"But you showed up," she continued, cutting him off. "You kept showing up. And today..." She gestured vaguely at the festival, at the gazebo where he'd stood with a microphone.
Luke's throat worked. "You asked me first. You were the brave one.”
They stood there for a moment, the noise of the festival washing around them.
Luke's hand slid from her back to her hand, fingers threading through hers.
"Come on," he said quietly.
Grace looked up at him. "Where?"
"Anywhere you want." His thumb brushed across her knuckles. "Your choice."
She glanced around the festival grounds—the same booths and games and smells that had been there an hour ago, but everything felt different now.
Luke Bennett was holding her hand.
In public.
In the middle of the fall festival.
Where everyone could see.
"Grace?" His voice pulled her back. "You okay?"
She nodded. Then, because that wasn't quite true: "I don't know what to do."
His brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"I've never—" She gestured vaguely at the festival, at their joined hands, at the space between them that suddenly felt charged with possibility. "We've never done this. The public thing."
Understanding softened his expression. "Then we figure it out together." He squeezed her hand gently. "What do you want to do? We can leave if you want. Go somewhere quiet."
Grace looked at the festival again. At the booths she'd helped set up. At the families and neighbors and the town she'd spent her whole life proving herself to.
"No," she said slowly. "I want to stay."
Luke's smile was small but genuine. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." She took a breath. "I want to walk around. I want—" She felt heat rise to her cheeks. "I want people to see us."
"Good." He lifted their joined hands, pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Because I'm not letting go."
They started walking.
Grace was acutely aware of everything—the weight of his hand in hers, the way he adjusted his stride to match hers, the glances from people they passed.
Mrs. Keaton looked up from the quilting booth and smiled. Actually smiled. "Grace, dear! Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," Grace said, surprised at how steady her voice sounded.
"That was quite a scare." Mrs. Keaton's eyes flicked to Luke, then back to Grace. Approving. "I'm glad Officer Bennett was there."
"Me too," Grace said quietly.
Luke's hand tightened around hers.
They kept walking.
