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She hurried over and threw her arms around me. I hugged her back. Because that was what you did when someone hugged you.

When she stepped back, she smiled as her eyes scanned up and down my body. “Where have you been hiding?”

“Not hiding, just working.”

“Since when?”

“Since I developed expensive tastes.”

She laughed and touched my arm. Then her gaze shifted to Mikayla. I felt Mikayla's fingers tighten around mine.

Interesting.

“Tessa, this is my girlfriend, Mikayla. Mickey, this is Tessa.”

Tessa's eyebrows shot up. “Girlfriend?”

“Yep.”

Tessa’s eyes bounced between us. “Well, I'll be damned.”

Mikayla smiled. It was a perfectly pleasant smile. If you ignored the fact that her eyes looked capable of melting steel.

“Nice to meet you,” Tessa said, then looked back at me. “Didn't think I'd ever see the day.”

“Neither did I.” I squeezed Mikayla's hand.

Tessa laughed. “Well, don't be a stranger.”

“Wouldn't dream of it.”

We continued walking. I glanced down at Mikayla. She was staring straight ahead.

“You okay?”

“Fine.”

That was a dangerous word. I'd learned that much already. “Sure?”

“Perfectly.”

I grinned. Interesting. Very interesting.

Otis, or “Oats,” as he was more widely known, the Ferris wheel operator slapped me on my shoulder as we waited in line. “Lockhart! Haven't seen you in a while.”

“Been busy.”

He looked at Mikayla. “Finally found someone willing to put up with you?”

“Miracles happen.”

Mikayla rolled her eyes. But when I helped her into the gondola, she let me keep hold of her hand. Small victories.

We settled onto the bench, and the wheel began to turn.

As we rose above the pier, the town spread out beneath us. Lights twinkled along Main Street. The ocean stretched into darkness. Farther inland, the rolling hills were barely visible against the night sky.

Mikayla leaned forward. “Oh, wow.”