“I wound my arms around his neck and kissed him back, trying to capture this moment, to clasp it, so I could always remember what it felt like to hold him this way.”

“A few moments later Mom opened my door and peered in at me. "Logan Hansen is here to see you."If it had been anyone else in the world, I would have told my mother to send him away. Santa Claus himself could have shown up to explain his whereabouts since my childhood, and I would have turned him out.”

“Colton picked up a glass of cider and tok a sip. "We're not a couple, Olivia and I, so if you want to flirt with me, it's all right." He was teasing, but there was also truth mixed into this game. Perhaps more than he knew, and I felt as though everything inside of me was stretched tight.I didn't want to face him, so I kept my gaze centered out on the dance floor. "I see. Should I bat my eyelashes or were you thinking along the lines of pointless small talk?""Actually, I like the way you keep looking at me.""I don't keep looking at you.""Yes, you do."I didn't look at him, just to prove the point.”

“So who told you that you had a chip on your shoulder?""Never mind." I shoved a piece of lasagna int my mouth so I couldn't answer."It was a cute guy, wasn't it?" Kelly said. "Those types pf statements only bother you if cute guys say them."I didn't answer, and I didn't look at them."Must have been a really cute guy." Aleeta said.Kelly leaned forward. "Who was it, and do you like him?"I took another bite of lasagna."She likes him." Aleeta said with a smile."Ryan Geno?" Kelly asked. "Arnold Carrillo?""Colton Taft." Aleeta said as though sure she was right.Kelly nodded. "Which means we're really talking about Bryant, aren't we?"Aleeta leaned closer to the table and lowered her voice. "Charlotte likes Bryant?""No," I said quickly."No," Kelly repeated, "She doesn't like him, which is why Colton thinks she has a chip on her shoulder." She turned to me then, wearing a triumphant smile. "I'm right, aren't I?"I shuffled pieces of lasagna around my plate. "I should stop hanging out with smart people.”

“So what did you want to talk to Wesley about?" he asked me."Kelly likes him," I said. "So I figured while we were discussing Lady Macbeth's insanity and Duncan's murder, I could, you know, casually find out if he likes her too."Colton didn't blink. "He likes her.""He does? How do you know?"He shrugged like it was a silly question. "We talk sometimes. He told me on the drive over he hoped she would be here.""Then why hasn't he ever asked her out?""He's shy. And we're in the middle of wrestling season, midterms, and Christmas." Colton picked up the liter of soda. "Have a little patience."I reached for the bowl of popcorn, but didn't start out of the kitchen yet. "Well can I hurry him along? Is there any chance he'll ask her out before this weekend?"Colton shook his head at me, then walked toward the living room. "You're not quite grasping the nature of patience, Charlotte.”

“He smiled. "You’re into me, I can tell.""I’m not into you," I said hotly. Hotly, because as soon as the words left my lips, sparklers erupted on top of my head.Hudson looked at them, and a grin spread across his face. The baby cooed and reached out, trying to grab the flaring light. Hudson moved farther away. "Don’t touch. Just look at Mommy’s pretty liar hat."He was enjoying this way too much. "Okay," I said. "Maybe I like you a little."The sparklers dimmed, but didn’t go out.Hudson raised an eyebrow."All right," I said, nervously eyeing the area to make sure no one saw us. "I’m into you."The sparklers died, but I didn’t wait around for more commentary. I headed to the inn. Behind me I heard Hudson still talking to the baby. "Yes, we like Mommy’s flaming hairdo, don’t we?”

“Isn't that the guy you asked me to throw soda on?"Colton's head jerked up. He stared first at Reece, then at me. "You asked him to throw soda on me?""Of course not. The boy is delirious, That's what happens to children when they're malnourished. They start hallucinating." I put my hand against Reese's forehead as though checking for a temperature. "I'm afraid he has a serious case of it."Colton folded his arms and continued to glare at me. "No, Charlotte, you have a serious case of it, and I'm not talking about malnourishment."Reese stepped away from my temperature check and toward Colton. "She said you wouldn't melt like the Wicked Witch of the West, but you might fizz a little." Reese turned back to me. "He never did fizz.""I'm about to," Colton said. "Just watch for a few more seconds.”