Page 223 of The Path to Loving Him
“Yup,” Hattie answers. “It’s over by the slide.”
“Oh, I’ll be headed over there for sure.”
“Hey, you guys,” a voice says, causing us to turn. Bower walks up wearing a red sundress with her hair pulled up into a bun on the top of her head, a few stray pieces framing her face.
“Hey,” I say, hugging her. She does the same with Hattie and Aubree.
“Where is everyone?”
“Wyatt and Mac are off to get cotton candy,” Hattie answers. “Hayes is helping Ethel with some speaker issues, and Gabby and Bennett are . . . oh, there they are.”
I turn around to see my girl looking so damn good in a pair of white jean shorts and a short navy-blue top that shows about an inch of her midriff. Her hair is half up, and her brilliant eyes are highlighted by mascara.
Consider me fucking infatuated.
When she spots me, a large smile crosses her face, and if I could bottle up that look on her face and keep it forever, I’d consider myself the luckiest man alive.
She walks up to me, places her hand on my chest—which seems to be her thing, and I love it—and kisses me on the lips just as she notices Bower.
“Oh my God,” she says. “I didn’t know you were coming.” She gives Bower a hug. When she pulls away, I watch Bower look over Gabby’s shoulder, right to Bennett who has his hands in his pockets, his eyes lasered in on Bower.
“This guy was telling me about it last night, and I thought, a spectacle involving Bennett? Well, I have to be there to see his cheeks go bright red.” She walks up to Bennett and pulls him into a hug.
Bennett wraps his arms around Bower, bringing her in close. His head tilts into hers, and I swear on my relationship with Gabby, I see him inhale. When she pulls away, his hand glides across her back, lingering before she’s fully parted.
“Look at you,” Bower says, gripping his arm. “You’re all buff and filled out.”
He wets his lips and shyly says, “You look good, Bower.”
Bower daintily shows off her dress. “Oh, this old thing? Just pulled it out of the closet. But thank you.”
And then . . . that motherfucker’s eyes scan her up and down, getting his fill.
I seem to be the only one who notices because Gabby’s oblivious as she takes my hand while Bower looks around the scene in front of her.
“This is all for you?” she asks, turning toward Bennett again who lifts his eyes.
He tugs on his hair and nods. “Yeah, I had nothing to do with it.”
“Shocking,” Bower says, looping her arm through his. “This screams like something you would do. The fanfare, your face and name plastered everywhere. I’ve never seen a more Bennett moment in my life.” Her voice is obviously laced with sarcasm as she moves him through the gates and right into the event.
“Did you see that?” I whisper to Gabby.
“See what?” she asks.
“The way your brother looked at Bower.”
She pauses our stride, bringing us to a stop. “He didn’t look at her.”
“Uh, he did, babe.”
She shakes her head. “No, there’s no way.”
“Are you in denial, or do you really believe that? Because I’m pretty sure your brother has a crush on your best friend.”
Gabby’s eyes float to Bennett and Bower, where Bower is pointing at a picture of Bennett up to bat in his Bombers uniform.
“I’m not in denial. It’s . . . it’s not true.”
