I like this kid.
We get Ben to school and I help him wheel his bag up to the entrance where he leaves me with a handshake he suddenly decides to invent for just us. By the time Hollis and I get to school, the bell is ringing so we have to rush from the faraway spot where I had to park, peeling into our first hour together with laughter as we race to our seats.
Everyone’s eyes are on us, and I don’t care. So much so that I hook my pinky with hers to form a bridge between our two seats. Neither of us sees Dr. V approaching behind us, so when he taps our linked knuckles with the end of his ballpoint pen, we both startle.
“This is not a school dance, thank you, Mr. Jennings. Miss Taylor.” His tone is more teasing than angry, so we shrink in our seats and suck in our smiles. “Though, I do find the odds of this fascinating. Have to admit, I didn’t see this coming.”
His joke draws a few laughs from the class, but he doesn’t dwell on us after that.
The rest of the day flies by, but this new normal seems to have crawled up into my chest cavity and helps keep that pitted feeling I’ve been living with at bay. Hollis makes me happy. Liking Hollis so much makes me happy.
I have to take off to drive my dad soon. In fact, I’m probably a little late, but it’s worth it to see her one more time in the daylight. I’ll miss practice today, and even though it’s optional, I let her dad know. Coach. That part is going to take a while to get used to. The things I did to her, want to do to her, need to stay on lockdown when I’m in Coach Taylor’s presence. I have this unearthly fear that he can read minds. Last night, I had a nightmare that he kept piling on the laps, making me run faster and faster by shocking me with a cattle prod, all because he thought he saw us kiss. I’m all for keeping us secret from him for a little while longer.
My entire body lightens when Hollis walks around the corner. I don’t even mind the way her freshman shadow, Maddy, squeals about how cute we are.
“Hey, I thought you’d be gone,” Hollis says as I take her hand and pull her into my chest.
Catching her jaw with my hand, I tilt her head just enough to get kissed.
“Uh uh,” I say through a smile that hasn’t left for almost twenty-four hours. “Couldn’t leave without one more of these.”
I catch Maddy’s blush over Hollis’s shoulder as I go in for a deep kiss, taking her mouth over completely and walking her backward a few paces so she bends into my embrace. When I pull away, she’s left breathless, and I’m beat-my-chest proud. Also, a few of the other guys who I know have been checking her out now know not to bother.
“Hi, Daddy,” she says, looking over my shoulder and waving. I swallow my heart, feeling it lodge somewhere in my throat while I forget how to breathe. I turn to find nothing but a closed door and a long, empty sidewalk.
“That was so mean!” I poke her side where I know she’s ticklish. Her laugh is loud and free, and she rushes at me for one more kiss on my cheek while she and Maddy pass to head into the locker room.
“Keeping you on your toes, Cannon Jennings from Indiana.” She winks just before the door closes behind her, and I am slayed.
My grin carries me all the way to my truck, and I wear it all the way back to Uncle Joel’s where my father is waiting anxiously, slapping the boarding pass he printed out in their den last night against his open palm.
“Cutting it close, aren’t we?” He gets in while he gives me the mini lecture. Rather than make up an excuse, I decide to give it to him straight.
“Had to see a girl.” I hold his stare while I back out the driveway, his stupid sideways grin sliding up to match mine.
“Yeah, I thought there was something more to this whole Hollis thing.” He settles into his seat, smug as if he knows it all. He probably does, clever old bastard that he is.
“Your mom’s gonna love her.” He chuckles, unfolding his boarding pass to check the gate and time for the millionth time.
“You know you can do that all by phone now,” I explain. He quirks a brow because he’s old school. The man still has file folders for everything. It’s a wonder he’s an engineer because I don’t think he likes computers all that well. He just likes math.
“What are you going to do if they change your gate?” I glance his way in time to watch his mind work, and he finally gives in and pulls his phone from his back pocket to open the browser.
“Fine, I’ll modernize,” he grumbles.
I laugh and already miss him before he’s gone. That feeling tugs away pieces of everything that’s been so good. The moment my father is gone, I’ll be left with Uncle Joel and Zack and all of their opinions. Aunt Meg won’t be the voice that stands up for me; she avoids conflict. But I know it’s coming. I feel it in my bones.
“Spit it out,” my dad says, his sudden break in the silence jarring as I maneuver onto the freeway on ramp.
I draw in my brow as though I’m not sure what he’s questioning, but after he shakes his head with a grimace, I know it’s no use.
“Uncle Joel and Zack aren’t big Hollis fans. And before you bring up
