I agreed, still on edge. But the moment we stepped outside, the coil in my stomach started to unwind.
The October sun was warm on my skin, and the trees lining the street blazed with reds, oranges, and golds so vivid the whole town looked like it was burning. It was the kind of day that made it hard to remember why I’d been so wound up.
“Wow.” I tilted my face toward the sky and breathed. “What a gorgeous day.”
“See? Genius.” She tapped her temple.
The tension in my shoulders finally loosened as we walked toward the park. The smell of something fried drifted on the breeze, and my stomach took notice. “I need that food truck. Now.”
Chantel agreed without a single objection, which should have been a red flag. Her usual stance on mobile food vendors involved hygiene violations, bacterial growth rates, and rapid-fire French I could never fully follow but that left no room for misinterpretation.
I ignored the warning bells and inhaled a soft pretzel the size of my face, making a silent promise to the bean growing inside me that I’d start eating better tomorrow.
The walk through the park was light and easy. Kids chased each other across the grass, a couple shared a bench with a dog wedged between them, and the sun filtered through the brilliant canopy overhead. It was the perfect afternoon for relaxing and pretending the hard stuff didn’t exist.
Until we reached the skate ramps.
I saw him before Chantel grabbed my arm, slowing us to a stop. He was impossible to miss.
His lean muscles rippled under a T-shirt that had no business fitting so well. His jaw was set with concentration, and his dark hair was wild around his face. Caleb moved on his skateboard like it was part of his body, flying down a ramp at breakneck speed, flipping the board under his feet at the top, then sailing back down the other side.
Each trick looked effortless. Each push, powerful. Each landing, precise.
He was magnificent.
I wasn’t the only one who thought so, either. Kids of various ages had gathered around, forming a tiny fan club. Some stood motionless, watching. Others jumped around trying to copy him. Even the teenagers shook their heads in amazement when he landed something that looked physically impossible.
The younger kids clapped.
So did I. Maybe a little too enthusiastically, since most of them looked my way.
When Caleb’s eyes found mine, he broke into a grin that hit me like a blast of heat and hormones. With one final kick, he sent the board into the air, spinning both it and his body in a sweeping arc before landing on top of the ramp and catching the board in his hand.
A few kids crowded around him, begging for tips. He dropped to a crouch, skateboard balanced across his knee, and told them, “Practice. Every single day. And don’t give up.” He bumped fists with the teenagers before jogging over to us.
“You’re a show-off,” Chantel declared. “I thought you’d given that up.”
For a moment, his whole demeanor shifted. Something dark crossed his expression, almost like pain. “Yeah, well, it’s not as easy as it used to be. But I still enjoy it from time to time.”
“You’re amazing.” God, I had no filter.
The shadow lifted as his piercing blue gaze found mine again. “Thanks, but that was nothing. Just messing around for the kids.”
“That was nothing?” I wasn’t buying it. “It looked pretty impressive to me.”
“I can teach you a few tricks.” His eyes tracked slowly over my face, and my skin heated under the attention. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you fall.”
The words were innocent. His tone was not. And for a reckless second, I let myself picture it. His hands gripping my hips. Holding me firm. Pulling me closer. His breath hot on my neck.
My pulse hammered, vibrating through every part of me. “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t want to make any of the kids jealous.”
“Listen, I’ve got to get going,” Chantel interrupted. “Zadie, stay. Let Caleb teach you a few things.”
“Where are you off to?” The warning bells I’d been ignoring were now screaming.
“I’ve got a date.” Her gaze drifted somewhere over my shoulder, avoiding mine.
“A date?” We had plans. Plans she’d already modified once today. And now she was bailing entirely for a date? In the middle of the afternoon?