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We laugh together and he glances at his watch

"I really do want to stay…"

"Next tione before I could even flirt with hilances back over his shoulder atwith that guy would’ve been awesoo check out the cupcakes at the dessert table, Jack appears outside the tent

"Who was that guy?" he asks, furrowing his eyebrows

"One of the eight thousand Whitfield cousins"

Jack laughs and drags a hand through his hair "So…want to dance?"

My heart stops "With me?"

"Yeah," he says with a smile "We need to celebrate your ith Star today"

Is that what Mr Serious told his parents or so and let him pull me into his arether with an ocean of space between us This is theaton ives away how nervous and excited he is Even if he’s pretending to not be interested in ht," he says quietly,a tiny bit closer toabout last Saturday, you know, at Miller’s Hollow?"

I suck in a deep breath This feels like a trap A trap I kind of want to get caught in Two roads diverged in a yelloood…

Earlier today, our fathers didn’t freak out ere hugging after the race Maybe us being together would just take so used to But maybe it’s not completely off the table…? Itogether now Except for the eight thousand Whitfield cousins ant to talk to the girl horse jockey

As I’ in Jack’s arms, there’s only one road I want to take The road with hi at the end And it’s not the easy road I decide to be bold, to take the curvy, pothole-filled path "I heard the Whitfields have a new litter of puppies in Tanglewood barn Want to go look?"

A smile leaps across his face "Get a head start I’ll meet you there in a few"

Without another word, I hustle over to the Whitfields’ barn,stuck in , which I can barely hear over the band’s s in a nest behind a toolbox, and when I see theosh, you’re so cute"

Not even a minute later, Jack appears in the barn doorway He stops to light a lantern and carries it toward me I instinctively take a step back then stop

I s "You actually came"

"All you had to say was puppies," he replies with a soft sround

"They aren’t even twenty-four hours old yet," I say, squatting next to Ash’s little nest she dug out A puppy chirps, and thehow much she loves her babies makes my chest hurt Love is so simple, but so co’s ears "You did such a good job, Ash" The exhausted dog looks up into my eyes

"She did, didn’t she?" Jack says "What are there? Twelve babies there?"

The nursing puppies are all tangled together, wriggling and whining "I think so"

A slow rock song blares fro tent I aze in the direction of the band, because Jack takes ently lifts ainst his chest, close enough that I can hear the rapid beat of his heart through his cotton button-down shirt This dance is decidedly not chaste Burying his face inwas beautiful," I say "I liked dancing in the tent with all the candles and sparkling lights"

"Oh yeah?" Jackslowly "I prefer this It’s quiet and private Not to ers and softly presses a kiss to ht I pull back, touching ?" I say, onna see us?" He looks around the barn "Charlie the ? I doubt Ash will notice us She’s got twelve babies to deal with And ducks andwill probably say soh

"I want to show you a secret," hea hand onto h rabstogether under theas it is hirass I stop for a sec to take my strappy heels off

We end up about a hundred yards from the manor house where Jack approaches an ancient oak tree and shows oes"

He lifts opens the door, we descend a ladder, and soon I find hts a lantern, because otherwise I’d be spooked the hell out

"My ancestors used this as part of the Underground Railroad" The pride in his voice is sure

"And now you’re using it to sneak a girl into the house and into your roo you?"