Page 58 of Never Fall Again
“They won’t expect you to. You’re meeting hundreds of new people. They’re only meeting you. If someone starts chatting you up in a store or at the library or whatever, just go with it. You can always try to take a photo on the sly and send it to me. I’ll tell you who they are.”
Naomi wasn’t a Gossamer Falls native, but she’d lived here long enough that Landry didn’t doubt her ability to identify everyone in town.
They convinced the kids to bypass the hot chocolate and candy corn and keep going until they were almost to the Main Street Church parking lot.
That’s when she saw Meredith’s booth and understood. Meredith had a giant chomping mouth that groups of kids ran through. You never knew when the teeth, conveniently encased in foam and completely flexible, would close. When they did, squeals of laughter and shouts of dismay would rumble down the street. It was easily the most popular booth of the entire event. And each child left with a small bag filled with dental supplies.
“Meredith’s a genius.”
Chad chuckled. “That she is.”
They spent several minutes talking to Meredith, then chatted with other parents whose kids were being devoured by the chomping gums. All of them walked away with huge smiles.
Eliza tugged on Landry’s arm. “I’m starving.” She stretched out the word and added a moan to bring the point home. Abby mimicked her.
Naomi ran a hand down Abby’s sleek ponytail. “I’m hungry too. Let’s go load up on enough grease to clog our arteries for a decade.”
The girls ran ahead, although they followed the rules and stayed in sight. They entered the Main Street Church parking lot and joined the queue for the fried chicken dinner.
Landry spotted Cal standing beside a rather cute woman, probably in her midtwenties. The woman scooted around Cal, and ... oh no she didn’t. Oh yes she did. That little flirt brushed against Cal. And was that a hip bump as she walked by? Who did she think she was?
They were laughing. Not the way acquaintances shared a moment of humor. They were doubled over, laughing so hard that the woman was dabbing tears from the corners of her eyes.
That was when the girls broke ranks and darted away from the line, straight toward Cal and the woman who was now leaning against his arm.
“Uncle Cal!” Abby’s sweet voice broke through the sounds of the gathering, and Cal turned to her. His eyes lit with joy that was so pure, it nearly took Landry’s breath away. He jogged toward where Abby and Eliza had stopped and put his hands on each of their little pink hard hats.
Then his eyes met hers for a long moment before he returned to his animated conversation with the girls.
Landry stared at her shoes and tried to stop the color she could feel on her face from creeping all over her body. What was wrong with her? What was her problem? Who didshethinkshewas? She had no claim on Cal Shaw. He was her friend. Her good friend. And if he wanted that cute little thing helping him fry chicken? Well, that was his business.
Maybe they would all be good friends?
No.
The realization hit Landry and spiraled through her, pressing in on all her scarred places that would never heal. Cal Shaw would never be more than her friend, and Landry would never be friends with the woman who someday claimed his heart.
Cal couldn’t get over the vision before his eyes.
Abby and Eliza dressed as construction workers. They were so cute it made his heart hurt.
Pink hard hats, leather tool belts, jeans, even tiny scuffed-up work boots.
He searched the crowd again for Landry. He spotted the top of her blond head, but her face was turned down. He’d catch up to her in a few minutes.
“These are the best costumes I’ve seen all night.” Abby and Eliza grinned at him like he just handed them an award. “Are you here to say hi or to eat?”
Abby rubbed her stomach. “We’re starving.”
He tweaked her nose. “Me too. I’ve been cooking for hours, and I think I’m going to pass out if I don’t eat something soon.” The girls giggled. “Tell your mom and dad to save me a seat. My shift is over, so I’ll join you.”
“Yay!” Both girls shouted and took off back to the line.
“Cassie?” Cal found his cousin standing around the corner of the fry station, talking to their replacements. He waited until she’d passed the chicken-frying baton. “You ready to go? Chad and Naomi are in line to eat.”
“I’ll come say hi, but I’m running over to Leah’s to shower, and then I’m meeting Donovan at eight. I don’t want to smell like fried chicken tonight.” Cassie waggled her eyes at him.
“Youhave a date with Donovan Bledsoe?” Cal pushed all the Marine officer voice he had into those words.