Free On the Way to Heaven (BWWM Romance) by Stacy-Deanne Page B

must be a saint.”
         “Apparently,” she mumbled.
         “I’d love to get to know you better. The
offer still stands on me showing you around. Just let me know when.”
         “I appreciate that, but I’m not
interested.”
         “You can be though, right?” He
patted her back. “No one knows Allocco like I do.”
         “I think you’re cool, Skip, really.” She
pulled his hand from her back. “Neil has told me a lot about you, but you’re
not my type.”
         “I’m every woman’s type.” He rubbed up
against her. “I just want to show you around. Whether you wanna remain friends
or not is on you.”
         “ Are we friends?”
         He frowned.
         “I’m just kidding.” She sucked the ice.
         “Seriously, I’m glad you’re here, Trina.”
He twirled his shades. “I’ve been worried about Neil. He didn’t seem to care
about anything before you showed up. He cares about you a lot, but he won’t
admit it.”
         She moved a strand of hair out of her face.
         “He talks about you all the time.” He
stretched. “The same way he used to talk about Charlotte.”
         “Really?”
         He nodded. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll get his
ass up and finish that boat.”
         “What boat?”
           “Neil and Charlotte’s biggest dream was to
sail around the world after the girls graduated.”
         “That’s so romantic.”
         “What’s romantic is that Neil was building
the boat they were going to go on. That had been their dream since high
school.” Skip lowered his arms. “Neil worked on that boat day and night, but
when she died, he stopped. He hasn’t even gone to check on it.”
           “I
guess it was too painful for him to mention it to me.” Trina licked the snow
cone. “He shouldn’t give up on his dream. Wait a minute.” She grabbed Skip’s
arm. “The boat is the test.”
         “The test?”
         “It’s the test to show Neil can move on. If
he finishes that boat, then he can actually live again.” She smiled. “This is
my main task.”
         “Task?” Skip grimaced.
         “Yes. He has to finish the boat. That’s the
only way he’ll let Charlotte’s memory rest.”
           “Good luck getting Neil to finish that boat.
He hasn’t even looked at it since Charlotte died.”
         “I don’t need luck.” She passed him the
snow cone. “I’ve got God on my side.” She left
him standing there with the snow cone, and went toward the bumper cars.
         “Trina!” Paige and Winter ran up to her.
         “Where’s Violet?” Trina asked.
         “She’s on one of the rides,” Paige said.
“Look.” She pointed to Winter’s hair. Some type of gooey, pink fuzz covered
Winter’s head.
         “What the heck is this?” Trina bent down to
her. “Girl, what’s this stuff on your head?”    
         “Cotton candy,” Paige said. Winter cried as
she pulled at her sticky hair.
         “Who did this?” Trina looked through her
hair. “God, this is a mess.”
         “Gaston did it.” Paige pointed behind her.
“He’s over there by the Ferris wheel.”
         “Okay, come on.” Trina grabbed Winter’s
hand and marched to the group of boys at the Ferris wheel.
         The boys looked at her like deer caught in
headlights.
         “Which one of you is Gaston?” Trina asked.
         “Me.” The taller boy in the middle with the
striped T-shirt raised his hand. “Why?”
         “Why? Did you put this mess in her hair?”
She pointed to Winter’s head. “Answer me, boy.”
         He fidgeted and looked at his friends.
         “Who do you think you are?” Trina bent down
to him. “You think you’re tough?”
         He stepped back.
         “You think it’s cool to pick on little
girls?” She poked him. “Answer me.”
         “No,” he mumbled.