Page 40 of All Your Firsts Without Me

“No, I left her home. I wasn’t sure where we were going today.”

He nods, turning to wave to some of the residents who are leaving, while others filter in, taking their place.

“You’re a hard act to follow, you know?”

Chuckling, he places a hand at the small of my back, escorting me to the front of the room.

Fred is sitting in the first row. He whoops as I take my seat. When he notices the book in my hand, he raises an eyebrow in question.

“When I walked past your room last week, I noticed the poster on the wall,” I explain.

“Awe, honey, my wife lovedGone with the Wind.”

“I’ve seen the movie, but I’ve never read it. So, what do you say? It might take us awhile to get through it.”

The women in the group all nod their approval. He smiles, giving me the go ahead.

As I’m reading, I can feel Westin’s eyes on me. I glance up, catching his gaze. He winks, making me stumble over my words. Focus, April, focus.

My cheeks grow warm as I cross and uncross my legs. I shift from one hip to the other. Damn, him. He may as well be running his hands up my thighs. His strong hands. God. Stop. I’m going to hell for sure.

It would probably be worth it.

One torturous hour later, the residents are thanking me and heading down for lunch. Fred rolls up in his wheelchair, tipping his head to study me. He looks back at Westin before returning his gaze to me. “Life goes on. It’s okay to make new memories.”

I swallow hard. Is it that obvious?

Yes. It’s inevitable.

“You ready?” Westin asks, tipping his elbow out to me.

I thread my arm through his, allowing him to lead the way.

We stop at a nearby park to eat our lunch, sitting side by side on top of a picnic table.

“Man, I haven’t had one of these in a long time. It’s bringing back a lot of good memories.” Westin holds his sandwich up in front of his face. He dips his head, catching some runaway jelly on the edge of the bread with his tongue.

“I used to make them for Kaden as an afterschool snack.”

“My mom did the same thing. Must be a mom thing.”

I raise my eyebrow. “I don’t really think of myself as Kaden’s mom. We’re more like siblings who like to pick on each other.”

Westin laughs, “I can see where that might have been a bit awkward.”

“Not awkward. It’s just the way it was. Anyhow, I had a neighbor who used to make them for me when I was little. It’s one of the few good memories I have from my past.”

I have to admit something here.

There is a letter for this.

The first peanut butter and jelly sandwich you share.

Strange, right? So, while I wanted to share a sandwich with Westin, I also want to read that letter. I’ve been waiting for the right moment. This seemed right. It feels right.

Westin pops the last bite into his mouth before leaning back on his hands. “Speaking of your past. I need to talk to you about where we are going today.”

I sit up straight. Where could he possibly be taking me? “Okay.”

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