“She was?” I ask.
“Yep. She stopped by my booth today at the fair. I told her how excited you were for tonight, and she couldn’t seem to believe it.”
“Why not?”
Josie shrugs. “Who knows? She thought maybe it was something you were just saying, that you didn’t really mean it.”
I shake my head. “I mean it. I mean, I barely know her, but I can already tell, she’s a great person. We’ve been texting, and we have so many things in common. She’s such a sweet girl that I get excited every time her name comes across my screen.”
“I agree,” Josie says. “We told her that you don’t say things like that lightly, and that seemed to help.”
I don’t get to respond because at the edge of the crowd, I see her. Fuck, she looks beautiful. Her hair is framing her round face, her purple top hugging her curves and lighting up her bright blue eyes. Those eyes catch mine from across the patio and it’s like I’m pulled to her. My feet carry me through the tables toward her. Hannah’s face is red as shetalks to her sister, Julia, who I recognize from high school. Another woman, who I assume is Julia’s wife, stands on her other side.
When I reach her, I barely glance at Julia and her wife, only to greet them half heartedly. I only have my attention on Hannah now.
“Hey,” I say, losing myself in her gaze.
“Hi,” she says, her voice shaking.
I’m at a loss for words, completely in awe of her. “You look beautiful.”
Her cheeks adorably grow more red at my words and I want to reach up and cup her cheeks to soothe the heat.
Hannah looks down at her feet. “Thanks, but it’s nothing special. It’s just something I had in my closet.”
I reach out and lightly grasp her forearm. “Hannah, you’re something special. You look beautiful. You’d look beautiful in a paper sack if that’s what you wanted to wear.”
Her eyes grow wide as she looks up at me. She clears her throat. “Thank you. You look really nice, too.” She gestures to me with her free arm.
“Thanks, freckles,” I reply. I’m glad she didn’t cover her freckles with makeup tonight. I love seeing them. I turn my gaze to the rest of the world again, seeing that her sisters have stepped aside, giving us a moment. “Should we introduce everyone?”
Hannah nods, and I move my hand from where I was holding her arm to slide down, and offer her my hand. She hesitantly takes it, and I lead her toward our table, waving her sisters over to join us. Internally, I’m cheering. She’s holding my hand, and it feels incredible. “I hear the band is good,” I say as we walk, trying to make easy small talk with her.
“Are they local?” Hannah asks, glancing at the banner as they set up.
“I’m not sure,” I say, shrugging. “We will have to ask Jason, he’s the one that hired them.”
“Oh, he did? I suppose that makes sense, since it’s his brewery.”
“Do you want something to drink?” I gesture to the bar with my free hand.
Hannah shakes her head. “I’m really not a drinker, to be honest. I’ll have one every once in a while, but I don’t like the way it makes me feel, or the taste.”
“Fair enough. How about water or something?”
“I brought my emotional support water bottle,” Hannah says, gesturing to her sister. “Julia is holding it in her bag for me.”
“Perfect,” I reply as we reach the table. My siblings are all smiles as they take in my hand holding hers. Julia and her wife step up beside Hannah.
I introduce Hannah to each of my siblings and their partners, even though I’m pretty sure she knows them, and vice versa. Julia introduces her and her partner, Tiff, and they head off to get a drink at the bar.
I reluctantly let go of Hannah’s hand and pull out a chair for her and she sits stiffly, a nervous energy surrounding her. She folds her hands into her lap as she turns to face me when I sit down beside her.
“How has work been?” she asks.
I shake my head. “We aren’t going to talk about work.”
“W—we aren’t?” she stutters over her words. I shift in my chair so I’m closer to her.
