He threw up a hand in the form of a hello. Henri dropped his hands looking embarrassed to be caught primping on the sidewalk. “Hey there.”

Henri nodded his head. “Hey, Nick.”

Nick wasn’t sure what to say next. He never took the time to get to know Jake what made Henri any different?

“Yeah, hey. Maven is inside waiting on you. Have a good time.” He twisted on his heels and started down the sidewalk. Henri turned, watching him head toward his house.

“April’s excited. It’s not often she gets her way when it comes to shopping.” He called out over his shoulder. He knew Nick wasn’t looking to know him, but he was still willing to give it a shot.

Nick stopped. “Well, I figured seeing as I asked her to the dance it’s the least I could do.”

Henri smiled. “She’s pretty much exploding with glee all day long now because of you.” He raked his fingers through his hair smiling at the thought of April and her glee. Ever since Nick first asked her to hang out, she was the happiest girl he had ever seen.

Nick narrowed his eyes on Henri. Was he trying to make conversation?

“What about you, Henri?” Nick shoved his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts, rocking on his heels. “Do you plan on asking my sister to the Hop?”

Henri’s eyes widened. He swallowed down the anxiety that was bubbling to the surface. He hadn’t even considered going. “I hear the Hop is a big deal. I’ve never been too good at dancing or dressing for them.”

Nick noticed the instant gloominess that took over the situation. Hadn’t this guy had a father that taught him all about tying ties and what jackets to wear, like he did?

“Look here, Henri. If by some crazy miracle you decide to take my sister to the dance I promise I won’t let you show up looking like a complete idiot.” Nick patted him on the shoulder.

Henri shook his head. “Thanks for that. I think I see Maven.” He waved, heading up the sidewalk. It was a kind gesture, but he had Flynn to guide him through the tough obstacles of manhood. Besides, he wasn’t a complete idiot. He knew if all else failed he could ask April or Sandra if he looked like an idiot. They were very fashionable and always devouring fashion magazines in their spare time at the yogurt hut.

There she stood.

“Henri Levitt,” Maven said jokingly. She was wearing a flannel dress that stopped above the knee, white sandals with the cutest pink toenails, and her hair was spilling all around her shoulders in soft waves, her cheeks were dusted with a light pink blush and her lips were kissed with a fresh shimmery lip-gloss. “I thought we agreed on eleven.”

He dropped his head in defeat. “You got me.”

She brought her hands to her hips, poking one leg forward. Her smile as bright as the sunshine pounding down on him, he ran a hand down the back of his neck, amused she was teasing him about being three minutes late.

“I always thought you were such the gentleman.” She smiled sweetly, coming down the steps. And instead of their usual greeting, she moved in, wrapping her arms around his torso. The sweet smell of her hair and perfume tickling his nose, he immediately did the same, squeezing her tightly.

“I never said I was gentle. And most days I don’t feel too manly.” He grinned as they broke apart.

Maven’s father opened the screen door.  He stepped onto the porch. He was a lot sterner than Henri anticipated. A tall muscular frame, arms as big as tree trunks, he wasn’t a man to mess with, Henri could see that. His eyes narrowed and he jutted his chin forward staring at the two of them. Maven quickly put a space between them.

“Hey, Dad.” She waved.

“You two heading on down to help with the painting?” He settled into the rocking chair, his tall frame dwarfing the chair. The sunlight made his wavy brown hair glisten, and also showed the hints of silver sprinkled through it. He had a fair complexion and deep blue eyes that were always analyzing his surroundings.

Henri looked at Maven before he opened his mouth to reply. “Yes, sir.”

His dark eyebrows knitted together sizing him up further. A boy with manners, this was new. Jake hardly called him his own name. He was used to bro or dude. He leaned back in his chair, a small grin creeping up his face as he shook out the newspaper that only seconds before was lying at his feet.

Maven shook her head. “You can call him Grant. He’s not as mean as he looks I swear.”

Henri refused to believe this. Grant looked meaner than he looked. And the way he watched his daughter told him he cared a great deal about her and her happiness. He could tell he didn’t trust just anyone with his family.

“You two have a good time. Tell Miss Lisa hello for me and your mother.”

Maven agreed. She gave Henri “the look” before she turned on her heels and started down the sidewalk.

“Your dad is scary,” Henri said as they walked down the cobblestone road to Portwood square. It literally was the end of the line, the last bit of property owned by Portwood. A cul-de-sac strewn with willows, park benches and a little concession stand for drinks and food. And one aged barn that housed all the summer decorations.

“He’s so not.” She gave Henri a smile, staring down at her feet. “He’s a doctor. And he’s super nice to all his patients. He’s more scary to us, if anything.”

Henri’s expression fell. Maven waved a hand. “I didn’t mean it that way. He’s a good man. He just…expects a lot from us kids.”

“That’s not so bad,” Henri said. “It’s good that your parents expect a lot from you. If they didn’t care who else would?”

“I understand that. But most kids my age don’t. A lot of people give us a hard time. I’ve been called a goodie goodie my entire life.” She shrugged. “I got used to it a long time ago though.”

Henri couldn’t help but feel bad. “I’m sure your real friends didn’t think that right?”

Maven laughed. She had no real friends. “The friends I had, I no longer talk to. We haven’t spoken since Jake and I broke up. They decided being friends with Jake was more important I suppose.”

At one time, Maven had had lots of friends. Friends she confided in, ones that spent the night at her house. The kind you called all hours of the day and night to gossip with, but soon that all changed. An imaginary divide had her on a totally different level than everyone else. Her friends were no longer her friends. They were Jake and Tatiana’s.

The days of gossip and sleepovers were all too quickly a memory. And the only friends she had were her family. And Maggie wasn’t the greatest at relating to her. Maggie hated her for being sad all the time.

Henri took her hand. “Then I guess they weren’t very important after all.”

She smiled. “No, they weren’t.”

“I know the feeling.” He stopped walking. “When everyone in Tennessee found out I was sick they suddenly forgot how to call. Nobody wanted to invite me out because they were afraid I was going to drop dead.” His own girlfriend had bailed. Someone he thought cared about him. She stuck around for a week, but soon the medications and testing became too much of a burden and that’s when he found out she was dating one of his close friends. It was also when he decided he had had enough of Tennessee and moved to Georgia. His parents were upset. They just wanted to take care of him. But he was tired of the disappointment—he was also tired of feeling like a disappointment.

Maven tugged his hand, bringing him back to life. “What are you thinking about?”

Henri smirked. “I am thinking about how pretty you are.”

Maven laughed. “You so are not.”

“I so am.” They fell silent. Henri pulled her close, his hands resting on her shoulders as he stared into her eyes. “How could I not?”

Maven lifted her head, kissing him on the chin. Henri dropped his head, placing a soft kiss on her lips. He pulled away, wiping at the lip-gloss now coating his lips.