Fortuity (Transcend 3)

Her words and brutal honesty bring a smile to my face. “I’m done having boyfriends. I’ve had bad luck with them. I’m sure you’ll have much better luck.”

Morgan frowns. “I’m not sure. When I asked Gabe if he wanted to kiss me, his nose scrunched up like this.” She wrinkles her nose. “I don’t think that’s a good sign.”

Whoa … okay. She likes Gabe a lot. Or she wants to know what it’s like to kiss a boy. He never mentioned this to me. I’m way over my head right now with this young girl waiting for me to say something.

“You’re young.”

“Ugh!” She rolls onto her back and drapes an arm over her face. “Now you sound like my dad. I know everyone thinks ten is young, but I don’t feel young. Why is ten too young to kiss a boy? How old were you the first time you kissed a boy?”

I chuckle, rolling onto my back too. “Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but I was nine. A ten-year-old neighbor boy kissed me in the back hallway of our church right before he got baptized. I was shocked. It was just a quick peck on my lips when nobody was looking, but I was in shock. He gave me this devilish grin and said, ‘My last sin before they’re all washed away.’ And we never spoke of it again. And for the record…” I roll back toward her, and her head flops to the side to look at me “…I was fourteen before another boy kissed me.”

Morgan’s eyes widen. “I can’t wait until I’m fourteen. I just can’t. I want to know what it feels like. I want to know if it will feel like Romeo and Juliet.”

“You’ve read Shakespeare?” I quirk an eyebrow.

“Oh yes. I’ve read Romeo and Juliet more than once. And Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. However, I like modern stories even better, like The Fault in Our Stars, even though it’s sad. And I love Twilight and The Hunger Games.”

She’s ten! I think I was reading Judy Blume at ten. Definitely not Shakespeare and vampire romances.

“My dad’s writing a book. It’s a memoir. He says it’s a love story about me and him.”

I smile. “You have a great dad. I hope you know it.”

“I know. He’s the best. So … are you coming downstairs for dessert? It’s red velvet cake. Mr. Hans picked it up from a bakery. It’s Hunter’s favorite.”

“Cake sounds perfect.”

Morgan jumps out of bed and holds out her hand. I take it. I’d hoped I’d find friends here; I just never imagined it would be a ten-year-old girl and a seventy-year-old man.

“What took you two so long? Don’t worry, we saved you some cake.” Mr. Hans smiles from his recliner with Hunter on the sofa, her thumbs dancing along her phone screen. Gabe will get along well with her.

“Cake, Morgan?”

My steps falter when I hear Nate’s voice from the kitchen.

Mr. Hans winks at me. “I invited Nate for cake too.”

I nod slowly. “I see. Whose birthday is it?”

“Life is a celebration. Cake needs no excuse.”

So much for having some time to digest what Nate said to me and my flirty reaction to his kiss comment. I put on a neutral face and drag my timid ass into the kitchen.

“Cake, Gracelyn?” Nate glances up from the counter, a knife in one hand and a plate in his other hand.

“Mmm … yes, Gracelyn. You want cake.” Morgan rolls her eyes back in her head as she slowly chews a bite, standing next to Nate.

How am I supposed to look at him when I saw him barely an hour ago and he said he wanted to kiss me, and I returned the desire without the actual kiss? I guess we’re going to be two people who want to kiss but know that it will never happen.

“Thank you.” I take the cake, giving Nate a two-second glance. It’s all I can give him without completely self-combusting into a pile of ashes.

“Mr. Hans … this is so good.” Morgan traipses out of the kitchen.

“It is good. I haven’t had cake in a long time.” I slowly lick the frosting from the fork.

Nate glances at the floor, eyes narrowed, and hunches down. After a few seconds, I move around to his side of the island.

“Did you drop something?”

Hunched like a baseball catcher, gaze still to the floor, he crooks a finger at me.

I set my plate on the counter. “Did you lose a contact lens?” I squat next to him behind the counter.

He lifts his gaze to meet my squinted eyes. The corner of his mouth bends just as his hand slides behind my head and his lips press to mine.

What the hell?

My lungs freeze while my heart pauses and my mind explodes. There’s no tongue to this kiss, just hungry lips. It knocks me off balance, and I fall to my knees, resting my hands on his shoulders.