Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79597 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 398(@200wpm)___ 318(@250wpm)___ 265(@300wpm)
I leaned close and kissed him. “Thank you. The way you worry is rather sweet.”
“I do worry. I’ll always worry. No matter how safe the area is, there is always a risk. But I won’t be the guy who asks you to stop being who you are. I love you too much for that, Hannah.”
I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him in gratitude. His support and love meant everything to me. I knew he worried. So did my mom. But he was right; I had to do what was best for me.
“I’ll think about it once Martha decides, and we’ll talk again.”
He held me close. “Okay, Cinnamon. Okay.”
CHASE
Hannah swayed to the music, lifting her arms in the air. I linked my hands around her waist, pulling her close and swaying with her. It had been the perfect day. After I closed the garage, we jumped in the truck and headed to the music festival. It was packed, and we had to park on the edge of a farmer’s field with some other latecomers. I had a feeling when we got back later that night, it would be even fuller with the people who only came for the evening concert. We strolled to the festival and spent the afternoon listening to the free music, visiting the stalls and buying some local crafts, and eating our weight in food. Sticky ribs from the barbecue place, handmade chips from another stall. A spicy turkey leg from a Middle Eastern vendor who assured me it wasn’t “too” spicy. It took two lemonades and a cold beer to put out the fire. Hannah laughed her ass off at me. We ate mini donuts and an apple dumpling doused in caramel sauce. We trekked back to the truck twice to toss the bags with the purchases from the stalls into the rear seat. As I thought, the field was fuller now, the cars and trucks parked everywhere. I looked again for someone to pay but never saw anyone. The truck was under a tree, and I put down the tailgate and Hannah and I sat in the shade, sipping on lemonade and eating the last of the donuts. Hannah licked her fingers and groaned.
“No more food.”
I laughed. “Okay, Cinnamon. But you were eyeing the brisket and pulled pork sliders earlier.”
“Maybe after the concert.”
I kissed her head. “Whatever you want.”
“Those pictures will look so good in the hall,” she said enthusiastically. “And the place mats so good on the table.”
“Yep.”
She sighed, leaning her head on my shoulder. “Such a great day, Chase. It’s been so much fun.”
She was right. It had been great.
The band revved up for their last number—a rock ballad that had been huge in the eighties. I spun her in my arms, and we swayed to the music, kissing under the stars and not caring who saw us. The song ended, and the applause was loud. We waited patiently as the crowds dispersed, surprised when we bumped into Stefano and Gabby.
“I didn’t know you were here,” I said.
He grinned. “We love these festivals. Maxx and Charly are here too somewhere.”
“I assume Mack and Rosa have the kids?”
“Yep.” He glanced at Hannah. “I think I saw your mom and Dom too.”
Hannah’s eyebrows shot up. “Really?”
“I was sure it was them, but I lost them in the crowd.”
“Huh,” I muttered. “He never mentioned it earlier at the garage.”
Hannah pouted a little. “Neither did Mom when I spoke to her yesterday.”
“Ah, those crazy kids,” Stefano chuckled.
I had to laugh. “Yep.”
“Where’re you parked?”
“The field at the edge.”
“We’re going for sliders first,” Hannah interjected.
“Oh, sounds good.”
“Come join us.”
“Join you for what?” Charly appeared at my elbow.
I laughed, dropping my arm around her shoulder. “Sliders.”
“Ooh, good idea.”
“No curfew tonight?”
She smiled widely. “Nope. Rosa and Mack have all the kids tonight. Mary and Larry were there for the day. We’re going over in the morning for brunch and to pick up the kids.”
Stefano laughed. “Theo won’t want to come home. He never does.”
Maxx chuckled. “Ours are the same. They get spoiled.”
“So, sliders for six, then?” I asked.
“Let’s go!”
The crowds dwindled as we ate our late snacks. We ordered a bunch of items, creating our own little buffet of delicious messiness. We ate sliders and cheese fries. Chicken bites and burnt ends. More mini donuts Hannah simply had to have. All were eaten with our fingers, with plenty of napkins to wipe up the gooeyness. We sat at two picnic tables, watching as the fair began to shut down and the late-nighters walked around, enjoying the benefits of the quieter grounds. Music still played, and the rides were running for at least another hour. We talked about the concert, the crafts, and the day. It felt great to be part of the conversation, sharing the time I spent with Hannah instead of being on the fringes of the day. Tagging along with one of the couples. Today, I was one of them. I slipped an arm around Hannah, tucking her to my side and pressing a kiss to her forehead.