Page 16 of Sweet Bred

I look around for Juliet, but I don’t see her anywhere.

I take a seat anyway, in case she just hasn’t shown up yet. I don’t want to block anyone’s view, so I pick a spot at the back.

There’s still no sign of her when the movie starts playing, and I almost get up and leave. But then I figure, well, what the hell. I’m here. I may as well stay and watch the flick.

Or at least mostly watch it. I spend half the time looking out for Juliet.

Is that her?

I lean forward, trying to get a better look across the crowded park. I’m sitting in the same spot I’ve sat in five times in a row, but with the bigger crowd tonight, I don’t have as good of a view of the whole area.

Maybe since tonight is the last movie on the lineup, my mind has decided to hallucinate Juliet’s presence.

No. It’s really her. My chest expands as I get a better view of Juliet’s gorgeous face. She’s standing at the edge of the park in a knee-length summer dress, hugging a gingham blanket to her chest as she looks across the packed lawn for a spot to sit.

When her gaze sweeps toward me, I raise my hand and wave. Even from this far away, I can see her eyes widen with surprise.

I can’t keep my eyes off her as she makes her way over to me, navigating around people and chairs and bags. When Juliet reaches me, she gives me a curious smile. “Hey. I thought you weren’t interested in this.”

“Turns out it’s not bad.” I gesture to the spot on the grass beside me. “Want to join me?”

“Sure. I’d love to. Here, we can use my blanket.”

I get up to help her unfold the blanket and spread it out. As we get settled, I steal a glance at her ring finger. There’s no diamond ring on it anymore. There’s not even a mark left behind from it.

But I know that doesn’t mean she’s not still hurting. And now that she’s sitting right next to me, I can see the emotional toll of the past few weeks etched in her face. Her skin lacks its usual glow, and her eyes are a little puffy.

I wish I could pull her into my arms and comfort her. But we aren’t in a place like that yet.

“Thanks for letting me sit with you,” she says as she smooths the skirt of her dress over her gorgeously thick thighs. “It’s so much more crowded than I expected.”

I nod. “Tonight’s been the most packed of all the nights I’ve been here.”

Her eyebrows lift. “How many times have you come?”

“This will be the fifth.”

She laughs. “Again, I thought you weren’t interested in this.”

“I’m going to be totally honest with you, Juliet,” I say. “I’ve been coming here in hopes of running into you.”

She blinks at me. Then blushes a little. “I see.”

“Was that too forward?”

“No. I like that you just came out and said it.”

Her words warm my chest. I glance over at the food vendors. “Want something sweet? It’s my treat. I’ve tried everything and can confidently say that the cherry pie ice cream is the best thing here.”

“That sounds amazing.”

“Cup or cone?”

She smiles. “Cone. Always a cone.”

I know this isn’t a date, but I like that it’s starting to feel like one. Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but I hope it’s a sign that something more can come from this.

I know I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. But I still can’t shake the feeling that she’s the one I’ve been waiting my whole life for.

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