Second First Kiss

Chapter 36

Jasher

Sure enough, rain forced the annual hospital auxiliary barbecue out of the city park and into the Mendon High School gymnasium. Even with Sage Everton-soon-to-be-Hotchkiss at his side, Jasher was not feeling good about having to set foot on that basketball court.

“Is everything okay, Jasher?” Sage traced a finger across the back of his neck. Her touch could turn him to flames in a nanosecond. “We’re already so late we might miss Rhoda’s slide show of our dates.”

“Nah, all we’re missing is a couple of boring speeches. Rhoda said our slide show isn’t until five.”

“It’s nearly five now.”

Still, Jasher kept his foot only lightly on the gas. “Is it so bad that I’d rather spend my Saturday afternoon with you all to myself?”

“We spent all morning together. Wasn’t that enough?”

“Of course not.” And it wouldn’t be, even next month when they’d tied the knot and started spending all the nights and all the mornings together forever. “What do you think I am, satiable? Not when it comes to you.”

“Well, you’ll just have to be patient for true satiety.”

“I may be a doctor, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’m good with patience.”

“Ha, ha. I see what you did there.” She ruffled the back of his hair, leaned over and placed a kiss on his shoulder. “I want to do this right, Jasher. My parents deserve it. So does your mom. And Redmond needs time to get a tuxedo fitted to be your best man.”

True. But still, a month sounded like eternity. And the more time they spent together, the more difficult it became to keep his hands where they belonged.

Which—that was a good thing. The desire and love between them was just going to grow and grow.

Sage Everton was going to belong to him. Body and soul. And he’d belong to her.

Everything about it was right.

Which meant this little foray into his past life at the Mendon festival should not bother him. He parked the truck and helped Sage down.

“A kiss for luck.” She placed a tender kiss on his mouth, lingering and deep. When it ended, she smiled up at him. “It’s going to be better than you think. The slide show will be of us, of our dates and falling in love. It’ll be fine.”

“You think I’m nervous about this? About going into the school?”

“Jasher, you should just stop pretending.”

Sure enough, she could always see right through him. He didn’t have to be anyone else. In fact, he couldn’t. With Sage, he had to be himself, period.

“Here they are!” Inchy hollered into the microphone. “We’ve just seen the most delicious slide show of our winning couple from June’s spaghetti dinner and bachelor auction.”

They joined her at the microphone. The crowd clapped, and a few whistles ensued. What? Where was the heckler? The jerk who’d pelted Jasher with rude remarks at the last thing like this? The whole reason Jasher hadn’t wanted to come was he hadn’t wanted to put Sage through the pain of being associated with the least popular guy in town.

But—crickets. There were no harassing jeers from the audience at all. Only clapping and cheering.

Someone pointed to the screen. Rhoda stood at a projector and pressed a button. Up flashed the photo from last weekend, with Jasher and Sage in full-on passion-kiss. Sage held her hand up, her ring finger shining with the gold band, and the flash of the camera hitting it just right so that it shone against the purple night.

Now the catcalls began—but not insults.

“Lucky dog!”

“She’s gorgeous!”

“How unexpected. They’re engaged?”

“This is the best bachelor auction result ever.”