He couldn’t help himself. Aldo slid his arm around her shoulders and held her against him. Her small body fit his like a puzzle piece. “I’m really proud of you, Glo.”

“I’m pretty proud of you, too,” she said softly. She was looking at his mouth, her lids heavy, lips full.

He could kiss her, right here on this bench as Benevolence celebrated around them. But when he moved in, she put a hand on his chest. “Aldo. Don’t you think we should focus on being friends for a little while? I mean given how vulnerable we both are right now, we could both use a friend. Relationships can be…complicated.”

Aldo couldn’t calm the fear that kicked up inside him. The friend zone was not his final destination.

“I want more, Gloria. My feelings for you aren’t just friendly. I don’t want to pressure you, but I don’t want to settle either.”

“Aldo, we literally just made up. I don’t know if I can trust you to not go back to New Aldo who can’t stand me.”

Aldo drummed his fingers on his knee. “Okay. How about a compromise? We date platonically.”

“Like friends without benefits?” Gloria asked, looking at him like he’d lost his damn mind.

“Like we see each other exclusively. I prove to you I can be trusted, and you learn to date in a healthy relationship.”

She frowned, considering. “I can’t decide if this is the smartest idea I’ve ever heard or a really big mistake we’re both about to make.”

“‘About to make’ as in, yes?” Aldo asked, hope so bright and fierce climbed into his throat.

She bit her lip, and he held his breath.

“Yes.”

And just like that, Aldo got his second win of the day. And this one was much, much bigger than the first.

41

The fireworks were a spectacular end to a day of surprises, Gloria decided. Her hand linked with Aldo’s on the blanket. This newness was both overwhelming and thrilling.

Harper’s charges, Henry and Robbie, were sprawled out with them. They’d peppered Aldo with questions about his leg and running and his tattoos. Aldo had answered them all without flinching.

Gloria could feel Harper’s smug smile and chose to ignore her. She didn’t want to explain that she’d forgiven but cautiously.

“Wow!” Henry gasped at a big, orange starburst in the sky.

Gloria smiled and let herself relax. All her weeks of work were over. She’d pulled together one hell of a Fourth of July. It was kind of like her own personal Independence Day. She’d shown the town something besides poor little Gloria Parker, and she’d stood up for herself to a man despite her very strong feelings for him. She’d drawn lines, set boundaries.