He caught my eye and smiled; even from a distance, he made my heart race, my mouth go dry, my palms sweat. And suddenly I realized I didn’t want to be in a crowded stadium with him. I wanted to be very much alone.

Grace leaned over. “I still can’t believe you even pretended to try to break up with him. That man is a god.”

“He’s real, too,” Charlotte said, elbowing me.

“What?” Grace asked. It was so loud in the stadium she couldn’t have overheard our earlier conversation, despite her proximity.

“I’m just being silly,” Charlotte said as Elliott reached us and leaned down to kiss me for the whole world to see, his hands full of snacks.

“You’d better be careful,” I said. “You’ll be getting calls tomorrow about consorting with the Black Widow.”

He laughed and kissed me again. “Don’t care,” he said. “I still hold the Juniper Shores Prep bench press record. You can’t off me. Too strong.” I put my hand on his arm. He was very, very strong.

Charlotte added, “Plus, how many people could even be left to call him after the flurry I’m sure he encountered after Belle Epoque.”

Elliott nodded. “She’s right. There can’t be anyone left in town.” He winked at me.

I laughed, and Elliott handed out popcorn and candy to all of us.

“You know the way to our hearts!” Julie said.

“Especially mine,” I whispered. We settled onto the hard ribbed metal of the bleachers, and Elliott took my hand. Just the feel of it caused goose bumps on my arm, heat in my body. He was being so patient with me. I scooted closer to him, realizing that maybe I was losing mine.

“Elliott!” Brenna called. She had met him several times at the house, and the girls all loved him. It was hard not to. “Open your mouth, and I’m going to see if I can throw popcorn in it!”

“Oh yes!” he said.

From beyond her, Julie reminded them, “Now, girls, this is only a grown-up game. It’s a choking hazard.”

I would be prepared to do the Heimlich. All I needed was for Elliott to choke to death beside me on the bleachers. Elliott opened his mouth, Brenna threw the piece of popcorn, he moved his head just in time, and our whole little section cheered as he caught it. People looked at us strangely because nothing exciting was happening in the game. But we were in our own little world. I liked how it felt, how it sounded. I liked having Elliott as a part of it. It made me sad that, one day in the future, I would have to choose between this man I loved and these women and their children who felt like my family.