The Entangled Engagement of Indigo

Chapter 10

Timberwood Park was her favorite stretch of lush green meadow to seek refuge on any day ending in a 'y'. It didn't just have canals that were long enough to kayak but also various woody nature trails that snaked around primordial oak trees and berry bushes that tempted one to pick at them. Indigo usually hiked the trail with a leash in each hand as the serenade of birds eased her overthinking and she inhaled the sharp earthiness of dewy grass and mineral-rich dirt.

Unfortunately, she didn't follow her usual plan since today wasn't a usual day. The frisbee Tate toted from the car captivated Gambit and there was no way he was going to strut alongside her with the red disk at Tate's side singing his name. They played frisbee until Gambit stopped galloping after it like a cheetah in need of a meal.

"Here." Indigo's sandal-clad feet stopped at the yellow polka-dotted blanket that covered the manicured grass. In each hand she held a waffle cone with two scoops of globular ice cream; in her right hand she had mango-blueberry and in her left, was brown sugar cinnamon.

Tate pulled the baseball cap off his face and looked up at her. "No, thanks." He propped his body up on his elbows, abandoning his relaxed horizontal position.

"Well, you're hot..." She handed him the cone in her left hand, creamy tan liquid dripping on her hand.

Tate squinted up at her as the noon sun beamed down, "You think I'm hot." He smirked, then took the cone away from her.

"It's ninety-eight with a heat index of one-hundred and one." She plopped down on the blanket beside him. "We're all hot. It shouldn't feel like summer in the middle of October." She tugged her dress out flat, then licked the cinnamon sweetness off her finger.

"A cold front will hit on Halloween, then everyone will beg for this weather." He said, then quickly licked the melting ice cream that dripped down the golden waffle cone, and Indigo's eyes were glued to him as Gambit propped his head on her leg.

He stopped, feeling eyes upon his perspiring face. "What?"

"Nothing." Indigo shook her head, then pressed her lips against the frozen delight. She looked out at the park's green patch of grass sprinkled with meandering pine trees.

She swallowed, then shrugged lazily. "You know it's not every day you can meet a man that eats ice cream like a two-year-old." She handed him a napkin she brought back.

"Hey! You're the one that gave me a cone." He slipped the napkin from her. "Don't critique me on how I eat it." He cleaned the ice cream from his beard.

"Whatever you say, Tattie Tate." She grimaced, not meaning to use the moniker she used to sing with fondness. She pulled in a deep inhalation, taken aback without effortlessly his nickname slipped over her tongue. "I mean...eat the ice cream and shut up."

He nodded, letting the serenade of birds fill their eardrums.

A couple of minutes passed and with her ice cream eaten down to the edges of the waffle cone, Indigo opened her mouth to speak. "How long are you staying?" She crossed her legs, causing a napping Gambit's head to fall onto the blanket. "Are you going back to Cali? Your mom says you're selling the house."

Tate stopped biting into his cone, "The screenplay for Chronicles of the Undead is finished and..." He cocked his head towards her with a grin, the breeze sweeping through his flaxen locks. "Season two's in the works, not to mention Charisma is going to be coming to a screen near you."

Indigo tsked. "Damn." The corner of her mouth ticked it. "You know what this means." She tapped him on the arm with the back of her hand. He shifted his eyes to her as he munched on the cone. "I might have to think about finishing it.."

Tate stopped chewing, "What do you mean finish?" A crease formed in his forehead.

"Well,... we got in that fight." She loured at the last word, not wanting to revisit that situation. "And I just... um," She scratched her eyebrow. "I... kind of threw it away."

"You threw away a book." His face went slack.

"You pissed me off, and it had your name on it, so I tossed it." She pointed her stern finger at him. "Don't judge me."

"Well, you know what this means." He pushed her finger out of the way.

"What?"

"We have to get you another one."

"I mean..." She propped her elbow on her shoulder. "You can just tell me the ending. As penance."

Tate dropped his shoulder, letting her elbow fall, "What's the fun in that." He tossed the last piece of waffle cone in his mouth. "Don't you want to know who Charisma picked?"

"Hmm." Indigo wrinkled her nose, not really sure since she was the inspiration for the story, to begin with. "I already know since the book is about me." A tinge of pain nicked her heart, and she knew she didn't want the conversation to continue on the path it was on, so she glanced down at her watch and realized time was ticking quickly as she sat with him. "Shit. I need to go."

She hopped to her feet and the pooch instantly gawked up at her. "I need to get to my last dress fitting." She grabbed the dog's leash and yanked the blanket, prompting Tate to get to his feet. "I don't have time to waste."

"Who says you're wasting time."

"This..." She gestured to the patch of grass they were lounging on. "Was a waste. I was just supposed to walk them and get back home. Now I have to try my dress on sweaty like a lumberjack."

Wrinkles formed in the space between his eyebrows, "Do lumberjacks sweat? I mean, isn't it cold when they're chopping down trees and whatnot."

She glared at him. "You serious?"

"Yes." He pulled the blanket from her hands and started folding them while following her brisk pace to the nearest pathway. "Why don't you take a quick shower while I take Gambit home with me?"

She halted, almost causing him to bump into her. "You'd do that?"

"Of course." He held the nicely folded blanket to his chest. "I can't have you getting sweat on your important dress."

"You sure because... I have to pick up some wedding supplies. Plus, we have a gala." She turned back around, continuing her stride to the parking lot. "I won't be back until late tonight."

"Awesome. More reason for me to puppy-sit." He patted Gambit's sturdy back. "Plus, I'll have more time with my little dude."

"Really?"

"Yes, Indie." He nudged her shoulder with his. "It's no big deal. Let me do you a favor."

She glanced up at him and was greeted with a smile. "Thanks."

"No problem."

Those two words helped loosen the knot that formed in her stomach earlier, and she thought of something that she hadn't in months. Maybe they could be friends again. They'd gotten over worse. Why should one horrible hookup end a great friendship? She smiled to herself. Maybe she could have it all. A man that loved her and her best friend since childhood. 

Do you think Indigo could have it all; a man she loved and her best friend since childhood?