Page 109 of Forbidden to Fall

Our heads followed the direction of her pointing.

Sure enough, James and May were on the opposite side of the street.

“Hi, Mr. James!” Mia yelled, waving.

Eyes wide, I couldn’t help looking around to see if Ryan was near enough to hear.

James smiled and waved back, and so did May.

But James’s eyes were on Lily.

I glanced at her, and sure enough, hers were on him.

A sustained exchange that I didn’t know what to do with.

It reminded me of the glances between Lily and Ryan.

My stomach twisted and soured as Edna G.’s words came to my mind about James still being in love with Lily.

The parade began, and our view of James and May became sporadic.

Mia was thrilled with the horses and the marching band and the fall-themed floats. I hardly noticed the parade. I was too preoccupied with the one in my own mind: a despondency float, complete with deflated balloons dragging on the ground, followed by the resentment float, full of angry dancers futilely punching and kicking the air. These floats didn’t throw candy at the crowds like the one on Main Street; they chucked discouragement and uncertainty.

When I spotted Ryan walking back—no coffee in hand—I hopped out of his seat like someone had turned a burner on high underneath.

“Sit,” he said. “I’m good to stand.”

And stand he did, right behind Lily’s chair, his hands on her shoulders, which he massaged gently. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d clocked James opposite us on the street and if his kind massage also held a subliminal message: she’s mine.

After the parade, I returned to the Keller booth. The novelty of selling outside of the actual shop was starting to wear off, but there was a steady enough stream of visitors to keep me busy. I couldn’t help but notice all the people who passed by with my products in hand, and every time they did, it made me smile—a bright spot amidst my sad mind parade.

Dom showed up later in the day and handed me the keys to my car. “She’s running like a champ again. I’ll be in and out tonight, so I figured I’d give you these so you can pick her up whenever. Oh, and if you see Reese there, don’t mind her. She’s living in my yard.”

“Um…okay.” I laughed at the random warning, then let out a sigh of relief. “You’re a saint, Dominic. How much do I owe you?”

“Bah”—he waved a hand—“tell James to give me one of those blondies I’ve been hearing about, and we’ll call it even.”

“Absolutely not. I mean, the blondie, yes. As payment? No. I’m paying you in actual money.” I clasped my hands and put them in front of him. “Please don’t make me do the awkward thing where I have to guess what the market rate is and then lose sleep wondering if I stiffed you. Then it’ll get awkward between us, and you’ll never want to work on my car again and⁠—”

“Okay, okay,” he said, amused. “Settle down. Gimme a hundred fifty, then. I’m no mechanic, so market rates don’t apply. Can I still get that blondie?” He walked backwards, waiting for my reply.

“Of course. Just tell James I said to give you one. He won’t challenge you; he’ll be too happy to have his truck back. I’ll Venmo you!”

He waved over his shoulder.

The day finally wound down, and I was grateful there was just one left in the festival. Granted, it was the biggest day. In crowds and events. The big barn raising was tomorrow—the future event center for the community. Once the structure was up, there would be dancing and celebrating to truly close out the week.

James beat me closing down his booth and came over, hands in his pockets.

“Did you…?” I asked, unable to mask my hope.

He shook his head. “You?”

I shook my head, trying not to feel flooded with disappointment. “Are you free to take me to Dom’s to pick up my car?” I held up the two pairs of keys—mine and James’s—then tossed him his.

He caught them deftly. “Of course.”

We walked in silence to the truck—I’d had to park far away thanks to the street closure. My brain was reviewing the day, and more particularly, the moments at the parade.