Who am I kidding? I never could ignore them in the past either.
Once she reaches me, I wrap her into a hug. Having her in my arms feels just as natural as it did back when we were dating. There is something magical about being at the Spring Festival. I can’t help but give in to the temptation of touching her, treating her as if she’s mine again. I know we still have some big discussions to cover before we can define what we might be to each other now but it can wait until later.
So much time has already passed between us, and right now, I want to focus on being in the moment with her.
I pull back to hand her the bouquet of flowers. “From Annabelle and me,” I say, and her smile widens before hiding behind the flowers as she gives them a sniff.
“They’re beautiful. Thank you,” she replies, searching the crowd behind me. “Where is she?”
“Olivia took her to the bouncy houses.”
“I was looking forward to seeing her. Speaking of Olivia, me and her had dinner at Matty’s Meats yesterday,” she says and leads us into a walk.
“Yeah? Is it still as good as you remembered?”
She smirks, raising a brow at me. “Even better. Especially since I saw what looks to be a pretty recent photograph of a certain someone who made the Matty’s Meat Lover’s wall of fame.”
I chuckle, remembering how sick I felt after finishing that massive burger. I was surprised my face wasn’tgreen like a cartoon character in the photograph. I haven’t been able to eat a burger since because, once I got home, I threw up every bit of that meal. But I’m not about to admit that to Raine.
“I finally finished the whole thing.”
She smirks and adds, “You puked afterward, didn’t you?”
“Yup.” I chuckle, shrugging my shoulders like I’m not embarrassed to admit it. “The family and I eat there often in honor of Pops. I don’t know how he finished the burger back thenanddidn’t get sick. Do you remember that?”
She laughs, shaking her head, before she replies, “How could I forget the moment he became a superhero to us? The fact that he ate ice cream afterward still blows my mind.”
Oh, how Pops would love to see this sight right now. Raine and I, hand in hand, looking at each other like we did when we were lovesick teens. He knew how much I loved her back then and always said he had hope that one day we’d find our way back to each other.
“The man was one of a kind,” I add, feeling the familiar pang in my chest as I’m reminded that he’s no longer here with us.
Raine bumps her shoulder into mine as she adds, “So was your Nan. I still watchThe Golden Girlsfrom time to time, especially when I think of her. In a way, the show makes me feel close to her.”
I’m not sure why that little piece of information causes my heart to do a backflip, but it does. I know how important my grandparents were to her. Knowing Raine still thinks of them means a lot to me.
“I kept that red Honda of hers for years until I finally had to upgrade to the car I have now. Oh, and the old film camera she gave me…do you remember it? I still use it from time to time.”
I stop in my tracks unintentionally. Hearing her admit to keeping a piece of my Nan with her throughout the years makes me wonder if she kept pieces of me too. Or did she toss them all away when I chose to let her go? I inhale, attempting to steadymy heart, realizing that our conversation about that night might need to happen sooner than I’d like it to.
But not today, I remind myself.You can enjoy this day with her.
However, it’s hard to do when the past stays lurking around us, waiting for a moment to pounce and tarnish what we’re slowly working toward. We stay quiet for a moment, our hands still clinging to one another, as we look everywhere but at each other.
“This place has changed so much,” Raine says, finally breaking the silence.
I smile down at her. “Let me show you around.”
We spendthe next hour moving from store to store that line both sides of the street. We taste-test goat milk fudge and caramels from Soap and Hope. Raine picks out a few gardening books from Covewood Literacy,and even though I’m not a big reader, I end up getting a few coffee table books about classic cars. Raine practically squeals when we walk inside Covewood Botanicals, and she sees their elderberry syrup and walls that are lined with glass bottles of homemade spices and herbs.
We both pick up a few articles of clothing from Lakeside Connections Boutique, some locally inspired candles from Covewood Candles, and end up at The Groovy Bean for vanilla-cinnamon lattes—her choice, not mine. However, it’s surprisingly delicious.
She bumps her shoulder into mine, wiggling her eyebrows as I look down at her. “I told you it would be yummy.”
“If you say so.” I smirk at her before searching the crowd for the next place I want to take her. I point across the road to the brick building on the corner. She follows my finger, and once her eyes land on MJ’s Diner, another squeal leaves her.
“Oh, I was hoping to go there today! Olivia says it’s one ofthe only places in Covewood that has stayed the same. Although, the outside looks freshly painted, and the sign has been updated.” She grabs my hand, and we make our way through the crowd.
I place my hand onto the gold handle and open the black door for Raine to step inside. A small bell chimes from above, and a waitress behind the counter welcomes us. Raine steps forward, her head turning in all directions to take in the diner. I step around her until I’m standing in front of her.
