Get a tattoo.
Sleep in the dark without being scared.
Cut my hair.
Learn to be okay if others are disappointed (even if it’s in me).
Eat alone in public.
Do something spontaneous.
Make Anna proud.
Learn how to give a blow job.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
Brooks
“That was seriously the best meal that I may have ever consumed,” Audrey says, pausing ahead of me so I can open the door for her. “And that’s saying something because I’ve had a lot of really good meals.”
I follow her out of Paramount, an upscale but casual restaurant a neighbor recommended to us this morning when we went for a walk after breakfast. We planned on making burgers on the grill on the back deck, but the weather person kept promising rain that, so far, hasn’t happened. It seemed like a less risky plan just to go to town and get something.
“Thanks for dinner,” Audrey says, tucking her purse under her arm.
“Of course. Thanks for coming with me.”
She laughs, the sound light and bright. “I thought I was going to have to practice my self-defense skills tonight if that waitress didn’t stop fluttering her lashes at you.”
I lick my lips, trying to hide a smile. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. My attention was focused solely on the beautiful woman across from me.”
“Charmer.”
The backs of our hands brush against each other as we walk, so on a whim, I turn my palm over, giving her an opportunity to place hers on mine. To my surprise, she takes the offer and laces our fingers together like it’s something we do regularly. She lifts her gaze to mine, flashing me the sweetest smile that smashes me right in the chest. I know she hates sweet, but I doubt she’ll ever be anything but that. Sure, there’s a developing sex fiend beneath her polished and endearing façade. I’ve loved bringing that out in her.
We venture down the sidewalk, taking in the inky sky and sparkling silver stars. People pass us, smiling kindly or offering us a quick hello, their laughter and conversations trickling behind them. I can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed.
“How did we not know this town was here?” Audrey asks, string lights twinkling over our heads. “It’s like a Christmas village, except in Tennessee and in February.”
“I grew up in Sugar Creek, and I didn’t know this was here. It might be Tennessee’s best kept secret.”
Our arms swing between us as we walk slowly to my truck. The roads in the downtown area are narrow with limited street parking. We wound up parking behind an ice cream parlor a few blocks away from the restaurant.
She glances at me again, her eyes saying things I’m sure she’ll never admit—which is fine. Because, if I’m right, I’m thinking the same things, but I’m not admitting them, either.
I lay awake long after she fell asleep last night, holding her and replaying our conversation. When I think about the shit I shared with her, shit I haven’t told anyone but Gray, Hartley, and Jasper, I’m befuddled. It’s almost an out-of-body experience. I never talk about my father, and I talk even less about what happened the last night of his life.So, why did I crack open like a lobster?
I watch her out of the corner of my eye as she … exists. A smile lights up her features as a family stroll by, and the little girl with them waves like a practiced princess. Audrey scrunches her nose in the cutest way, and the child giggles. As beautiful as the woman holding my hand is, that’ snot even the best quality. She’s so smart and brave, magnetic. Everyone means a little something to her, no matter their job or position, and that’s so attractive.
There’s nothingunattractive about Audrey Van.
“Hey, look,” she says, pointing out a small black building with green trim. “It’s Tina’s Tattoos.”
“Want to check off another box?”
Her steps slow. “No. I’m not even sure what I want. And if I’m going to do it, I want to make sure it’s exactly right. I’ll have it forever, you know?”
