Jonah stiffened in surprise next to me. “Are you serious?”
Jenny grinned. “Only if you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” Jonah laughed. He released me with a parting squeeze and picked his mother up in a bear hug. “Are you nuts? Are you sure?”
He set her down to see her face.
“Clarabell and her husband are thinking about retiring in a few years. They want someone they can trust managing Moonshine Diner.” She shot a look at Jimmy Bob. “And I happen to like the company here.”
Jimmy Bob looked like he’d just won Chicken Shit Bingo and the state lottery on the same night.
What Jenny didn’t voice, what I wasn’t about to bring up since I was all about not ruining the moment, was the fact that she was probably also going to need to be available to a lot of questions from investigators. Callie Kendall was alive and out there somewhere. And someone was determined to make sure she stayed dead.
A shiver worked its way up my spine, and I felt as if there were eyes on me. I thought of the sketch folded up in my clutch. The shadow it represented.
As if sensing the chill, Jonah slipped his arm around my waist, drawing me into his side. I spotted my brother dancing forehead-to-forehead with June on the other side of the yard. Bootleg Springs had cast its spell on all of us, drawing us in and making us feel like we belonged.
I only needed to know if there was a place here for me with Jonah.
“I’m happy for you, Mom,” he said gruffly.
“And I’m happy for you, son,” Jenny said with a knowing tilt of her head in my direction.
“On that note, I’m going to whisk my girlfriend away to a dark corner of the yard for some necking,” Jonah announced.
True to his word, he set a course and led me through the throng of jubilant celebrators. We were stopped a dozen times by friends and family.
Nadine Tucker’s gardening shed, a charming little building tucked away behind the garage, appeared to be our destination.
Jonah paused in front of the door.
“About what you told me earlier,” he began.
My pulse picked up. “Refresh my memory?” I said coyly, tapping my chin with a finger. I imagined nerd girls everywhere standing up and cheering.
“You said you loved me,” he said, his voice whisper soft and deep as the night that surrounded us here in this quiet little corner.
“Oh, that.”
“I don’t want you to leave at the end of the summer,” he said. “I don’t want to find a good home for Billy Ray. I want to keep him. And he and I will follow you wherever you go.”
He was warming up for the big finish, and as much as I wanted to hear those words, as much as my soul was vibrating with the need to hear them, I had a few loose ends to tie off first.
“What about your mom? You can’t leave Bootleg Springs if she’s moving here. You have family here. A lot of family.”
“And now that I know where they live, I can visit whenever it’s convenient. I love this town, and I love my family, but, Shelby…” He paused and tilted my chin up so I was looking in those oh-so-tender green eyes. “I’d rather be next to you.”
“Jonah,” I sighed, savoring his name.
“Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind since this afternoon?” he teased.
I shook my head. “You’d follow me?”
“Wherever you go,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Soft, intimate touches that were untying every knot in my stomach. “I can work anywhere. I can visit my family any time. But I want a hell of a lot more than a fling with you, Shelby.”
Say it. Say it. Say it, the fifteen-year-old nerd in me chanted.
“Hmm, why is that?” I asked, dancing my fingers under his suspenders.
“I think it has something to do with the fact that I’m head over heels in love with you. Frankly, I’m surprised a smart girl like you didn’t figure it all out weeks ago.”
I poked him in the chest. “I’ve been a little busy.”
“How’s your schedule looking now?” he asked, leaning in and down, down, down.
“Wide open,” I whispered. His lips were a breath away from mine, but I stopped him. “Jonah, wait.”
He paused where he was. “What? Are you okay?”
His breath was hot on my skin. And I could feel the heat of his body through his shirt.