Being this close to him physically hurt, so I backed up until bumping into the side of the truck bed. “Don’t act naive, Vance. The two of you have paraded around together all day.”

“It’s not what it looked like.” He combed his fingers through his neatly trimmed curls. “She’s a family friend. Period. Nothing more.”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” I buttoned my jacket and pulled a knit cap out of my pocket, cramming it over my head just to have something to do. “It doesn’t even matter anymore.”

Vance straightened my cap and tucked a lock of hair behind my shoulder, caring and affectionate as always. And all too familiar. “It still matters to me.”

“Why?” I asked, whiny and exasperated. My huffed breath clouded between us.

“Because one day we’re both going to finally grow up and figure out our future.”

I sidestepped him, putting some much-needed room between us, and then opened my mouth to use some snark to help widen the gap. “Your future looks golden from where I stand. Magnolia will be all about a town royalty wedding. You and Malorie . . .”

The muscle in Vance’s jaw flexed harshly as his eyes grew glassy and the tip of his nose reddened. His painful expression cut off my biting remarks. The last thing I wanted to accomplish was hurting him, yet I’d pulled it off with very little effort as always.

Vance cleared his throat and set his gaze past my shoulder. After a few slow blinks, he looked at me. “I miss you, Austin, but I sure don’t miss this.” He motioned between us.

I deflated. “Look, I’m sorry for being nasty. Seriously, Malorie is a nice person. You’re a great person. You deserve to have a nice life with someone like her.”

“Malorie is a nice person and a great friend, but she’s not you. . . . I want you. I want a life with you.”

“Let’s not do this.”

“I’ve had my fill of having to explain my friendship with Malorie to you. If you must know, she’s dating a friend of mine from college. It’s pretty serious and he’s even bought a ring.”

“Awesome. Good for her. Take care now.” I turned to walk away, but Peg’s hollering stopped me short.

“Austin, we lost Raleigh in the corn maze!”

I ran across the parking lot so Peg didn’t have to run-hop any farther. “What do you mean you lost him?”

He slung his hands in the air, white clouds puffing out of him like a choo choo train. “I walked the whole dang thing, calling out his name, but I think he’s freaked out. Charlotte’s still in there looking.”