Total pages in book: 44
Estimated words: 42306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 42306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 212(@200wpm)___ 169(@250wpm)___ 141(@300wpm)
“Yeah. Her name is Skye, and they got hitched after graduation.”
“Wow. I’m glad they found their way back to one another.”
He’s silent for a long moment before admitting, “Me too. They belong together.”
“That’s what matters in the end, isn’t it? Finding your person and doing whatever it takes to be together?”
His dark gaze locks on mine, pinning me in place. “I suppose it is.”
His low words send an electrical current zipping through my veins, and I get the feeling we’re no longer talking about Hunter and his wife.
We’re talking about something else altogether.
We’re talking about us.
Mason
If I’d been secretly holding out hope that dinner would be a complete bust, that turns out not to be the case. For the most part, there weren’t any awkward lulls in conversation. We flowed easily from one topic to another. I hadn’t realized that Poppy lost her mother when she was so young. Maybe the circumstances are different, but the loss of any parent is something you don’t just get over or move on from.
It’s a painful ache that lives in your heart forever.
What is it about this girl that puts me instantly at ease? As much as I want to deny the truth, I can’t.
I like her.
A lot.
It occurs to me as we head back to town that I’m nowhere near ready for this night to be over. I don’t want to say goodbye and drive back to the loneliness of my place. That’s all it takes to make a split-second decision and turn the truck onto a dark country road. She glances at me but doesn’t ask where we’re going or what I’m doing. We don’t know each other well, and she certainly has no reason to trust me, but it’s kind of nice that she does.
We drive over a rutted dirt road for about a mile or so before arriving at an open field. This place isn’t far from my house, and after my parents died, when I needed to be alone, this is where I always ended up.
It’s the first time I’ve brought someone else with me.
Including Hunter.
After the accident, when it felt like I’d lose it, I would raise my fists toward the heavens and yell out all the grief and heartache that filled me, nearly swallowing me whole. It never changed anything, but I felt better afterward. More at peace. It was the only way to relieve the anguish that was eating me alive. I sure as shit couldn’t do it in front of Hunter.
For whatever reason, bringing Poppy here feels right.
I park the truck in the grass and exit the vehicle. She does the same as I grab a thick blanket from the backseat and walk around to the tailgate before lowering it. Then, I jump onto the bed and spread out the blanket. When I’m finished, I find her standing near the rear, watching me with a curious gaze. I extend a hand and help her onto the bed before we stretch out. It takes a handful of seconds to find a comfortable position.
“It’s pretty here,” she says.
“Quiet too, which is why I like it.”
We fall into a comfortable silence as the sky continues to darken and the stars brighten until they resemble pinpricks of light scattered across a velvety canvas. There’s something about the vast stretch overhead that calms my inner turmoil. Maybe it’s the knowledge that the universe is infinite and when it comes down to it, we’re tiny and insignificant in comparison.
She turns her head until her penetrating gaze can settle on mine. This is the first time I’ve ever felt so emotionally attuned to another human being. I don’t understand how that’s possible when we don’t really know each other, but there’s no denying the truth.
I’ve spent years trying to deaden everything inside me, never wanting anyone to get too close. I didn’t have the time or inclination to get involved with a woman. But that’s not how I feel about her. At every turn, Poppy is proving to be different.
It’s as disconcerting as it is exhilarating.
As much as I want to force her away, the urge to pull her closer and hang on for dear life with both hands is stronger. My chest constricts as these thoughts run rampant through my brain.
Unable to meet her searching gaze, I stare at the sky. When I remain quiet, she rolls toward me until her body can brush against mine. It’s so tempting to wrap my arms around her and haul her close. Instead, I remain still, allowing her to make the first move. It doesn’t take long. Not more than a handful of seconds pass before she reaches out and runs the tip of her finger across my parted lips.
“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”
A steady stream of air escapes from my lungs. “Same.”