Chapter 30

Fallon's eyes lowered to Summer's hand on his thigh. At first, he seemed taken aback as his eyes
widened, then those brown almost black orbs hardened like quick drying cement. He swatted
Summer's hand away so fast that Summer rocked forward.

"Ah," Summer narrowed her eyes to slits, "you like it rough, huh Bareback Ken. I know a woman who
will curl those uptight conservative toes of yours."

"My name is Fallon," he spat.

It was hard not to hear the disgust in his tone. "Look," Spring began but was cut off.

"Oh, you don't like labels or judgment. Hmm, go figure, Trust Fund Ken," Summer laughed.

"Please, just stop," Spring begged Summer. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure Dez was still
busy with his fans. He was still deep in conversation. Good...she sighed. "Look," Spring turned to
Fallon, "I don't want his money. We have...I don't know, a connection. I don't want to snuff it out before I
know what it is. That's all."

Summer relaxed back on the seat and crossed her arms. She pinned Fallon with a look that asked, "Do
you want to continue?" Fallon looked as if he wanted to spit lava all over Summer's pumps but he
eventually pulled his gaze from hers.

"He's been..." Fallon shook the words away then said, "Dezmond feels deeply. Things that some may
find minor are huge to him."

"He's a grown ass man. And if that is the case, then you should tell him the truth now." Summer said as
she threw her hand in the air, clearly frustrated.

"No," Fallon damn near yelled. "He can never know," he said in a hushed tone.



----------

DEZMOND

Dez tried to listen to the lovely woman who was telling him how much she wasn't able to connect to the
main character in his new book. Except, his eyes kept wandering over the head of his fans to where he
left Anna.

"Spring," he corrected himself out loud.

"Spring? I thought it was set in a harsh winter climate."

Dez almost let out a snort but held it in. He adored his fans even though he preferred interacting with
them in the virtual world more than the real. He loved hearing about their likes and dislikes, and not
only when relating to his books. He enjoyed discovering new things from following his fans just as
vigorously as they followed him. But, right now he just wanted to get back to Spring.

He leaned into the woman talking, kissing her on the cheek. She sucked in a gasp then placed her
fingers on her cheek where his lips touched. "It was nice talking with you but if you all will excuse me,"
he said with a nod to everyone. Dez walked away before anyone else could ask him anything else
about his published books or what was in the works.

He kept Spring in his sights as he approached. She looked amazing. The fact that she was wrapped in
Stanley's arms when he first spotted her was a bit disconcerting. He might think them a couple if she
hadn't kissed him as she did.

A shiver worked its way through his body as he considered that kiss.

Dez heard Fallon's voice mixed in with the others at the party as he got closer. What had his friend so
animated, he wasn't sure, but if he had to bet he'd say it was the long-legged beauty named Summer.



"He can never know what?" Dez asked as he sat down beside Spring.

----------

SPRING

Humming with the music that filled the silence as she waited on hold, Spring absently tapped her
fingers on the counter in front of her. The woman on the other side was looking at her with her brow
arched in expectation. The tiny person with her, a girl who looked no more than seven or eight, had the
sweetest smile on her pretty little face.

Spring smiled at the girl, hoping her mother's sour spirit didn't wilt the little flower of sunshine that she
seemed to be.

"How long does it take to see if they have one pair of damn ballet slippers?" the woman asked.

(Inner peace...inner peace.)

"The representative is checking for you ma'am," Spring smiled. (Next time, maybe not wait a day before
your daughter's ballet class starts...maybe.) If Spring smiled any harder her face was going to crack.
Taking the woman by the neck is called assault, Springy, she reminded herself.

"Momma, can I have yellow? I really like yellow better," the girl asked as she fingered the costume
jewelry on the counter display.

"They don't come in yellow, Pria, and please be quiet for mommy." The woman rubbed her temple.

The girl rocked on her heels, accepting her mother's words with a level of grace Spring rarely saw kids
in this shoe store. Most would have had a fit by now. But not this little flower. Her nod was her only
response.



Spring looked at the woman, the mother. Really looked at her. The woman's eyes were a little red with
bags under them. Her hair was in two braids but pulled into a high ponytail. The clothing she wore
looked a bit faded and loose as if she washed them too many times and maybe lost a bit of weight
along the way. Spring looked to her hands...her nails were bitten down to the skin and her ring finger
had an impression and discoloration but there was no ring.

All her saltiness toward the woman melted away. She didn't know this woman's story but she was
clearly struggling with something.

Spring looked at the woman, the mother. Really looked at her. The woman's eyes were a little red with
bags under them. Her hair was in two braids but pulled into a high ponytail. The clothing she wore
looked a bit faded and loose as if she washed them too many times and maybe lost a bit of weight
along the way. Spring looked to her hands...her nails were bitten down to the skin and her ring finger
had an impression and discoloration but there was no ring.

All her saltiness toward the woman melted away. She didn't know this woman's story but she was

clearly struggling with something.



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