“Ok,” Eve said, lifting her shoulders. “Then we’ll head downtown.”
He grimaced. “As much as I want to talk to Tara, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Taking you to a crowded event feels irresponsible.”
Even as he spoke, his stomach tied in knots. He’d vowed to be a better brother, to help Tara see that her attempts at helping their father were fruitless. Now as soon as she was faced with a tough decision, she was too afraid of his reaction to talk to him.
And he couldn’t even go find her to let her know he’d be there for her no matter what.
“I don’t see any harm in taking a little field trip,” she said, continuing the steady motion on his back. “There will be so many people around, he wouldn’t dare make a move. Not when he’s only ever tried when I’ve been completely alone. We can find Tara, you can talk, then we’ll head right back here to spend the rest of the day however you want.”
“HoweverI want?”
She nodded. “This is important to you, so it’s important to me. You’ll regret it if you don’t try.”
Deep down, he knew she was right. He had to make Tara see their father had to fix his own mistakes. Then he’d haul Eve back to the cabin in the woods, where he could keep her safe—and hopefully in bed for the rest of the day.
With the parade only thirty minutes away from start time, the parking was scarce and the streets packed around downtown Cloud Valley. The warmth of the sun combated the subtle breeze stirring the leaves in the trees. Green grass and blue skies created the perfect backdrop for a day that promised fun and festivities.
“You might as well park at my house and we can walk from there,” Eve said.
Reid flexed his hands around the steering wheel. “You’re probably right. No way I’ll find a spot much closer.”
Trepidation did a tap dance in Eve’s stomach as Reid pulled into her driveway and shut off the engine. “Do you know whereTara is?” As much as she wanted to catch a glimpse of the extravagance that came along with the annual parade, the idea of being around so many people had fear creeping up the back of her neck.
“Madden told me they’re on Main Street, a few blocks south of Tilly’s. He’ll stay put until we get there. Lily knows we’re coming, but he hasn’t said a word to Tara, which is probably a good thing. She’d take off quick if she knew.”
“She might still. You have to be prepared for that.” She kept her voice low, not wanting to upset him.
He blew out a long breath. “I know.”
“You’re a good brother.” She leaned over the seat to give him a quick kiss then hopped out of the truck.
“I don’t think she’ll see it that way, but I’m trying.” He met her on her side of the vehicle then took her hand. “Stay close. I don’t want to take any chances.”
She squeezed his hand. “I don’t think that will be too hard.”
The closer they got to town, the more eclectic the crowd became. Little boys dressed like cowboys and girls wearing long prairie dresses paired with braided pigtails skipped beside their parents. Dogs with red bandannas tied around their necks pulled their pet parents down the road.
She smiled, the excitement infectious. “Becca talked about dressing Suzy up this year. Good luck getting that little girl to put on anything she didn’t like.”
“Maybe we’ll see them down here.”
“I thought about texting Becca, but I don’t want to spend more time here than necessary. I’ll have plenty of years to see her dressed like a bull rider or prairie princess.” Her heart ached. The chaos of the last few nights had kept her from her regular check-ins with her favorite little girl. Once things settled down, she’d have to finally cash in on her slumber party with Suzy.
“Next year we’ll bring Suzy ourselves.” Reid pressed a kiss to her temple then steered her onto the sidewalk of Main Street.
Tingles of happiness beat back her fear. They hadn’t made promises during their night of passion, but she didn’t need them. Not yet. She knew where her heart stood and what she wanted. But Reid’s casual mention of them doing something together next year gave her hope that his intentions were very much aligned with her own.
“At least we get to see some of the extravaganza.” She gestured toward the line of floats waiting for the parade to begin. “I can’t believe how much work people put into these. My mom used to tease my dad about putting something together for Tilly’s when I was younger, but my parents knew they were useless with this kind of stuff.”
“I could help if you want a float. I’ve got all those skills, remember?” Reid winked.
“If you can do that,” she said, pointing at a large float decked out with a faux mountain that looked like it’d been ripped from the earth, surrounded by a miniature Old West town, “then we’ve got a deal.”
He scrunched his nose and dipped his chin toward the float behind the one she’d indicated. “I was thinking more like that.”
She laughed when she saw the pickup truck pulling a wagon filled with hay. Local children dressed in creative costumes bounced around, impatiently waiting for the parade to start.
“I’m not sure how that would represent Tilly’s, but it’d be a start.”
