looking over at Will, who flashed a grin.
“Ready?” he asked.
“No!”
“Too bad.” He was behind her in an instant, guiding her to the tree. “I’ve got a secret to protect.”
“What is it with you and trees?” she asked, panting as they started up the tree. She flinched as her hand slid along the bark of one of the branches, but she forced herself to grip it firmly, hoisting herself up.
“My name is Will Scarlett. I was destined to live in trees.”
She laughed so hard people on the bleachers in front of them began looking around with puzzled expressions. Will clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling the noise. She would have fallen out of the tree if Will hadn’t been behind her, holding her firmly against it.
“So the rumors are true,” she giggled, when she had quieted. “You do hold a grudge against your parents for the name!”
He helped her up to a branch that was slightly out of her reach. “There’s rumors about it, huh?”
She reached for another branch, proud when she was able to lift herself to it on her own. “Oh yeah. I think it was one of the first ones I heard about you when I started at this school.” She threw her voice into a mock-imitation of Claire’s. “’Supposedly he hates his parents for naming him after a character in a book, so he’s always causing them trouble to get back at them.’”
Will snorted. “That’s the pettiest thing I’ve ever heard.” He lifted her up to a large branch that was clearly their stopping point. As he joined her on the heavy branch, she surveyed the view. They were above the bleachers, with a perfect view of the entire football field. She grinned broadly, pleased that Will had shared his secret vantage point with her.
“This is incredible,” she told him excitedly.
He grinned back at her, his eyes dancing. “The downside, of course, is that you can’t fall out of this tree. You’ll put us both in the hospital.”
She elbowed him in his side, laughing despite her embarrassment. He laughed and settled back against the tree with her, the branch wide enough to accommodate both of them. She watched as he lifted the video camera, placing his foot flat on the tree branch. He set the camera on his knee and pushed a button, starting the recording.
She grinned, facing the football field, surprised at her sudden urge to lean against his shoulder. Will really was an enigma, unlike anyone she had ever met before. The more time they spent together, the more time she wanted to spend with him.
She was lucky he had come into her life.
When the game was over, she was disappointed. A part of her almost wanted to ask Will for a ride home, just so she could spend some more time with him. But she shook that thought quickly from her head and cautiously followed him down from the tree, suppressing her fear of falling so they could get down before the crowd came out and saw them.
Down on the ground, she grinned up at him. “Thank you,” she said. “I had fun.”
He flashed a charming grin. “Anytime. See you later.”
“See you,” she echoed, somewhat sadly. She watched his back until she couldn’t see it anymore, and then turned and headed back to go rejoin her friends.
Chapter Twelve
“You look beautiful, sweetie.”
Annabelle smiled happily at her mother’s compliment, twirling around on the stairs to show off her dress. The strapless satin gown was black on top, tight and formfitting until it hit her waist, where it joined seamlessly with white satin fabric and flooded down to her ankles. She balanced carefully on the strappy stiletto heels her mother had loaned her as she fixed the diamond drop earrings and necklace—another loan from her mother. She had never felt so pretty before, and as she caught sight of herself in the mirror, she was astonished at her reflection. She really did look lovely, like she was glowing inside.
She consented to a hundred pictures before the doorbell rang. She rushed to answer it, pulling open the door to reveal Trevor on her front porch. He looked stunningly handsome in a black and white tuxedo, and she found herself smiling just at the sight of him.
“Wow,” Trevor breathed, staring at her. “You look... beautiful.”
She blushed. “Thank you. You look great.”
He quickly held up a clear box, a white corsage clearly visible inside. “Here,” he said, flashing an embarrassed grin as he handed it to her. “Before I