Page 67 of The Kiss Countdown

The woman’s eyebrows shoot up. “You’re Vincent’s fiancée? Congratulations.”

I blink at her. “Thank you.”

“Small town.” She shrugs. “News travels fast. My sister-in-law’s cousin was one of the waitresses that helped y’all last night. After that proposal, she called us as soon as her shift was over and told us all about it.”

Just when I thought I was over the panic of my hastydecision, I come to find out the whole town knows. I hate to imagine what kind of fallout Vincent will face once our bargain is over and we’ve parted ways.

“May I see the ring?”

I lift my hand and the womanoohs andaahs. “It’s beautiful. You’re one lucky lady. My brother graduated with Vincent. Back then they used to make fun of him for being quiet and respectful, which I always thought was dumb. But he never seemed to let it get to him, and by senior year they were all asking for his help to pass calculus. He’s a great guy.”

I face the front, where Vincent is now reading his book. He opens it toward the crowd, slowly moving it side to side so everyone can see the illustrated picture of a young boy waving to his parents through a tiny shuttle window as he blasts away from his backyard. Everyone is captivated, and I imagine all the kids will leave here today knowing big dreams are possible. By the time he gets to the part where the boy is on the moon, bounding over craters, I’m leaning forward on my elbows, entranced by Vincent’s story and his presence. It’s amazing. Before turning the page, he catches my eye and winks.

When story time is over, we drive by the old rec center, then stop at the small grocery store labeledMarketI noticed earlier. Vincent grabs a bottle of red wine and a bouquet of roses, which I assume are for his mom. The checkout clerk congratulates Vincent on his upcoming missionandour engagement.

“You know,” I say once we’re back in the truck. “Those cozy books I read that are set in small towns do not exaggerate about how quickly news travels, huh?”

“Are you kidding me? Half the town probably knew about the engagement before we’d even left the restaurant.”

I lean my elbow on the armrest and look up at Vincent. “Gotta love that small town camaraderie. So, are we heading back to the cabin? If your mom’s making pizza again, the wine will make a great pairing.”

Vincent turns his head toward me, and his eyes widen slightly like he’s surprised at how close I am. His hand flexes on the steering wheel. “Not yet. I want to take you to one more place.”

Going back in the direction of the cabin, he turns onto a rundown dirt road. The road gets bumpy as we drive over raised roots, and I reach for the grab handle. When Vincent stops the car, we’re surrounded by nothing but trees.

Pursing my lips, I look around, then turn to him.

“Before you say anything,” Vincent says. “No, I’m not lost. And no, I didn’t bring you here to dispose of your body.”

What, so he’s a mind reader now?

“I used to love exploring and hiking when I was growing up, but this is where I used to come after the crash. When things got to be too much at home, I’d come here to think... and mourn. Sometimes yell. It was the only place that wasn’t tied to memories of Tay.” He reaches in the back seat and grabs the roses. “These are for you. Having you with me this week has made all of this bearable. Before you say you’re just holding up your end of the bargain, know that for me, you went above and beyond anything I could have ever expected or hoped for. Ready?”

All I can do is clutch the roses to my chest and nod.

“Good. The ground is uneven, so I’ll come around and help you out.”

I brace myself for whatever awaits us as Vincent rounds the truck.

Chapter Twenty-One

I plant one hand on Vincent’s shoulder and use the other to hold the roses to my chest while he helps me slide down from the truck.

“Can you hold the wine too?” he asks.

I take it, and he opens the back passenger door, pulling out a cooler I didn’t realize was back there before coming back to my side. As we walk forward, he keeps a firm yet gentle grip on my upper arm.

We’re not quite in the deep, deep forest as I feared, and once we’re through a small thicket of trees, I gasp at the sight before me.

“Now, I couldn’t find any of those fancy tents like the pictures you pinned on such short notice, but I hope this will do,” Vincent says.

So many thoughts race through my mind as we walk to the black dome tent. First, apparently Vincent was paying attention when Brianna asked me about luxury picnics. He even managed to find me on Pinterest. Second, he picked the most beautiful location.

We’re on the shore of a large lake clearing. Behind us are the trees we’ve just come from, but directly across the lake is a tall rock cliff. It makes the area feel secluded andclosed off, like we’re in our own little world. I can see why Vincent would find solace here.

Inside the tent, a white sheet covers the floor. Two large teal pillows sandwich a low rectangular table, and more pillows are strewn about for decoration.

Vincent leads me to one of the teal pillows. “Your throne.”

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