Page 47 of Will to Run

I turn to say something to Molly, but she’s run away and left me with her words pinging around in my head as I watch Della approach. Maybe a stupid fling is what she needs… everyone has been murmuring about her… You'd better decide fast.

Fuck it, she’s right. There’s something to explore while she’s here. Every interaction is loaded, whether we speak it out loud or not, and that ever-present awareness spills into the very air around us. If my father hadn’t cockblocked me, I would have kissed her last night, and I almost begged her to stay after my migraine, so why am I posturing to Molly about not wanting this? Plus, making assumptions about what Della does or doesn’t want isn’t fair to anyone.

I catch her eye, and the second her face lights up when she sees me, I’m done for. Doubling down on my fuck it, when she gets to me, I wrap her up, and pull her body flush into mine the way I did on her porch. Though we’ve both been dancing around the line, the gesture explicitly jumps over it when I find her temple and press my lips to it. When she pulls away, her eyebrows contort into a curious face as she tries to figure out what just happened.

“Hi?” she says with a question.

“Della Tatroe,” I say, grabbing her hand from her side and encouraging her to spin. “You look… stunning.” When she turns, I realize that the back of her dress exposes her entire back, and looks to be held up by a string. I have to stop myself from biting my fist because… she went from gorgeous to sexy as fuck.

“Thank you!” she beams before shimmying her shoulders. “I look like I fit in, right?” Her insecurities show.

“I’m pretty sure the room stopped when you walked in,” I respond.

Her head tilts again, picking up on the blatantness of how I’m talking to her, but before she can respond, some hires who have been with us for five years interrupt the moment.

To some degree, I get it. Tonight, excitement lingers in every corner of the room. It’s a fun place to work, and this pre-season hype is a thing, so I’m sure they think nothing of cutting in, but dammit, I just want to talk to Della.

It’s futile because after I introduce her, and we all chat, we get interrupted again. She smiles and touches my side before walking away, and I can’t blame her. But now my attention is split between the people parading in, and watching where she goes. Everest and my mom playfully elbow each other to see who gets to serve her when she bellies up to the bar, and when my mom wins out, it’s impossible not to notice how easy and playful their interaction is.

I get distracted by another trio of people, but when I look back over, I see Della talking to my pack trip lead, Zach. It never ceases to amaze me how many people come to Heart of Will, pay extraordinary amounts of money to be in our cabins, and then want to camp. But since we’re in the business of giving people what they want, Zach is in charge of that experience. I actually really like the guy. He’s good-looking, smart, funny… all the things that would make him a catch. And he’d have a glowing endorsement if he were hitting on anyone else. But the way he’s looking at Della, it’s not like so many of the other people here tonight who have looked at her like she’s fresh meat. Zach isn’t that person; he’s genuinely engaging with her, and the way she’s looking back at him is making me pissy. A few more people join them, and she’s shaking hands and doing what looks like introductions, but he hasn’t taken his eyes off her. When the group of them do a shot together, and I watch his fingers graze over the back of her hand as she’s steadying herself, I’m done.

For the first time since I took on my role years ago, I leave my greeter position and head into the party.

23

DELLA

Before I leave for the event tonight, I fiddle with my dress more times than necessary because I’m nervous. I’m not sure why, though; I know all the Wills crew, Molly, and several people from the barns, plus others I’ve come across. But I still feel like a bit of an interloper here. I don’t know if my outfit is too anything; too short, too fancy, too casual, and I hate it. Normally, I have a good bead on what I’m walking into, but tonight, I’m not so sure.

I do know that all the insecurity I’m feeling melts away the moment Jaxon sees me. I’m approaching him, but close enough to track his eyes as they drink me in. When I watch his tongue pass over his lower lip, as if he appreciates the view, it brings an undeniable heat to my core.

I’ve been a little hot and cold, but I wish I could tell him that my inability to take the leap is because I’ve had years of forgetting how to act in those situations. It has nothing to do with my not wanting him, because, Christ, do I want him.

There’s no shame in two people who are attracted to each other hooking up, I give myself a pep talk. People do this all the time.

When I reach him, and he pulls me in, the simple, unexpected gesture makes my pulse jump. After he kisses me on the temple, I’m confused at the overly flirty gesture, but I’m not complaining.

Before I have a chance to ask what that was, people interrupt to say hello. I get it, he’s standing here to greet employees as they come, but I’m still curious as hell what that was about. When another wave of people vie for his attention, I step away to the bar for a drink.

Before I can ruminate on what that all meant, a man wanders up and introduces himself as Zach. Zach is handsome, and in another scenario, I might be interested in hearing what he has to say, but not right now.

After a second shot and a dozen introductions, the anxiety of the night loosens up and I settle in, laughing as if I’m with old friends. But when my body gets a warm tingle, I realize I need to pump the breaks, because the last thing I want to do is make a fool of myself.

Drinking water, I notice the way that Zach, who hasn’t left my side, touches my hand. I’m pretty sure I know what he’s thinking, and I don’t want to lead him on, so I’m going to set my boundary before it goes any further…

“Excuse me, guys,” Jaxon’s voice comes from behind me before he puts his hand on my shoulder. Zach looks at him with a confused face. It feels like the first time he’s looked away from me since he walked up. “Sorry to interrupt, I just need to grab Del real quick. Don’t worry, I’ll bring her back.”

Jaxon’s hand squeezes my shoulder and wanders south, intentionally trailing his finger down the exposed skin on my back before gripping my waist. Every millimeter he’s traced has left behind fire, and I slowly shift to face him. He doesn’t flinch and repeats himself.

“I’ll bring you back, Tatroe,” then bends to speak into my ear before winking, “if you want.” Without any more words, he nudges my lower back to the corner of the room.

It takes all of three minutes to realize the only thing he needed from me was to get away from Zach, and the remaining two hours, he doesn’t leave my side again. When he’s not catching up and engaging me in conversations, the two of us are talking. And I love it. I’m having a better time here than at any event I attended with Tripp.

Before the party ends at ten, Dale, Beth, and Everest take the stage to give short speeches, and my bucket is overflowing listening to them. They talk about Heart of Will, what it means to their family, thanking everyone for coming to work this summer, and how we are going to make this the best year yet. I’m literally cleaning shit, and pride is coursing through me. Everyone cheers, we take a group photo, and the place starts to clear out. Everest, Hazel, Molly, Jaxon, me, and half a dozen other party people are left, when Dale and Beth announce it’s time to go to the bar. I wonder why we aren’t just staying here, but despite my water consumption, I am too buzzed to ask too many questions. Apparently, people file onto two Heart of Will buses, and Beth and Dale drive the horde to The Rusty Lantern. Everyone is in charge of their own ride home, but what a fun little tradition.

“Not you, Tatroe. You’re coming with me,” Jaxon says as we all move to the doors.

“You’re not taking the bus?” I ask, confused as to why he’d drive. Doesn’t he want to drink?