Falling at First Sight

8. Autumn

It's not a walk of shame. Not at all. There are no rumpled clothes or a hangover. Nope. My pencil skirt is practically pressed within an inch of its life and my blouse fits exactly like it did on the mannequin at Macy's. Yet as my heels click on the pavement and Henry runs up to the glass doors of the preschool building, it feels just like that.

There is not a single doubt in my mind that every soul over the age of eighteen in that building knows I hooked up with Trent Morgan two nights ago. Deandra's daughter volunteers in the newborn section; she's only sixteen and I bet she knows too.

The blush that won't go the heck away is writing out the details on my face. I'm sure of it.

Still, I make a beeline right for him when I open the door and Henry takes off toward Chase to show him the pinball keychain he hasn't stopped talking about all morning.

"Good morning, Henry," Trent calls out to Henry's back when he zips past him and right to his friend.

"Well ... it is a good morning, isn't it?" Trent's gaze flows down the length of my body, sending goosebumps over every inch of me. He's discreet and no one else heard, but still.

"Not here," I say, scolding him beneath my breath, although my smile seems to disagree with the sentiment. "I haven't told my friends yet."

There's only a hint of guilt in that confession.

"When are you going to tell them?"

"Soon?" My response is a question too. I need to rip this bandage off.

"Well, you better tell them before the rumor mill does." His warning is all too real in this small town. With a quick kiss, I tell him to have a good day and any nerves are gone, replaced by butterflies wreaking havoc in my chest.

The last person I expect to see when I turn around is Sharon. She doesn't have kids. There's not a reason in the world for her to be here. Well ... except for the fact that she's telling Maggie's little girl to have a good day and appears to be signing her in.

I bet Mags had something that had to be done and Sharon's just helping her out.

"You all right?" Trent asks at the same time Sharon peeks up and beams as she says, "Look at you two."

Pen still in hand from signing in Magnolia's daughter, she raises it in a friendly gesture.

"Have a good day, Sharon. Nothing to see here," Trent jokes to her before whispering to me, "You have a good day too." The way he says such innocent words sounds scandalous to the point that my ears burn.

With the heat of a blush still rising, the tap of the pen from Sharon gets my attention, but even more than that is the wide grin she's trying to contain.

I only get a couple steps in before she squeals in delight. "Oh my God," she mouths and I'm quick to pull her out of the building before embarrassment of my not-walk of shame fully takes over.

"You two look so cute together," she says and her statement is as easy as her walk.

The guilt that ate away at me seems to subside. "I really like him," I admit to her because it's the only thing I can think to say.

She speaks as we make our way to our cars in the parking lot. She parked right next to mine. "One, you can tell. The tension is thick."

A hint of a laugh escapes me, but the nerves are still there, waiting for her approval. Waiting for one of my best friends to tell me it's okay that I took the guy she had dibs on. Freaking please have mercy because I really, really want to be with him. "He's not some fling for me and I know you called dibs—" The excuses tumble out of me and I wish I could stop them.

Seriously, if I could pluck the words back, I would. I'm so embarrassed and sick to my stomach over this.

"Whoa, I was just joking," she says and both of Sharon's hands fly up. "I call dibs on every hot guy in this town. You know that ... don't you?" The look in her eyes reflects exactly what I feel. It's the fear over being a bad friend.

"I just felt bad because I should have told you guys, but I didn't want to if there wasn't a connection in case ... in case you really liked him."

"I was never going to go after Trent. Look ... I can prove it. I texted Renee last year sometime," she says and scrolls through her phone without missing a beat. After a moment she adds, "You can ask her, because I can't find it." Looking me dead in the eyes she confesses, "I told her the two of you were going to hook up and then a couple months later I got drunk and asked her what was taking you so long.

"You guys have always had tension and you look so cute together. We all wanted it to happen. But Renee said not to push. With, you know, kids involved and you working on your career. So I stayed out of it."

Leaning against my car, I let the truth of what she just said wash over me.

"So ... you're not mad?"

"Heck no, but we need details. Wine Down Wednesday?" she says, opening up her car door. I check the time and note that I'm going to be late if I don't get moving.

"Yes, definitely."

Wednesdays are for girls' nights, but Fridays are date nights with Trent. That was decided on the ride home last night, with his hand in mine.

There's no reason not to choose happiness and go for what you want. My only goal is to not overthink it and let us fall into place. Which oddly enough, seems to be right where we are now and right where we're meant to be.

"Oh my God ... and did you hear what happened with Magnolia?" Sharon easily moves the conversation into new territory as she says, "We need to bring her a bottle just for herself ... or rather, two of them."

"That bad?" I ask, both of us still standing although our driver car doors are opened.

Sharon smirks. "If you ask me ... that good."

Start reading Magnolia's romance novel, Tequila Rose today ~ https://geni.us/Zi0eahr