“Yeah?”

“I really wanted you to kiss me.”

David let out his breath audibly and grinned.

“Really?” He sounded hopeful and disbelieving at the same time.

“Yeah.”

He looked into her eyes and lifted her chin. She took a deep breath as he tilted his head toward her and pressed his lips to hers softly. He drew his head back and looked at her face. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

“Me too,” Maddy whispered. She leaned toward him and turned so that she could put her arms around his shoulders. His arms wrapped around her waist and they kissed again, more deeply this time. His lips were hot and insistent. She opened her mouth and lost herself in their kiss, sending jumps and shivers all through her body. Slowly, still kissing, they slid down so that they were lying on the blanket, their bodies pressed together from shoulder to hip, their legs entwined. David kissed Maddy’s neck and she closed her eyes and let her head fall back onto the blanket. He pulled her tighter against him and they lay holding each other under the stars, listening to the lapping of the water, not saying much—but then again, not much needed to be said.

243

Chapter Twenty-nine

!

Maddy inhaled a deep breath of the crisp Napa air as she stepped out onto the front porch. Inside, her parents were frantically packing for their departure tomorrow, but she was leaving today. Morgan had apparently called the elder Sinclaires last night and convinced them to let her and Kirsten drive up and get Maddy. They were going to get lunch and then head down to the city for Morgan’s party. Maddy was excited to see them, but it was a low-grade excitement. Mostly, she was consumed with thoughts of David. She was all tangled up this morning. Last night everything had seemed so easy. Now Morgan’s words from their phone conversation were intruding on Maddy’s happiness. She sat down on the top porch step with her head on 244

The Other Boy

her knees. She had a whole other life back in the city, one that didn’t include David. And in truth, he really was different than anyone else she knew. Funny and goofy and smart, but different. The realization that she was a little different now too after this summer invaded her thoughts. But I like my life at home, Maddy argued with herself. I don’t want things to change. The question was flashing in neon lights in her mind: What would happen to them in San Francisco? Should they stay together? Did she want that? Did he want that?

Maddy tried to imagine David hanging out in Morgan’s hot tub with the usual crowd. She shifted uncomfortably on the hard wooden step. This summer had been so damn confusing from beginning to end—one thing that hadn’t changed.

She looked at her watch. David would be here any minute. Maddy rehearsed several scenarios in her head. She could clutch him passionately and say, “David, you’re my true love, why did we wait so long to get together? I don’t care what the world says. Let’s defy them all, my darling.”

That seemed a little extreme. Then there was the one where she froze into icy perfection and said with decorum, “I wasn’t myself last night. I’m sorry about that. Well, this summer was fun and it was nice getting to know you. Good-bye.” Or maybe, “Want to go to the beach on Saturday with my friends and me?” Or, “You were an awesome kisser, maybe we can have a couple of booty calls this year.”

245

Hailey Abbott

No. She knew what she had to do. She’d just tell him honestly that they clearly had a connection, but that she’d been thinking about it and didn’t see how it was going to work back in the city. Their lives would never mesh.

David rounded the side of the house. Maddy’s palms immediately started sweating as if someone had turned on a faucet in her hands, and she felt a silly grin spread over her face. His face bore a similarly goofy expression as he approached the porch. They looked at each other.

“Hi,” she croaked.

“Hi.” He lowered himself next to her on the step. She could feel the warmth radiating from his body. He smelled wonderful. She resisted the urge to lean in to his shoulder, but he reached out and pulled her against him. She looked at him and he leaned forward and kissed her softly. For a moment, she pressed her lips against his in response, but then her fears came flooding back and she pulled away, shrugging his arm from her shoulder.

“What’s the matter?” he asked. She looked at his open face and quailed a little.

“I don’t know,” she mumbled. A lie. “I’m worried.”

“About what?” He reached for her again but she shifted away.

Before she could respond, Morgan’s white Mercedes SUV pulled up the driveway and parked in front of the 246

The Other Boy

house. The doors flew open and her friends jumped out.

“Hey!” Morgan shouted. “We’re here!”

Automatically, Maddy rose from the porch steps and went toward them. “I can’t believe you guys are actually here,” she said, giving them each a hug. Her words sounded far away, like they were coming from someone else.

“Ohmygod, look at this place!” Morgan shrieked.

“It’s so adorable!” She was wearing one of her standard outfits, a tiny miniskirt and white tube top, with platform espadrilles that tied halfway up her legs. Kirsten was more subdued in a gray polo-shirt dress and flip-flops. She hugged her friend again. “So, it’s actually a vineyard,” she said. “We were sure you’d been lying to us and you were living with Justin Timberlake up here.”

Maddy’s mind was still a fog but luckily the autoresponse function took over. “Yeah, I am—how’d you guess? I’m keeping him down by the stream in the tasting room. I missed you girls like crazy!”

“We missed you, too!” Morgan said. “You look awesome—you’re so tan!”

“Thanks. That’s one thing a summer of manual labor will get you.” Suddenly, she remembered David, who was standing patiently by her side. “Girls, remember the, um, guy I told you about?”

“Hey.” He stuck out his hand. “I’m David. You know, the um, guy?”

247

Hailey Abbott

The girls laughed. “Hi,” they said in unison. David smiled. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“You too,” they said together. Then they looked at each other and laughed.

“We have to stop that,” Morgan said. “So, where should we eat around here?” she asked as the group headed toward the Mercedes.

David paused and then said, “Actually, we could check out Maddy’s favorite place to eat. It’s not far from here.” He winked at Maddy and took her hand. Oh no, Maddy thought, her grip tightening on David’s. No, they totally wouldn’t go for—

But David was still talking “. . . barbecue shack right on the side of the road. The meat is incredible, if you girls don’t mind a picnic table.”

Damn it. Maddy saw Morgan glance at Kirsten hesitantly. Kirsten shrugged. “Sure,” she said. “Why not?”

“Cool,” David said as they all slid into the sleek leather seats. “You should have seen this girl put away an entire rack of ribs the other day. It was really impressive.”

Morgan glanced back through the seats at Maddy, who offered a sickly smile. “Nice, Mads. I had no idea you were such a carnivore.”

“Heh-heh. Um, yeah, I guess I didn’t know either.”

Maybe the barbecue shack would be closed, she thought hopefully. Then they could all find some nice 248

The Other Boy

little sandwich place in town. At the back of her mind, she wondered why she was being so uptight. David was right. She did love it. It was just that it would never have occurred to her friends to go someplace like that back home. Actually, it wouldn’t have occurred to her, either.

The cooker was smoking when they pulled up in the parking lot, and the two dogs, which didn’t appear to have moved an inch since their last visit, were still watching the little old guy in the stained apron with eternal hope. Several people, most of whom looked like workers from the nearby vineyards, were waiting in line. Maddy spoke up as they piled out of the car. “David, can you get the food while we stake out the picnic table?” She had to get the girls alone for a second. David nodded agreeably. “Sure. Ribs for everyone okay?”