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"The last float is colanced over at Evie, who practically had to bend her entire head to get her mouth close to Mia’s ear The cheers and applause of the crowd gathered on each side of the street made it difficult to be heard, so Evie raised her voice even higher as she went on

"Trust onna love this one, Mia"

A moment later, Mia understood Evie’s mischievous prediction--the float that appeared on the street featured half a dozen shirtless ht-red fireade," Evie declared with a grin "See the one over on the far left?"

Mia followed the young worinned when she spotted the hter "A friend of yours?" she teased

"Not yet, but I intend to change that once I’hed loudly "His na anyone under twenty-one We’ve been flirtin’ for the last year, but the pigheaded fool refuses to make a move"

Jackson cleared his throat "Can you please not subject riped to his sister "I don’t wanna knoho you’re ue "Tough ’Cause Mia wants to know all about it Right, Mia?"

She laughed "I don’t know… I say we put your brother out of his misery and talk about it later in private"

"Deal," Evie said immediately

After the final float disappeared around the corner, Jackson’s parents drifted over to the trio While the Rao for dinner, Mia discreetly snuck a peek at Arlene’s and Kurt’s interlaced fingers She’d noticed that the older couple never stood more than an inch or two apart, and they always stole kisses when they thought no one was looking

The love they felt for each other was so evident it ht as well have been advertised on a Times Square billboard Mia had never ether Arlene and Kurt acted like needs, and seeing the that Mia didn’t understand

She’d been trying toemotion since they’d arrived in Jackson’s houred it out yet, and she had no time to dwell on it now, because the Raroup wasaway from the crowded sidewalk

As she and Jackson fell into step with each other, he looked over and said, "Did you still want to go to the saloon after dinner?"

She answered without hesitation "Hell yeah Every tio in"

"Then we’ll go"

The save her seemed incredibly strained "Or we don’t have to," she said hastily

"Naah, it’s cool" He lowered his voice "Just be prepared to get stared at some more"

Her heart ached for him, and the unfairness of the situation really hit ho trio of wo ahead of them Those same ladies frowned the moment they saw Jackson, which irked the hell out of Mia