Read Online Nearly Broken by Devon Ashley - Free Book Online Page B

and fried dough. A few of
those smaller, kid-sized amusement rides were mixed in between it
all, including the spinning tea pot and a train that followed a
circle around the entire festival. The live band and dance floor
seemed to be smack dab in the middle, where most of the adults
without kids seemed to gather.
    Upon entering, our
hands were stamped to mark that we were given free tickets that would
cover a meal, but for anything more, we’d have to ante up our
own money. Paul and Darla went straight to the BBQ booth while Tish
bolted towards a group of people she called out to. I could feel Nick
pulling back, slowing our speed to quietly lose our company, then
turned us in another direction. We wandered through the thick of
things, surprised at how many of the residents actually showed up for
this event.
    When we made our way
to the table for firefly catching, I picked up one of the mason jars
to study it. Holes in the lid, leaves on the bottom. “You know,
I’ve never caught a lighting bug before.”
    “Oh, sure you
have.”
    “No, seriously.
L.A. isn’t actually known for its lightning bug population.”
    Nick grabbed the jar I
had just returned to the table, saying, “Well then, let’s
go get you one.”
    I tried digging in my
feet, but he playfully jerked me along. “This is a kid’s
game. We shouldn’t take one of their jars.”
    “Oh, please.
We’ll bring it right back. Strictly catch and release.”
    Thinking what the
hell , he led me to the edge of the tree line and let me go. Tons
of kids were running around in circles and playfully yelling and
giggling. It seemed there were far more kids out than lightning bugs,
and very few had even one bug in their jar.
    Crouching down beside
a tree, he sifted through the ground debris, and shortly after
several round glows took flight. Passing me the jar, he sweetly said,
“Catch away. They’re not that fast, it’s just a
matter of being able to follow them once their butts turn off. And
keep moving the jar in a wavelike motion. It’ll help keep them
from escaping.”
    Laughing lightly and
feeling a little silly doing it, I unscrewed the mason jar and swept
the air around me. After a few passes, I saw something blinking
within the glass. My level of excitement rivaling the kids’, I
bounced in my shoes and merrily chased after the others flying around
me. Within a few minutes, I had six fluttering around in my jar.
    “This one’s
not blinking,” I noted out loud.
    “Then you’ve
got a female too. Only the males blink.”
    He grabbed my hand and
pulled me farther down the tree line. “How do you know so much
about lightning bugs?”
    Chuckling, he replied,
“I grew up in Washington. They’re everywhere.”
    I pulled him to a stop
and held up the jar between us. “Alright then, Mr. Expert. What
do you think of my first attempt at catching little bugs that light
up their booty?”
    When he didn’t
answer right away, my eyes shifted from the glowing jar to Nick’s
eyes. His hand reached out to caress my face, and he softly said, “I
think the fireflies are doing wonders to light up your face. Sexier
than candlelight, I bet.”
    Funny, I was just
thinking the same thing about him. A sense of calm flooded my senses
before he leaned down to bring his lips to mine. This kiss was the
complete opposite of our first, this one being slow, controlled and
gentle. But still just as magnetic, as I yearned to lean in and merge
our bodies into one, but was held back by the jar that filled the
space between our stomachs.
    The pounding of the
ground and the crunching of leaves got us to pull away, reminding us
of where we were. A little girl around eight had her sights set on
the cluster of lights blinking around us.
    Out of breath, she
cried, “Wow!” when she spotted my jar, her eyes wide with
amazement, as dazed as a doe in headlights. “I caught one,
too!” She held up a jar that had a single blink occasionally
making itself known. “I had more, but I keep