing her. Too caught up in my own head to make the first move.

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The slight brush of her fingers against mine is enough though. It’s enough to send heat through my body and reaffirm my affection for her. And it’s enough to convince me that this little stroll through this crazy town isn’t a terrible idea.

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I clock back in to what’s around me right as Amelia grabs a pie from the elderly woman behind the stall, who winks at me once Amelia’s back is turned. I feel myself flush before hurrying to catch back up, but I instantly wish I’d turned the other way and dragged Amelia with me when I step around her to see Billy at the next spot.

I say “next spot” because it’s not the next stall, or even the next table. No. Billy has propped up a makeshift tent, which really just looks like three large poles tied together at the top with a blue sheet flung over it.

And the man is wearing a blue robe that is way too short to be seen out in public. I throw all of my effort into keeping my eyes above waist level as he steps in our path, throwing his hands wide.

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“Amelia! James!” He steps forward to clap us both on the shoulder, jostling us against each other. “Would ya like a reading?”

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“A reading?” Amelia asks as she subtly sidesteps Billy’s hold, which only presses her closer to me. My arm twitches with the urge to wrap itself around her, but Billy yanks my arm toward his tent of horrors instead.

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“Yes! A reading! I’m here today offering fortune readings.” He continues dragging me toward his tent, and I give Amelia a crazy look over my shoulder as she slowly follows behind.

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“I didn’t know you were a fortune teller, Billy.” Her voice is a barely contained chuckle as Billy steps into his tiny tent, which is definitely not big enough for all of us to fit.

But that doesn’t matter to him.

He grabs us both again, pulling us in until we’re packed like a can of Vienna sausages. Amelia’s pressed up against my right side, her heat scalding me, even through my clothing. But Billy is pressed just as tightly to my left side, and I definitely do not want to feel anything from him. Especially in his tiny robe. He reaches back to pull a part of the sheet down, encasing us in the tiny space and cranking up the heat in a matter of seconds. You’d think it wouldn’t be this hot this late in the year, but Georgia never seems to care.

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“Right,” he starts, somehow clapping in the miniscule space in between us. “Here’s how this will work. I ask you a question, you give me an answer, and I’ll tell you something about your future based on your answers.”

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Amelia nods with a small smile, side eyeing me with amusement on her face, but I just stare back at Billy with a blank look on mine. He must take my stare as agreement because he smiles wide.

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“Okay, good! Now, James, why haven’t you asked Amelia to be your girlfriend?”

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Amelia lets out a choked sound beside me as I feel my jaw go slack, my entire body caught off guard by his question. I glance over at her to see her brows pulled tight, but she still looks like she’s about to laugh, which eases some of my tension. She returns my gaze, raising her brows in question with a teasing tilt to her lips.

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“I . . .” I look back to Billy to find him somehow leaning closer to me, nose inches from my face. “We’re taking things slow.” I settle on, but Billy’s face twists as he leans back into his own bubble.

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“Too slow if you ask me,” he mumbles before turning toward Amelia. “Is James a better kisser than that squirrely guy?”

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It’s my turn to grunt as Amelia’s face reddens, her wide eyes turning toward me before she takes a step back.

“That wasn’t the deal, Billy,” she says as she opens the flap back up. “You promised a fortune for James’s answer.” She steps out of the tent as Billy scrambles to corral her back in. Meanwhile I’m stuck in the back, my path out blocked by both of them.

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“I was getting to that part,” Billy scrambles to say, grabbing both our shoulders again and leaning close enough that his wispy hairs tickle my temple. “Here’s your fortune . . . you two will live a happy life together.”

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He steps back and slaps us both on the shoulder, causing us to jostle again and leaving us both speechless. It’s the most normal thing Billy has ever said to us, and it feels even more genuine because of it.

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Amelia just gives him a small smile and pats him on the arm, grabbing my hand to lead me from the tent. She releases it as soon as we’re out, and my fingers itch to pull her back. To grab her hand in mine. To give her a better kiss than that squirrely guy.

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It’s all I can think about the rest of the afternoon, right up until I’m walking her to her car and she’s showing me a random assortment of framed pictures of dogs. They’re not even stock photos. Some woman was actually selling framed candid photos of her dog, and Amelia thought it would be a good idea to buy a few. Talk about the support of a small town.

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She smiles wide at me as she tucks the frames back into her huge tote bag, reaching for her car door right as I grab the handle. I smirk down at her as she steps back with a blush, letting me open the door for her. She hesitates for a beat, and I start to spiral down a nervous slide of emotions as I wrestle with my growing affection for her. This would be a great moment for our first kiss. That’s what people do, right? They kiss after a date. And this isn’t even our first.

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But I take too long overthinking, and the moment passes too quickly as Amelia gives a soft thanks before sliding into her car. She cranks her window down, and I bury the regret into my gut as I lean into her window slightly.

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“See you soon?” I rasp, still kicking myself for not taking my shot.

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“Of course. The banquet’s coming up.”

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I nod, unable to suppress my smile as I step back and wave goodbye. Amelia sits in her car, and I can see her checking her phone as I turn to walk toward my own Camry.

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I drag my steps, flopping down into my seat and running my hands down my face on an exhale. I can still see her vehicle from here. Even in separate cars, her proximity is mind numbing and magnetic, and I can’t shake the feeling that this day is not over for us.

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I glance around my car, looking for any excuse to go back over to her. I rifle through my glove box and find an old CD, snatching it out and quickly opening my door to fast walk back to her car. I don’t even look to see what it is. It doesn’t matter anyways. My new car doesn’t have a CD player, but Amelia’s old hunk of junk does, so maybe she’ll appreciate it.

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All this CD really symbolizes anyways is a last ditch effort to find the gumption to kiss her.

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I rap on her window, causing her to jump and squeal, which only makes me chuckle.

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“Sorry,” I say once she’s rolled down the window, clutching her chest.

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“You scared me! You okay? Did you forget something?”

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Oh, I forgot something. But as I stand here next to her car, I still can’t bring myself to do it. The moment doesn’t feel right. She’s given no indication that she wants a kiss, and I feel like if I tried right now, it would just blindside her. Which isn’t what I want for our first kiss.

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“Sorry,” I stammer again. “I just found this CD in my car and thought you might want it.” I hand it through the window awkwardly, tension tight across my shoulders as she grabs it and reads the name.

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“Songs to Glare Out the Window to,” she reads, brow quirked as she looks back up at me.

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I suppress a groan as I school my face, keeping it blank as I take a step back. “Uh . . . yeah. Jacob made me a mix back in college. My car just doesn’t have a CD player anymore, so I thought you might want to try it.”

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She nods with a smothered smile, holding it up like a trophy. “Thanks. I’ll see you soon.” She lets her smile go as she rolls her window back up.

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I kick myself on my way back to my car, wishing the moment had gone any other way. But it didn’t. Because I can’t get over my nerves around her. So now I get to drive all the back to Savannah while I glare out the window.