Page 40
I glance across the truck and meet his gaze. “You really want to know?”
“Yeah.”
“Danny and I were together for three years and we were engaged.”
It’s clear from the look on his face that I’ve stunned him so I wait, biting my lip while I give him a minute to process.
“Is he Brooklyn’s dad?”
I shake my head, fighting back memories. “No.”
He nods, staring out at the road again for a second and in the same way that thunder always follows lightning, I know what question is coming next.
“Is her dad in the picture?”
“Nope. Are we getting dinner first? I’m starving.”
He stares at me for a second before, thankfully, ignoring my change of topic and nodding. “Dinner may be included in my plans for the evening.”
“Well, that’s cryptic,” I mutter and he laughs, reaching across the cab to grab my hand.
“I’m sorry if I pushed too hard.”
I shake my head, meeting his gaze. “I want to tell you all about myself but I just need to do it in my own time. There are things that I’ve never told anyone besides Alice and my therapist so opening up isn’t always the easiest thing for me.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you need to take this slow?”
“Yes,” I answer, relief washing through me as I nod. “I need to take this slow.”
He nods. “Okay.”
“That easy, huh?”
We pull into a parking lot and he parks the truck toward the back of the lot before turning to me. “Yeah, Quinn, that easy.”
Before I can say anything else, he jumps out, rounds the back of the truck, and opens my door. He helps me down and as I turn around, I gasp at the Ferris wheel towering above us from the fairgrounds.
“You brought me to the fair?”
He nods, a shy smile replacing his usual cocky grin. “Yeah, I thought it seemed like fun but we can go somewhere else if you want.”
“No, this is perfect. Actually, the first concert I ever went to was a Garth Brooks concert here with my dad.”
“Yeah? How old were you?”
“Oh, gosh,” I reply as we walk toward the front gate hand in hand. “Five, maybe. I haven’t been back here since they died.”
“How come?”
I shrug. “It was just sad for me. I don’t think I even realized how much I missed it until I saw the Ferris wheel.”
“We can go somewhere else…”
“No!” I exclaim, cutting him off. “I don’t want to go. Besides, I think it’s way past time for me to make new memories.”
He grins, giving my hand a squeeze as we step up to the gate. “I like the sound of that.”
“How many?” the attendant asks.
