“Come on, you feel it too. I mean, youdon’tfeel it too,” Bree chuckled.
“Damn, but I want to feel it,” he said. He took her in his arms for a warm hug.
“Me too.” She meant it. She wanted to feel the spark with Craig. She wanted to be happy with this handsome man. This reliable man who can cook like a chef. A Kindergarten teacher, good with little children.
This guy would treat her like nobody ever treated a Ryan girl before. He would worship the ground she walked on. Okay, not exactly, but still…
But she had to spoil it by thinking about Declan. Her former best friend who didn’t give a fuck. Who’d rejected her. Made her feel small for saying she’d loved him.
After reassuring him that her sister Gwenn would pick her up, he’d left her at the terrace of the miniature golf park. Sitting in between families and couples in love, she grabbed her phone and went through her texts.
KATE: How’s it going? Did you make a par or something like that?
She smiled. Kate had moved from Jersey last June and worked with Bree and Craig at St. Helena’s Kindergarten. They had instantly clicked, although Kate had been skittish at first.
But it didn’t take Bree long to break the ice between them. And because Kate was lusting over Declan’s brother Donovan, they were both stuck in the same boat.
BREE: Nevermind par. I almost nailed him in the head.
KATE: Haha, oh no! What did he do?
BREE: I was out with his alter ego tonight.
KATE: Clumsy Craig was on a roll, eh?
Bree smiled at Craig’s nickname they’d given him. He truly was a sweetheart, looking out for his colleagues and helping wherever he could. But the man often dropped things on his toes and bumped his head against whatever surface was near him. He’d even tripped Kate once accidently in the schoolyard.
BREE: Yep. I almost hit him with my putter… we clanked our teeth, kissing…
KATE: You KISSED him? AGAIN?
Bree sighed as she typed.
BREE: It’s never going to happen. Ever again. E.V.E.R.R.R.R.R.
KATE: Haha. Okay. Stop shouting in your text ;)
BREE: You started it, remember?
KATE: Do you need me to pick you up?
BREE: No, Gwenn will be here in a few minutes. Thanks! Talk later?
KATE: Yes. And I’ll see you Monday. Your turn to drive.
Bree smiled as her fingers worked the screen:
BREE: Okay!
“Hey, Hotness. Want me to cool you down?” Gwenn said in a low voice, pretending to be a dude. Gwenn sat down on one of the three vacated white plastic chairs on the terrace. She handed Bree a cone with two scoops of chocolate ice cream and one scoop of strawberry. Gwenn licked along her wrist to clean the trail of chocolate.
“Thanks, sis.” Bree said. “Hmm.” Her younger sister always knew how to fix her mood.
“I got you,” Gwenn said with her mouth full of bright yellow ice cream.
“What flavor’s that?”
“Lemon custard.”