Chapter Fifteen

Jake

Last year at Falling for Fall, Jamie and I offered a double date. “Date the Lexington brothers!” was our slogan. We wore matching suits, plus suspenders and jackets, minus shirts. We were the most bid-upon pair, and we ended up taking out the Marin sisters—two of Culler’s most adorable 80-year-old women, who we took bowling. It was pretty fun.

This year is way less exciting, being up here alone.

“Who doesn’t want to date a star player on the football team?” Mayor Hobbs says in an awkward announcer voice. He shoves the mic in my face. “Anything you want to add, Jake?”

I stare out into the crowd and find Haley immediately. She’s at the Belles table, exchanging something for something else. I don’t really care enough to do much but look at her. The prospect of her winning a date with me, under the guise of charity, has me hopeful.

I strap on my best smile and make my accent a little thick on purpose. “I want to assure whichever lovely lady gets a date with me that I will treat her like a perfect Southern gentleman. WWJD.” Haley’s eyes pierce into mine. “That’s my motto.” I smile extra big.

Some of the people in the crowd clap, and the guys on the team all hoot and catcall. But it’s Haley I’m watching. Her smile grows, her cheeks redden, and I can imagine the way her nose crinkles up right on the bridge even from here. She knows that’s all for her.

I hope she bids on me.

Mayor Hobbs claps. “Thank you. Again, that’s Jake Lexington, number 21! Get your silent auction bids in.”

I exit the stage and stand with Howell.

“Wish me luck!” Shane Griggs says as he runs past us on to the stage and Mrs. Monroe calls his name.

“I think I’m going to stop by the kissing booth until they announce the winners,” Howell says. “And maybe get some caramel apples.”

“Who’s at the kissing booth that you’d want to kiss?” I ask.

“Lenora Snider.” He smiles.

Lenora Snider was Howell’s first crush. She’s three years older than us, so we were always right on the cusp of being invisible to her. It didn’t stop Howell. “Go get it, bro.”

“Hey, it may not be true love, but at least I can fulfill my middle school fantasy.”

I snort. “And then get a caramel apple.”

“Hell yes,” he says. “I’ll get you one.”

I shrug. “I’ll come just to watch you try to talk to Lenora Snider.” He never could. He was always a babbling idiot.

He slaps me on the shoulder. “That’s the great thing about it, I don’t have to talk!”

I follow Howell toward the town square, past the silent auction. Georgia Ann rushes toward us, Beau not far behind her. That’s kind of how they come now since the summer. “Hey y’all,” she says.

“Have you been by the kissing booth yet?” he asks Beau. Georgia Ann raises an eyebrow.

“Why would he go by the kissing booth?”

Howell stumbles, and Beau tries not to laugh. “I was wondering how long the line was.”

“Lenora Snider is there,” I say to embarrass him a little. He punches my arm.

“Shit, man,” he says. Beau is laughing.

“I think the line was pretty long,” Beau says.

“Seriously?” she asks, her voice a squeal.

Beau reaches over and pulls her closer. “Georgie, I wasn’t waiting in the line. I don’t want to kiss anyone but you.”

“You best not,” she says, and he kisses the side of her neck.

They used to make me want to vomit. Now it feels like something I wish I could do.

Haley’s face flashes in my mind. I gotta get this under control.

“Y’all gonna go to Hoops’s party after this?” Beau asks us.

Howell shrugs. “Probably. I haven’t gotten that far. One mission at a time,” he says, looking over everyone toward the line at the kissing booth.

I’ve been trying to cut back, but I don’t want to tell anyone that. They’ll make a big deal about it and ask questions. I really am doing it because hanging out with Haley has made me want it less. That’s it. I don’t find myself thinking about it all the time. Before it was like I had nothing else to look forward to, and now, somehow, I do.

Georgia Ann’s watch beeps, and she tugs on Beau’s arm with a sigh. “I better get back to it before Momma sees me standing around.”

“I better go get in line. You good?” Howell asks me.

“Yeah, I’ll probably head out.”

With a nod, he leaves, and if dudes could skip without looking stupid, that’s how I’d say he got over to the kissing booth line. Alone in the crowd, I walk toward the gazebo. I might as well see if there’s anything not stupid going down here. This town does a lot of stupid shit, so probably not.

That’s when I see her again.

She’s passing out tickets for one of the fall carnival games. The one with the milk bottles that you have to knock over with a ball. A kid is up there right now, tossing and missing. My feet move forward without my permission, because the next thing I know I’m standing right there. Haley smiles at me. The kid knocks down one.

“Nice job,” she says, handing him a basket full of suckers. “Have one.”

The kid takes a green one, smart choice, and scurries away.

“Hey,” I say.

Wow. What am I turning into?

“Jake Lexington. Quite a show you put on up there.”

I can’t help but smile at her. God, she’s so pretty. “Maybe I can score a good date out of it.”

She smirks but doesn’t say anything about it. “You want to give it a go? Only one dollar for five tries.”

I point to this stuffed unicorn on the wall. “How many do I need to knock down to get that?”

Her face lights up, but then gets serious. “Oh, that’s a big order. You have to knock down all five.”

I rub my hands together. “Let me at it.”

Haley hands me the balls, and I toss. I get one. So much for being impressive.

“Let’s try again.”

I hand her another dollar.

“Maybe you ought to aim for two,” she says. She points at this smaller pink bear. Or is it a dog? I can’t really tell. “You can get this for two pins.”

“Nah, I’m going to win that unicorn,” I say, and I give her five dollars.

I hand Haley the small teddy bear/dog. “It’s really not very cute, is it?”

She gasps and covers the stuffed animal’s ears. “Don’t let Lexy hear you say that. He didn’t mean it, Lexy.”

“Lexy?”

She shrugs. “After its liberator.”

I don’t know what to say to that. We walk in silence toward the gazebo, where winners of the silent auction dates are about to be announced. There’s a crowd gathered for the raffle. “So, did you bid on me?”

Haley hmms. “A girl can’t bid and tell.”

We all gather around the front, guys on the stage and bidders around, as Mrs. Monroe and Mayor Hobbs start naming off and pairing up dates with winners. Everyone seems happy so far. Howell is called, and to my surprise and shock, he was won by Lenora Snider.

Haley is staring at me, and it makes me smile. Which makes her smile. I love her smile.

Will Montgomery gets paired up with Old Mrs. Baker. She made last year’s winner clean out her gutters. I get a little nervous.

I want to take Haley out, for real, but this is as close as I can get. What is she thinking right now?

Mayor Hobbs calls my number and my name next.

“For 21, Jake Lexington, the winning bid goes to…”

My heart is racing as she stares at me. What is wrong with me? This is not something I do.

“Abby Fletcher!”

Haley’s eyes drift left as Abby starts cheering. What? Abby is jumping up and down and she even hugs Haley, who meets my gaze. I have to smile while everyone looks at me, but why? Why wouldn’t she bid on me? Have I been wrong about how much I thought she liked me? Abby comes over and hugs me, and I half hug her back. Haley moves out of my eyeshot. What happened? It’s so frustrating.

Then I hear Mrs. Monroe announce Haley’s name. I missed all of it, but she’s walking toward Shane Griggs. She bid on her ex? What the hell is happening? Then Abby is in front of me, talking excitedly in my face. I can’t see Haley anymore.

“Do you mind waiting for me until the Belles are done?” Abby says. “I know it’s tradition to go on the date immediately after.”

“Whatever you want,” I say. My eyes are over her shoulder at Griggs and Haley. He’s towering over her, smiling, and she’s tucking her hair behind her ear. She only does that when she’s nervous. Everyone knows what happened between them, so why is she his date and not mine?

“Great! I’ll see you later, then,” Abby says.

Haley walks away from Griggs, back toward the Belles. “Sure,” I say. “Text me when you’re ready.” And I half wave at Abby. It all comes out quickly in a single sentence, but I don’t care. I’ve got a mission.

“You’re going out with Griggs?” I say when I get close to Haley. She rolls her eyes. “I thought you bid on me.”

She sighs, her face red. “The recruitment Belles were supposed to help up the bids. For charity. Trust me, I did not bid on Shane Griggs intentionally.”

“So you wanted me?” I ask.

She gives me a look but doesn’t answer. Her hand is resting on the table, and I swoop it up into mine. It’s the first time I’ve really touched her like this, intentionally, and I can’t even explain why. I just felt a need. Haley bites that lip again, and I feel this pulse between us. Touching her makes me want to kiss her. I’m already playing with fire here. Anything more than this, even this, is dangerous for both of us.

“I still want to take you on a date.”

I guess I like to be burned.

“Jake,” she starts with a whisper.

“Haley, will you please let me take you out?”

Her eyes search mine, like she’s looking for an escape that doesn’t exist. Does she want this? Doesn’t she? I don’t know. I’ve never known someone like her.

“Let’s make it through these two dates first.”

“Is that a no?”

“It’s not a no,” Haley says softly.

Georgia Ann clears her throat, suddenly behind us, and I drop Haley’s hand.

“Sorry,” she says. “Abby is looking for you for cleanup.”

“Right,” Haley says. Then to me, “I’ll see you later.”

I nod, and before she walks off, Georgia Ann gives me this look of warning.

I don’t need a warning, though. I know I’m in trouble.