I giggled but then noticed the sad look in his eyes. “How’s yourfather?”
“Same. The man is gone. Doesn’t even know who I am, but I’m glad you nudged me to seehim.”
I hated the wounded tone of his voice, and I longed to make it better. “Sadie is coming to help out this afternoon, so I’ll be off. Do you want to dosomething?”
By the time the last word left my mouth, he looked happy again. “I was hoping to convince you to go to the lake. What do yousay?”
“I’m game.” I raced back inside the bakery and dropped my apron off. “You’re so keen on me being with Dylan, you’ve got your wish. I’m taking the rest of the day off. Sadie should be here bylunch.”
Zoey gasped. “Youwouldn’t.”
“I will and I am. Just remember you pushed me. Besides, you’ll be fine.” I headed for the front of the bakery, paused at the door to send a quick text to tell Sadie she had to arrive early, and headed outside. I hopped into the truck, and off we went on a little adventure together. The spontaneity, and the fact that I ditched my sister with work, made it feel like oldtimes.
Dylan glanced out the corner of his eyes at me. “Something’s different. What isit?”
“Nothing. Why do youask?”
He adjusted the ball cap on his head. “Because you didn’t even protest about visiting our old spot. I thought you were resistant to living in thepast.”
I watched Sheriff Milton drive by out the front windshield. The sight made my skin tingle with resentment. “You asked me to give it a chance to get to know each other again, so that’s what I’m doing. No sense in making a decision without all thefacts.”
“Sounds reasonable.” He took a sharp right and barreled down the dirt road between some overgrown trees and bushes until he pulled to a stop at the edge of our little private lake spot. The place where we went to discuss important things and spend alone timetogether.
“Will you visit your father again?” Iasked.
Dylan grabbed a blanket from behind his seat and opened his door. “I don’t know.” Dylan guided me to the edge of the lake where he laid the blanket on the ground. He took my hand and ran his thumb across my knuckles. “I have something for you.” He cleared his throat and nudged me to sit by his side. “I brought you here tonight because this is where we always went together when we wanted to escape and talk about ourdreams.”
I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes at the memories. Whenever I’d needed a break, this was where Dylan would take me. “Thank you for bringing mehere.”
He leaned over on his hip and slid a small box out of hispocket.
My heart raced faster than a shooting star across a summer nightsky.
“I don’t want to scare you, so this is not an engagementring.”
I forced a breath into my lungs, but it was bitter. If things were different, maybe I’d be crazy enough to run away with this man. The man who had been trying to win me over since he arrived back in town. The man who’d cleaned himself up and made himself better for me. There wasn’t another man in this town like him. And if I was right, not another one in theworld.
“Well, yes, it is an engagement ring, but I know you’re not ready for such a serious commitment. No matter what your decision is, though, I know that this ring will never belong on another woman’s finger.” He looked up toward the sky. “I know my mother would want you to have it, even if you decide I’m not the one foryou.”
“I can’t… Whatif—”
“There will never be another girl who will wear this ring. It has been yours since middle school, when we skipped class and escaped to this spot when your mom left. That day I knew we belonged together. I’ve been waiting ever since to give this to you. I’m tired ofwaiting.”
He opened the small box, and I saw a beautiful, simple solitaire that sparkled in the sunlight. “It’sbeautiful.”
I could see it in his eyes. How much it meant to him for me to take the ring. But I knew what it meant. “Ican’t.”
Dylan jumped from the blanket and pulled back his hand to his ear. “Then I’ll chuck it into thelake.”
I ran after him and grabbed his arm. “No! You can’t dothat.”
“Why not? If no one will ever wear it, what does itmatter?”
Before I knew what else to say, he slid the ring onto myfinger.
A perfectfit.
