Dirty Toe Drag by Toni Aleo
Chapter Fourteen
Stella
For reasons unknown,Wes doesn’t take me home. Instead, we continue on, and the ride to where we’re going isn’t long once we hit the interstate.
“So, what cupcakes did you make me?”
When I look over at him, he waggles his brows at me, and I grin. “I made some that are newbies for me.”
“Do you mean that no one has tasted these Stella Brooks flavors?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” I confirm, my face aching from grinning so hard. “I made a RumChata one because you told me you love horchata.”
“I do. A lot. And rum rhymes with fun.”
“This is true,” I laugh as I wring my fingers together. “And then a French toast cupcake.”
“Oh, man. I don’t know if I’ll be able to share.”
We share a dazzling grin, and I can’t get enough of him. His window is down, and his arm hangs out as he rides. He has a ball cap low on his head, his dark sunglasses hiding his eyes and any clue of if I’ll need to call an Uber once we get to where we’re going. I am still burning with humiliation, but I don’t know what I expected. Emery is very headstrong and extremely direct. If she has no issue calling out my dad or brothers, no one is safe, really.
“What’s your week look like?”
I smile over at him. “Work and school.”
“Work is Brooks and cupcakes?”
“Yup,” I say proudly, and it feels amazing. “When is your next road trip?”
“Not this week, but next week. Tuesday.”
“Is it a long one?”
“Kinda. Nine days.”
I only nod because, really, I have nothing to say to that. Oh, I’ll miss you? It’s date one; I need to relax. Road trips are nothing new to me. My dad was gone most of my early life and didn’t retire until Aiden’s senior year. Unlike Aiden, we later kids got a lot of Dad time, but I still haven’t forgotten living without him. I always thought I wouldn’t want to live that kind of life, but then I see a hockey player, and I seem to forget all about those sacrifices.
Or maybe that’s just how Wes makes me feel.
When we pull into a pretty park area I haven’t been to, I look around, confused, as Wes puts the truck in park. “You brought tennis shoes, right?”
“I did,” I say as I reach for my bag that holds both my shoes and the cupcake tub. “In here.”
“Awesome.” He gets out, and I gather my things as he comes around, opening my door. I take his hand as I get out, and he jokes, “Kinda hope I did that right so you tell Emery and she doesn’t kill me in my sleep.”
I snort. “I’ll protect you.”
“Thanks. She’s little but terrifying.”
“You have no clue,” I admit as he shuts the door.
He locks the truck and tucks the keys in his pocket. “It’s a little walk to the spot. Do you want to change now?”
“Do I need to?”
He shrugs. “I don’t think so. Plus, I like those shoes.”
We share a heated look before we start off for the spot he is speaking of. I have no clue, but if I were a guessing woman, I’d say it’s a picnic. Why else would you come to a park? The area is gorgeous, and it’s a beautiful spring day. Lots of flowers and even more people hanging out, flying kites, and throwing Frisbees.
“Do you throw?” Wes asks, tipping his head toward the few people who are tossing their Frisbees.
“I’ve never played for real, but I can sling one. I was actually thinking I haven’t flown a kite in years.”
He thinks that over. “Shit, I don’t think I have either. We should do that. Maybe bring Emery with us.”
I scoff. “You don’t have to include her. I wouldn’t want to subject you to that again.”
He grins. “I love her. She’s hilarious.”
“You know she wasn’t joking at all. Like, that was her.”
He laughs. “That only makes me love her more.”
“Okay, weirdo.”
His laughter runs down my spine as we start down a little wooden set of steps. “Oh, this is cute.”
“Yeah, one of the guys brought his girl out here for engagement pictures. That’s how I knew about this spot.”
“I’ve never been here,” I say, taking the hand he offers.
“I’m glad,” he says happily, and it makes me happy. He stops on the bottom step of the bridge, and I step down in front of him. I go to step off, and I don’t know what happens. I hear a crack, and then I’m falling back into Wes. He catches me with no problem. Any other time, I would bask in the feel of his chest against my back, but right now…right now, I’m trying not to break out in a sob.
My heel broke.
I’m speechless as I lift my left shoe to see my heel gone, stuck in a broken part of the steps. My lip quivers, my stomach drops, and when I look at Wes, his eyes are wide. “Oh no.”
“My shoe.”
Still holding me by my waist, he bends down to pick up the discarded YSL. I take it from him, pressing it to my chest as I fight back the tears. There is no way in hell I am crying in front of this guy about a pair of shoes when my sister acted the way she did. I’ll definitely need an Uber if I do. He doesn’t move, doesn’t say a word as I mourn my heel. “I love these shoes.”
“Want me to find some superglue? I can run to the store real fast.”
I shake my head. “You don’t superglue shoes like these. It’ll melt the YSL logo.”
“Oh, okay. This is why you only wear these to New York?”
“Really, I only wear them when we go to fashion shows ’cause it’s carpet and I know they’ll be safe.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” I say softly, my voice breaking. “I knew better. I just wanted to look really good.”
“Not the moment, but you didn’t need the shoes.”
My laugh is soulless. “Yeah, not the moment.”
I swallow back my sob as I lift my foot to take off the broken shoe. To my surprise, Wes reaches for my ankle, bringing it to his thigh and unfastening it. I blink a few times to continue to fight back my tears as I bring my other one up for him to unbuckle. He takes my bag, pulling out my Keds and setting them down for me to put on. “Well, the date is off to a great start,” he jokes, and I feel so stupid, but I love these shoes.
“I know this is dumb, but just imagine breaking your favorite stick.”
“Oh no. I don’t think it’s dumb. These are important shoes to you.”
“I don’t even think they make this style anymore. I got them four years ago.”
“We can Google and check,” he suggests, and I nod slowly, handing him the good shoe to put in the bag.
“I’m gonna hold this one for a while.”
He only nods, and I know he thinks I’m an idiot, but whatever. I’m devastated. We start to walk once more, though I’m walking like I’ve lost a piece of me. Which, I guess I did. It’s not just the shoe; it’s the memories. I wore these to match my mom and my aunt Elli. I wanted to feel like a sexy businesswoman. I wanted to feel important. Plus, I saved for a year for those shoes.
So disappointing.
But then I see a tandem bike, and I realize this is part of our date.
Man, the hits keep coming.
“I’m not sure if you’re mourning the shoes still or dreading the ride?”
“I will be mourning the shoes for a while, but also, I didn’t realize I would be riding a bike with my ass right there in your face.”
“Understandable. And also, that’s the part I’ve been looking forward to all day.”
I start grinning when I didn’t think I could. “Where did you even get a tandem bike?”
“I rented it for us. Wanted to do something fun but also something where we are close.”
I eye him. “I could have given you a lot of ideas.”
“Yes, and I’m sure I have the same ideas, but we’re on a date. We’ve done hot and heavy. Let’s do fun and flirty.”
Funny, that’s what I want. I flash him a wide grin and hand him my broken heel. He takes it slowly. “Wanna put the heel in your pocket?”
“Are you teasing me?”
“Not at all. I broke my favorite stick one time, and I kept the blade for years.”
I smile as I shake my head. “I appreciate you not thinking I’m crazy.”
“I would never,” he says, tucking my shoe in my bag before putting it in the basket of the bike. “I feel responsible and really bad about it.”
“Don’t. It’s my fault for trying so hard.”
“Especially when you don’t need to,” he reminds me, and I fight back my grin. When a guy comes over, unlocking the bike for us, Wes wheels it out for me to get on. “Come on.”
I get on the first seat, and he gets on behind me before handing his phone to the guy. The guy holds up his phone, and Wes wraps his arm around my waist, tucking his head in between my head and my shoulder. I lean into him, smiling from ear to ear. Yeah, I lost my favorite pair of shoes, but I’m about to have a blast in its honor.
* * *
I have never riddena tandem bike, and I’ve decided that not only do I love it, but Wes and I need one.
“Have you done this before?” I ask as I ride happily through the tree-covered area. The park is gorgeous, and we’ve seen a lot of rabbits, which excites me for some reason. Or completely distracts me from the fact that my shoe is broken. I went to text my mom to tell her, but I decided to wait since I know she’ll want to call and make sure I’m not suicidal. I really loved those shoes. Dramatic, yes. But at least I didn’t name them.
“I haven’t. I’m surprised you’re good at this. I fully expected you to suck.”
“Wow. Rude,” I accuse. “I am the daughter of a legendary hockey player. I was born to move.”
“You know I’m doing most of the work.”
“Oh, absolutely. But at least we haven’t fallen.”
“True,” he laughs, and I grin as I take the turn he points to.
“I wonder if we can get one at Walmart or something? We can ride it around town since you hate driving.”
His laughter is nonstop. “I’m down. Though, I’m sure we’ll be laughed at.”
“By truly jealous and unhappy people.”
“Yes, the worst kind of people.”
Our laughter mixes with the wind as we ride through the park toward a destination that is still very much a secret. Every time I ask, he changes the subject. I’ve noticed he doesn’t like silence. I don’t know why. But maybe I’m used to it since my sister talks a lot. It’s kind of fun. We talk about the most trivial stuff, and it’s interesting. “I think there was a murder in this park a few weeks ago. I should bring Emery.”
I snort. “There was. She asked to come.”
“Okay. Well, I’ve already disappointed her today, so don’t tell her where we went.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“You don’t think she’ll tell Aiden yet, do you? I really want to sit down with him, man-to-man.”
“No. She’s an asshole, but we keep each other’s secrets. Everyone else, though? She throws them under the bus like no other.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah. I’m no better. We love extorting our brothers.”
“You two are something, but please elaborate.”
I giggle. “Aiden used to pay us off not to tell anyone about him and Shelli. And now, Asher went and got married, so he’s still paying us weekly.”
“Wow. I’m glad I didn’t have sisters.”
“Right? Sisters can suck, but we’re loyal.”
“Man, you ain’t kidding. I’ve never seen anything like Emery.”
I smile. “Yeah, she’s over-the-top loyal.”
“I never had that.”
“No?”
“No, I was an only child. And when I was adopted by the mom of my best friend at the time, he was an only child and we were in competition against each other, so I didn’t have that bond with anyone.”
“I didn’t know you were adopted.”
“Yeah. When I was sixteen.”
“Oh, wow.” Well, that sucks. I wait for him to elaborate, and when he doesn’t, I ask, “Competition? What do you mean?”
“I played for the best travel team in the country, the one every scout looked at for draft picks. Everyone wanted their kid to be drafted, and I was naturally talented, so everyone hated me.”
“I hate competitive sports.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s always like that. All parents live through their children, thinking their kid is the next star. Kids need to be kids and enjoy the journey.”
“That’s true. I did everything I could to get where I am.”
“That’s incredible.”
“Thanks,” he says, and I can hear the appreciation in his voice. “Turn here.”
I do as he says, and when we arrive at a clearing, I see the spot he’s been leading me to. It’s downright the cutest little setup. A large blanket covers the ground with pillows and a small table in the middle. I see loads of food and drinks, but I’m mesmerized by all the flower arrangements. All kinds of spring flowers are set up around the blanket and along the table. It’s adorable. Breathtaking, too.
“Oh wow.”
We park the bike, and then I get off before he does so he can hold the bike up for balance. I look back at him as he gets off, putting down the kickstand and smiling over at me. “Like?”
“Love,” I say as we start for the little area he has arranged for us. “Did you set this up yourself?”
“I wish,” he laughs as we get closer. “This girl I was hanging out with a long time ago has a picnic setting-up business. I’ve seen her work on Instagram and thought it was something you’d like.”
“This is awesome.” I pull out my phone, taking a photo because I never want to forget this. “Look at all the food.”
“Right? I got all the fixings. Cheese, meats, and chicken salad.”
I beam over at him. “You remembered?”
“I have never seen a girl eat so many chicken salad croissanwiches in my life,” he says, shaking his head. “I’m surprised there were any left for the rest of us at the wedding shower.”
I grin. “I love to eat.”
“I know.” He flashes me a wide grin before sitting down, and I do the same.
I reach into my bag, ignoring my broken shoe, and grab the cupcake tub I packed. I open it, setting out the cupcakes, thankful I threw an ice pack in my bag to keep them cool.
“Wow, those are pretty.”
I beam. “They taste even better,” I promise as I place them around on the meat and cheese board he chose for us. “Perfection!”
“Agreed.” We dig in. Then, with a mouth full of cheese, I make a chicken salad sandwich while he inhales a cupcake. “So good.”
“Told you,” I say confidently before I take a bite of my sandwich.
“So damn good. You are choosing the right career, Stella.”
“Thanks.” I cover my mouth as I chew. “Hope my family agrees.”
“They will,” he promises as he reaches for another cupcake. “Just make them one of these RumChata cupcakes, and they’ll totally be on board.”
I smile as I watch him devour his cupcake. “So, I didn’t know you were adopted.”
He pauses for a second and then nods slowly. After he swallows his cupcake, he clears his throat. “Yeah, I lost my mom to cancer when I was younger, and when my dad remarried, he and his wife weren’t the best to me, and they lost custody.”
“Oh damn.”
“Yeah, it was a shitshow. But I’m better now. Loads of therapy.”
“I’m sorry. That sucks.”
“It is what is it. I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I’m growing.”
I smile. “Is that why you’re open to dating me now?”
He grins. “A lot has changed over the last couple months. I made some breakthroughs with my therapist and stuff. Sucks that she’s leaving. I have my first session with her and the new lady tomorrow.”
“That’s tough. I’m sure that’s not easy.”
“Yeah, I’ve been with mine for so long, and I’d rather not get to know someone else.”
“I get that, but be open. You don’t want to stop growing because you don’t like change. Sometimes change is needed to grow.”
“Very true,” he says, meeting my gaze.
“Do you speak to your dad, since you were adopted and all?”
I see fear, I think, move across his face. “Not at all. I don’t want anything to do with him.”
I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to ask why; if he wanted me to know, he’d tell me. I want to know, though, so badly, but I can tell it’s a story he isn’t ready to share yet. Also, I don’t want to ruin this. The picnic is perfect, the ride was incredible, and the guy sitting across from me is a dream on legs. I may want to know his past, but I’ll wait for him to tell me. Because while this has been the biggest shitshow of a start to any date ever, it’s shaping up to be my favorite.
And there is no way in hell I’m going to say or do something to scare him off.