Page 79 of Forgotten

“You would dream about me?”

“I would dream about us,” I said. “I would dream about the us that could have been. The us that I was positive never would be. The us that we actually can be now.”

“What were we like in those dreams?”

“Happy,” I said. “Blissfully happy. Just like I am right now, with you, at this dinner table.”

She smiled. “I’m happy too.”

“I love you,” I said.

“I love you too.”

“Good. Now, can I offer you an appetizer?”

“As hungry as I am,” she said, one eyebrow rising deviously, “I feel like I might be ready for the main course.”

I grinned widely. “Patience,” I said. “If I’ve learned anything over the last ten years of waiting for you, it’s that patience makes everything that much better.”

Chapter Forty

Charlotte

Saying I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. I was completely blown away.

Jesse was more romantic than he’d ever been, and everything was so perfect I found myself lost in the moment. It was far more perfect than a night in Paris. I realized that in that moment, we could be anywhere, as long as it was the two of us, and it would feel just as perfect as I thought Paris would be.

“This is delicious,” I said, putting the last bite of the incredible pie into my mouth before I tapped out. “I mean, Randy really outdid himself here.”

“He sure did,” Jesse said. “I have to hand it to him, I could not do that. Ever.”

I shrugged. “Keep working at it and you might get there. I will help teach you.”

“Now that sounds fun,” he said. “We could have a lot of fun in the kitchen together.”

“Depending on how many other people are in the house, we can have a lot of fun.”

Jesse smiled as he wiped his lips with a napkin and placed it over his plate. Standing, he came around to my side of the table and offered his hand. I took it, and he pulled to lift me up as he scooted my chair back for me.

“Come with me,” he said. “I would love to take a little walk with you.”

“A walk sounds nice,” I said. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” he said.

Giving in to the moment, I took his hand and walked with him through the house and out of the back door. It was a nice night for once, the oppressive August heat dampened by a couple days of rain and a cool wind coming down from the Rockies. The dress helped too. I felt so pretty in it, and it was breezy, which helped. It even had pockets.

We ambled slowly across the back yard, crossing by where the chicken coop was and out into the fields. He guided me past an old tree that stood majestically against the clear, starry night. A half-moon hung in the sky, a little fishing hook for the gods, and it lit the ground so well that we didn’t need flashlights or our phones to find our way.

I was a bit puzzled as we made our way to one of the horse barns, but he brought me inside. I laughed in surprise when he let go of my hand and disappeared into the darkness.

“Why did you bring me here?” I laughed. “Are we going on a midnight ride?”

“No,” he said from the shadows. A sound like a heavy door opening filled the night, and he reappeared, wincing. “That was loud. Sorry. Come with me.”

“Where?”

“Up.”

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