Everywhere: Book 3 of the Nowhere Trilogy

61. Famous in a Small Town

They say life is so much sweeter through the telephoto lens of fame - Miranda Lambert

9:52 PM, Monday, July 4, 2022

Sheriff Niki saunters past the trio of blankets where the Moore family is settled alongside Harry and Chele.

"When the fireworks start, Hawwy?" Paige sits up from her spot in between her aunt and her favorite singer and pats Harry's stomach.

"Soon, Peanut."

"Otay." She lies back down before popping up like a Jack in the Box and tapping Chele on her tummy.

"Aunt Chele?"

"Yes?"

"They gonna be big fireworks?"

A wisp of a smile crosses Chele's face, and Harry is delighted by it. His greatest desire in this very moment is to press his lips there in a chaste kiss.

"They're going to be the biggest you've ever seen," she promises. Her hedging makes Harry grin.

Patriotic music begins playing and the first firework shoots into the sky. "Ooooh!" Paige raves as the streaks of color rain down from the sky. "Ahhhhh!" She mimics the cries of others as more of the bright lights shimmer. Her hands clap together as the final volley flashes across the sky less than five minutes after the start.

As short and minimalistic as the show had been, Harry feels a fondness for the way this town celebrates everything. Including each other.

"Come on, Peanut. If you help clean up, I'll tuck you into bed."

"You leaving soon, Hawwy?"

His eyes connect with Chele's as they work together to fold the blanket on which they'd been sat. The question he silently asks is easily answered.

"We're going to stay another week or so," Chele reveals, "but we also need to spend a little time with Harry's family in England, and then we need to be fully rested before tour starts again."

When the tiny one starts crying, Harry kneels in front of her. "Hey. Why are you crying? Your aunt just said we're saying for a week, maybe more."

"Want you to stay forever," she sobs, throwing her arms around him.

He picks her up and carries her towards her house. "She's exhausted," he whispers to Chele who follows behind. But what he really means is "So do I." His thoughts remain hidden as the residents of Nowhere all trundle towards their homes. It's a late night for all of them.

"Congratulations!" he calls to Tonya and Mark who are gleefully holding hands as they dance into her townhouse. To Chele, he quietly asks, "Do you think we'll be invited to the wedding?"

Shifting her weight to accommodate the picnic basket and blankets she carries, Chele reassuringly places her hand on her boyfriend's back. "I'm confident you'll get one of the first invitations, H. After all, you're part of the reason they're together now."

His shoulders relax as he takes a deep breath. "Just wanna belong, you know?"

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10:14 PM, Monday, July 4, 2022

His comment causes her heart to crack slightly. Even after that display of love and affection, her boyfriend is still insecure about how he fits into Nowhere. As they arrive at her brother's house, Chele opens the door to allow Harry to carry the sleeping Paige upstairs to her bedroom. By the time Chele has set down the items in her arms and followed, she only gets to see his lips brush over her niece's forehead as he unfolds himself and waves to Chele.