She tilts her head. “I’m in a good mood because I hung out with Jake last night.”
I frown. Well that explains the smug, satisfied look on his face this morning. “You did?”
“Yeah, in secret, of course.” She reaches for my cheek. “This may be hard but it’s not the end of the world. I can wait and when I can’t…” She pushes up on her toes and presses her lips to mine. “I’ve learned to find a way around it.”
I take her face in my hands, feeling the cold of her cheeks. I kiss her again, longer this time, harder. I don’t stop until I feel a tug on my pants leg. Looking down, I find that tiny goat is back, this time trying to eat my jeans. “Shoo, little guy,” I say, shaking my leg.
He persists.
Starlee laughs, reaching for the goat, but that makes it run off again.
“Thank you for coming today,” she says. “I didn’t mind going with Jasper alone but it was better getting to spend the day with you.”
“It was. I’ve missed this.” I graze her lower back as we walk out of the barn. Jasper’s over by the water trough, flirting with one of the girls that works here.
“How’s everything at home?” she asks.
“Manageable.”
“Charlie?” There’s worry in her eyes when she asks about him.
“He’s okay. Bored at the new job but making the most of it. He misses you too.”
“I’m hoping we can figure out a way to get together for Christmas.”
/> I smile down at her. I’m not that optimistic but I’m not going to burst her bubble. “If anyone can make that happen, it’s you.”
We load up the trees and hop back on the road, taking the amazing drive back through Yosemite. I drop them both back in Lee Vines, feeling Starlee’s warmth next to me in the truck, hating that I don’t have the time to get out to see everyone again and the loss hits me hard. She’s right about being able to wait. We can, and we can work our way around it, too. Life hasn’t stopped because the adults around us can’t get their shit together. We’ll have to figure it out on our own.
22
Starlee
“I have to admit,” Christina says a few days later as we sort mittens together in the cafeteria after school, “this really was a pretty good idea.”
I can’t pretend I’m not shocked by the compliment. I glance around looking for the hidden cameras, but just see the rest of the committee working at different tables. “Uh, thanks.”
She rolls her eyes under the fluffy white fur of the Santa hat she’s been wearing all week. It looks adorable on her, along with the red T-shirt that says, “Naughty or Nice” across her chest. “Don’t look so surprised. I can be nice.”
“Sure,” I say, not understanding this conversation. I’ve tried my best to stay away from her since Thanksgiving. “Well, thank you. I saw this back home and thought maybe it would be a good fit for the club.”
She holds up her list and makes a check next to the pile we’re making for each family. If we can, we add a pair of gloves, a hat and scarf for each person. “How was getting the tree with Jasper?”
I shrug and glance at him across the room. He’s stacking boxes with a few other boys. “He’s nice.”
“I heard he had a good time.”
I pause. “From who?”
“Him.” She folds a pink and purple scarf with shaggy fringe. “We’re good friends.”
“Ah, of course you are.” Did that mean he told her George drove us?
As if reading my mind, she says, “Don’t worry. I won’t tell Jake that you went with two boys that aren’t him.”
“Jake? Why would he care?”
“Are you pretending like you’re not still seeing him?”