The veins in his arms bulge as he holds the two boys close to his chest, while the third stands in front of him, hiding some of the good stuff.
It takes my brain a second to get out of the steamy blur. My hands shake around his phone before I glance up at his smiling face. “You’re a father to three boys? You’re…married?”
His smile drops and his eyebrows furrow. In my head, I’m bolting out of the store, but somehow my feet remain stuck in the spot.
“Fuck! No. Th-they are my nephews.” His eyes are wide, and he stammers more than usual. “I w-wouldn’t be on a d-date with-th you if I w-was marr-ried.”
“So it is a date?” I arch my eyebrow, and he simply shrugs as if he too is a bit unsure.
His reluctance gives me some confidence, and I stroll toward the checkout before looking at him over my shoulder. “Then let’s get out of here fast, hotshot, and start our actual date.”
* * *
Summer is over, and autumn is in its full glory. The cherry trees are painted in fall colors with the foliage all yellow and orange. I sigh thinking about our town’s captivating beauty.
“You love th-this town?” Zane asks as we stroll by the lake with unhurried steps. I can already see the huge banner at the park entrance.
“This is my home. I was born here. It’s filled with beautiful sights but even more beautiful people.” I can’t hold my grin, and as always, my chest inflates as I look around.
“I’m alr-ready liking th-the people of this t-town.”
When I look up at him, there’s a small smirk on his lips. God, he’s killing me with his charm.
“So what do you want to do first?” I ask.
“Surpr-rise me?” He gives me those two words again, filling me with warmth.
“Come on, then.”
With an attempt to give Zane the best of this town, I walk him around. We go from one shop to another, looking at hand-painted lamps, one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry, and glowing salt lamps, until we stop at a photography booth.
Instead of glancing at the different pictures, Zane smiles at the baby sleeping in a bassinet next to the counter. He looks around. “Wh-who’d leave a kid alone? It’s-s too crowded. Is-sn’t it dangerous?”
Before I can tell him that Cherrywood is a safe place, an elderly woman comes from the back of the tent. “Sorry, I just went to get some water from the back.” She places a water bottle onto the counter before fixing her glasses and looking at us. “Oh, I know you.” Her gaze shifts between us, and I recognize the sweet lady as one of the nurses who took care of me in the hospital. “Mr. and Mrs. Teager. So good to see you again. How are you doing, Mrs. Teager?”
“Good. I’m very good. How are you, Mary?” A mix of impulse and worry about what’ll happen if she finds out about our lie hits me, and I slide close to Zane. It doesn’t take me long to wrap my hand around his arm. I shiver at the feel of the soft fabric of his suit jacket.
His eyes widen as he looks down at me with a touch of surprise, but I give him a huge smile.
Inside, I’m begging him to play along.
“I’m well. My daughter is a photographer, and she booked this spot for the carnival. But last night she got a call for an out-of-town assignment. I convinced her to go, and I’m taking care of her baby and the stall. She’s a single mom and works too hard.”
A smile pulls on my lips at Mary’s affectionate words, and familiar emotions fill my throat. Watching her affection for her daughter, I’m reminded of Mom.
“Do you like anything?” Mary asks.
Zane nods and turns to me. “Wh-which one do you like th-the most?”
“Me?” I squeak, meeting his gaze with my wide eyes.
Covertly, he nudges his head toward the nurse.
Of course! She thinks we’re a couple.
I glance back at the photographs of sunsets and sunrises in Cherrywood. A Christmas tree lit in the town square. A wedding party. Portraits of men and women in festival costumes. Everything is so breathtaking and beautiful, making me fall more in love with my town. I take a step closer, trying to find the perfect piece that won’t cause a dent in Zane’s pocket and also please Mary. Before I can grab a medium-sized framed photo of a sunset, Zane turns me to the left.
“How ab-bout this?” He squeezes my shoulders, and even though his touch is innocent, it tugs the strings of my heart. After finding my bearings, I glance at the huge photograph of the sun rising from the mountains and the golden Cherry Lake.