I shrugged because I didn't know how else to respond. Talking about my childhood wasn't something I did often, and admitting that I'd enjoyed her family's company seemed awkward. We were married, but we were strangers, and we were going to end it soon. My gut told me to not let myself get attached, but then again, I'd have left the papers in her mailbox at her apartment if I was good at listening to my gut.
"So what's the real reason you came here tonight?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Because you either followed me or you're stalking my parents, and I'm hoping it's the first one."
I laughed and reached into my coat pocket. "I did follow you, but I was too nervous to come in at first. I have some paperwork for the annulment that you need to fill out."
I pulled out the folded documents and handed them to her. She took them slowly and I watched her face as she looked down at the papers. Something shifted in her expression and she seemed to deflate a little, her shoulders dropping and her smile fading.
I frowned because it didn't make sense. Lainey had insisted that she wanted nothing to do with the marriage when I’d showed up at the bakery. She'd refused my money and made it clear she wanted nothing to do with me beyond the annulment. But now she looked almost disappointed to be holding the papers.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She folded the papers and tucked them under her arm. Then she raised her eyebrows and forced a smile. "Just tired. It's been a long day."
I didn't believe her, but I didn't want to make her feel bad by forcing her to open up. Instead, I found myself thinking about how odd this whole situation was. My friends and family insisted she was a gold digger, but she refused to take my money. She was the farthest thing from a money grubber as you could get.
And my God was she beautiful, inside and out. Kind and gentle, and smart too. The women who flocked around me were too fake to come close to Lainey in any way. She was way too good for me.
But it didn't stop my heart from lighting up when I was around her, or my pulse from racing. I’d promised to help her out, and I would follow through with that promise, but maybe I could soak up some enjoyment out of feeling normal with her for the time being.
"Do you want to go get some drinks?" I asked before I could talk myself out of it.
She looked up at me and shook her head. "I'd prefer ice cream. Whiskey got me in trouble last time."
I grinned, because she wasn't wrong. "Ice cream it is then. Come on."
We walked to my car and I opened the passenger door for her. She hesitated for a moment before climbing into the Lambo, and I caught her running her hand over the leather seat as I closed the door. I walked around to the driver's side and got in, starting the engine and pulling out of her parents' driveway.
Instead of heading toward town where the ice cream shops were, I turned in the opposite direction. Lainey noticed immediately.
"Where are you going?" she asked, glancing at me. "There's a really good place back that way."
"I know." I kept driving and watched the road stretch out in front of us. "But I have a better idea."
"What kind of idea?"
"You said you never did a crazy thing in your life, right?"
She was quiet for a moment before answering. "I mean, until Vegas.” She chuckled, then sobered and said, "Right."
"Then we're going to do something wild." I glanced at her and saw the confusion on her face. "Trust me."
She didn't question me again, not even when I turned onto the highway and opened up the tack, pushing the car well in excess of the speed limit. We cranked the tunes and she put her hand out the open window, but when the destination came into view, her eyes widened and she turned to me.
"The dam?" Lainey sat up straighter and stared out the windshield. "Why are we at the dam?"
"You'll see." I pulled into the parking area and checked the time. Five minutes to closing. Perfect timing.
I got out and walked around to open her door, then led her toward the security checkpoint. The guard on duty looked up and recognition flashed across his face.
"Mr. Kingston." He nodded at me and glanced at Lainey. "You're cutting it close tonight."
"I know. Thanks. We'll just be a little bit. Want to see the dam after dark." I said, lifting an eyebrow, to which he offered a smirk in response. I shook his hand and winked at him, calling in that favor he owed me. I'd helped his daughter get into a good college last year and he'd told me if I ever needed anything to let him know.
He waved us through and we walked out onto the dam as the last of the tourists were being ushered out. When the other security guards gave us a hard time, my buddy at the gate called them back. And the whole time, Lainey said nothing; her jaw hung slack and her eyes were misty.
The sun had set and the lights illuminating the structure created dramatic shadows across the concrete. Within minutes, we were alone.
Lainey stood at the railing and looked down at the water far below, then up at the massive wall of the dam stretching out around us. "This is incredible."
