Workers were taking down the lights, and already the canopy and most of the tables and chairs had been put away. There was stillness in the air, contrasting with the chaos of the reception earlier.
“Sometimes I forget how dark it can get out here in the country,” she said.
She’d lived in the country on what had once been a farm her whole life. But a few years after her mom died, her father wanted to downsize.
Yeah. She was thirty and still living with her father. When she’d returned from her three-year stint lobbying in Boise, there was no point in her getting her own place since there was plenty of room for her in her dad’s duplex. It was supposed to only be temporary. A place to stay when she got sick.
Now it had been a couple more years. As soon as she became an RN, she’d get her own place.
“Tell me about yourself,” she asked him, her bare feet cool on the pathway.
“You already know everything aboutme.”
It wasn’t good for two friends to keep holding hands like they were, was it? She’d better err on the side of caution. With a sigh, she let go. “No. I used to. But not anymore, and you know it.” She hoped the side-eye she gave him would open him up.
“I’m just a guy with a dog and a nephew who’s basically the cutest kid I’ve ever seen.” He looked down at the ground but smiled.
“Chief is the dog. Styles is the nephew…Lorelei’s son,” she said.
“See? I told you. You know everything about me.”
“I’ve barely even met either of them, and Styles is now, what? Two?”
“He’s three. And to be fair, Marcus’s kids are cute too. Sefina and Aleki. They’re eight and nine, but I don’t get to see them as much.”
“I bet your parents are pretty great grandparents.”
“They really are. My mom especially. She’s always mailing fun things to Sefina and Aleki. And Styles has her wrapped around his finger.”
Mabel cooed, her smile growing. This conversation they were having? Almost normal. And it felt…good. But then another thought came to her head.
“So, I hate to ask this, but have you heard what will happen with the hospital?” she asked.
He gave a slight shrug. “Not yet. I’m guessing I’ll be placed on temporary leave.”
“You don’t sound too worried about it.”
“Nah. It was totally worth it.” He glanced down at his hand before his gaze flicked to her hand, the one he’d been holding before. “You look incredible, by the way.”
Mabel laughed him off, but he stopped and turned to face her. “I mean it, you do.” He took her in—the way he looked at her made her shiver. He gently guided a lock of hair from her face and let it slip behind her back, as if to say,I want to see more of you.
“You look good, too, Zane,” she said.
“Thanks.” He didn’t meet her gaze as his arms gently circled her waist. He could have easily crushed her to him, but he didn’t. He was careful, cautious. And it was no wonder he was. There was an unwritten standard.
She was giddy. Flying. A laugh escaped her. It had felt good to laugh with Zane the last couple of days…it had been a long while since she’d been able to do that freely. And now, the night was so beautiful, so perfect, she couldn’t help herself.
“What’s so funny?” he asked. He looked to be fighting a laugh himself.
“I was thinking how that actor fromGrowing Painswas at the wedding. My mom used to watch that show.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie; shehadbeen thinking about that, intermingled with thoughts of delicious giddiness from being around Zane.
He chuckled then brought his hands up her arms. “You’re cold.” He set her heels and the water bottles on the ground, shrugged his suit coat off, and held it out to her. “May I?”
She nodded. “Except I don’t exactly feel cold. I didn’t realize I had goosebumps.”
“Isn’t that a change from before?”
