“I figured that might clear up some of the awkwardness.” His smile is shy as he shrugs. “There was never any before and there sure as hell shouldn’t be any now.”

“Well, okay then.” I laugh.

“Second—”

“Second? I didn’t even know there was a first,” I say.

And again, I find his lips on mine and my body aching.

“That was the first,” he says, the warmth of his breath feathering over my lips. “You forgot about it way too soon, so I needed to remind you of it.”

“Remind away,” I murmur and then snap myself out of sounding like an idiot. “But then again, maybe second was even better?”

He lifts his eyebrows. “Second, can we just agree that I wanted to see you again and that you wanted to see me again?”

“I think that kiss pretty much sealed that shit up.”

We laugh. I hate admitting to myself that I love the feel of his hands on my face. The way his smile warms me. How much I didn’t realize that I was looking forward to seeing him again.

“That’s settled, then,” he says with a definitive nod. “So when can I see you again?”

“Gunner.” My smile is shy and my want is real. “I have to be completely honest with you.”

“Why does that not sound good?” he jokes, his hands running down my arms and linking fingers with mine.

“It’s not bad . . . it’s just . . . my being here in Destiny Falls is a temporary thing. The last thing I want to do is give you a false sense that I plan on staying here. I mean—”

His lips close over mine again. Just a simple brush of lips but so very potent in how it makes me feel.

“What was that for?” I reach out and put a hand on his cheek.

“You’re talking too much about shit that doesn’t matter, Chase. I learned that living in the moment is so much better.” He lifts our linked hands up to his lips and kisses the backs of mine. “So let’s start living in the moment, shall we?”

It’s the best idea I’ve heard in forever. “I quite like that idea.”

“You do, huh?”

I nod, and my smile is constant as we start walking down the sidewalk aimlessly. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

“Well—”

“Coach Gunner?” a voice to the left of us calls, and I turn to see the cutest little boy waving at Gunner from where he stands in the open doorway to the Central Nail Stop.

“Trey? What are you doing out here?” Gunner says, his entire demeanor transforming at the sight of him. He reaches out and does some elaborate handshake with the tiny cutie. “Shouldn’t you be in school flirting with all those cute girls?”

“Yuck,” the boy says with a dramatic flair. “And it’s after school already.”