Page 69 of Just One Moment

Ourlittle brother throws his hands in the air. “Shesaid my dimples weren’t that impressive!”

“Aww, but they’re cute.”Dexgoes to poke his cheek, butBoothslaps his hand away.“Don’tsulk just because you found someone who is finally immune to you.”

“Whois she anyway?”Iquery.

“Mustbe a tourist,”Dexguesses.

“Well,I’mnot going to lose any sleep over her.”Heabsolutely is. “Ihave more important things to do.C’mon,Pat, we need to finish setting up our stall.Let’sleave lover boy to it.”

Mybrothers head over toOurPlace’stable, but not beforeBoothsays, “Atleast you’re working quicker thanPat.He’dstill be single if it weren’t for me.”Whichearns him a punch fromPatrick.

Ilook atDex, who shakes his head and sighs. “Yourfamily makes me gratefulI’man only child.”

“Theymake me wishIwasan only child,”Iretort while looking over the table. “Thislooks great, man.Ireally appreciate your help in pulling this together so quickly.”

“Mypleasure.Quinn’sa lucky girl.”

“It’snot like that.”Iavoid his suspicious gaze and rub my fingers under the edge of my beanie.

“M-kay, keep telling yourself that.Yousound a lot like your older brother though and we see how that turned out.”Hejuts his chin over my head, andIturn to findPatrickwrappingJohannaup in a hug as he rains her face with kisses until she’s laughing hysterically.

Hepats me on the back and joins the others, leaving me with my mom andLottie, who have been chatting to the vendor next door.

“Itlooks amazing, sweetheart.Quinnwill be over the moon.I’mso happy for you,” my mom coos.

“She’sgoing to be super-duper excited.Likethis much.”Lottiewidens her arms as far as they’ll go. “Ican’t wait for your wedding.”Theknot in my stomach tightens andIdo my best not to imagineQuinnin a wedding dress, walking toward me like sunshine incarnate.

Ihave roughly ten minutes before she arrives.She’smeeting me under the guise that we’ll be walking around the fair,checking out what local businesses have to offer, and roaming around pumpkin patch.

Wewill later on.First,Iwant her to experience what it’s like to be a business owner at one ofSuttonBay’sannual fairs.

Sadnesscrept across her face when she said she couldn’t afford the table.Sheworks so hard, from the crack of dawn until early evening.Therehave been a few times whenI’vehad to coax her out of the bakery, close up, and relax for the night.She’sa one-woman show and is fantastic at it.

Shedeserves this day.

Andafter the vile things her mother—if we can call her that—said about her, she needs this.

Quinnis forever smiling, butI’veseen small fissures in that gorgeous smile since that phone call.

Ikeep my nerves contained by fiddling around with the table and baked goods, checking if she has enough change in her makeshift register and that all the items are labeled correctly.

Myphone vibrates in my pocket, andIpull it out to read her text.

Quinn: Hey, handsome. Where are you?

Graham: Opposite the chili-tasting stall. I’m the guy in glasses, wearing a green beanie.

Quinn: Smart-ass.

Quinn: Oh! I see you!

Herewe go.

Ipick up the bouquet of yellow roses and wait for her in front of the table.

That’swhenIsee her.Ilove touching, hearing, and smelling her, but nothing beats seeing her shine radiantly like she is now as she smiles at me.

Shebreathes air into my lungs and steals it from me with just a look.

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