Lucy barks twice, then runs toward the music. I see Samson standing by the barn, his tail wagging.
I take a deep breath. “Now. I’ve been rethinking a few things, and I don’t think I’m cut out for law school.”
Andrew rolls his eyes and makes a pfft sound. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not. I—”
“We’ll talk about this later,” he says, a pacifying smile spreading across his face. “Tonight, let’s just try to have a good time. Then we can go back to your…house…and figure things out.”
There’s nothing to figure out, but whatever. Now probably isn’t the right time. But tonight. Tonight we’ll talk. My feet move mechanically in the direction my head no longer wants to go.
Warm light emanates from the barn’s windows, and the votive candles flicker on the tables set up on the grass. The air is laced with the smell of fried food, which creates such a seductive perfume that a dozen men are already standing by the paper-towel-lined warming pans, plates in hand.
The wheelbarrows we collected earlier are stationed around the grounds, draped in white and blue fabric, and filled with popcorn and peanuts.
A little girl runs by in a blur of excitement, barely missing me; she is shrieking, pursued by a little boy who is clearly enjoying the chase.
When Andrew opens the barn door and escorts me through, the first thing I notice are the hundreds, if not thousands, of white twinkle-lights draped and glowing from the rafters. The second thing I notice is that Natalie, Rachel, Elise, and Alli are all wearing sexy, short togas that end several inches above their knees. They’ve belted them with long strands of gold sequins.
Short togas! Why didn’t I think of that? I feel horribly self-conscious in my body-binding get-up, like an outsider again, and this evening that I’ve spent all summer planning can’t end quickly enough.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Bennet
I don’t pull my truck up to March’s barn until a little after eight thirty. I hate being late, and I’m anxious to see Katherine. So anxious, I don’t take the time to stop at home and shave, or to even get my toga. Fortunately, I wore my Animal House T-shirt under my uniform. It’s got John Belushi’s face on it and reads Toga! Toga! Toga! I figure it’s close enough. Right now, all I want to do is get to Katherine. To see her, to smell her, to feel her under my hands.
The yard outside the barn is nearly empty, except for a few people who are smoking or clearing used paper plates off the tables. Everyone else is in the barn, enjoying the dance.
A hand raps sharply against my truck window, and I jump. It’s Doyle. I swing myself out of the truck and slam the door shut behind me.
“Kid,” he says. He puts his hands on my shoulders as if he’s about to deliver bad news.
“Hey, Cappy. Everything okay?”
“No.”
I jerk my chin back in surprise.
He shakes his head. “I mean, yeah. Everything’s fine.” He glances over his shoulder toward the barn. “But take it easy, okay?”
I don’t know what he thinks I’m going to do. It’s just a party. “Yeah, okay. It’s been a really long day, though. I want to get a drink and see what’s going on. D’Arcy here?”
“Yeah, yeah. She’s here.”
I push past him and jog the rest of the way up to the barn, opening the door with a flourish. The anticipation is gnawing at me. I’ve seen her in the sheets before, but not like this. I’m betting she looks fantastic.
The first person I see is Natalie. She looks nervous, like things aren’t going as perfectly as planned, and she twists a lock of blue hair tight around her finger.
That girl needs to relax. Everything looks great. She gestures toward me with a wave of her hand, and I realize she’s talking to Katherine. I was right. She does look amazing, even partially hidden in shadow.
I take a step toward her, but Katherine stops me with a warning look. Shit. I knew I should have shaved. What difference would a few more minutes have made? I was already late. If I’d taken a second to stop at home, I could have grabbed a bed sheet.
There’s a wreath of flowers in her hair. She took some time to make herself look exceptional. I should have given her the same respect. I raise my hands, palms up, in an apology.
Katherine’s eyes settle on mine, and the corners of her mouth twitch upward like she’s making an apology