Page 18 of Counting the Stars

“Well, I’d have to check my schedule.” She fidgets with her hands.

“Of course.” Hope blooms in my chest. The more I think about Gabby coming with me, the more excited I am to go.

“And this is strictly just as friends, right? No strings attached? You’re not going to say we need to get married because you introduced me to your family?”

“Nope.” I shove my hands in my pockets and rock back on the heel of my sneakers. “It has come to my attention that I’vebeen a little too…persistent and I need to tone it down on the proposals.”

“You’re just realizing this?” She crosses her arms across her chest.

“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a little thick-headed.” I grin. “Interpret that however you want.”

“I appreciate you leaving that up to my imagination.” Her washing machine buzzes, signaling the end of the cycle. She stands and walks over to it.

“So what do you say? The three-hour drive is so boring alone. We can load up on snacks, and I’ll even let you be in charge of the music for the whole ride.” I flash my signature smile, hoping to win her over.

“Quit it.” She fights to keep a straight face. “You know those dimples have no power over me.”

“If they have no power over you, why do you want me to stop?” I ham it up even more.

“Okay, fine. I’ll go with you.” Her face flushes ever so slightly. “As long as I can fit it into my schedule.”

“Absolutely. I understand that.” I try not to act overly excited.

She gets up and begins switching her wet laundry over to the dryer and lets out a sigh. “This is one thing on my wish list if I ever get a place of my own.”

“Your own washer and dryer?”

“Mm-hmm. When I was little, I thought owning your own washer and dryer was a symbol of being rich.”

“When I was little, I thought having a refrigerator with your own ice maker made you rich.” I chuckle. “I thought we won the lottery when we finally got one. My parents had to put a limit on how many times a day I used it. I had cups of ice everywhere.”

“That’s cute.” She presses some settings on the dryer.

“So tell me, what else is on this wish list of yours?” I lean myself against a large table used for folding and sorting.

“Umm…” She hesitates for a moment. “I don’t need much. I’m not one for fancy things. But eventually, I’d like to save up some money for a little house, preferably with a cozy reading nook and shelves for all my books. I’d also love to have a yard for some gardening.”

“You like to garden?”

“Yup. But not flowers, like herbs and vegetables.”

There’s that no-flowers thing again. Interesting.

“Have you ever had a meal made with fresh herbs and vegetables picked straight from the garden?” she asks before I can question about her aversion to flowers.

“I don’t think I have.”

“Oh, it’s so much better than the stuff you get at the grocery store.” Her face lights up with joy. “Growing up, my parents had a little garden on our balcony. We—” She abruptly stops, and the brief sense of happiness fades.

“You what?” I prod, realizing that she’s never really talked to me about her past.

“Nothing.” She shakes her head vigorously. “So, what date do I need to have off for this party?”

And just like that, Gabby shuts me down and changes the subject…like always, and I am dying to find out why.

10

Gabby

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