Page 78 of Exposé

I laughed, shaking my head. "Don't hold your breath. My secrets are locked up tight."

He stepped closer as the line moved forward, his arm brushing mine. "Challenge accepted."

I looked away, taking in the surrounding chaos as my chest exploded with fiery pressure points.

Was this a mistake?

Far in the distance beyond the buildings, smoking foods, and happy families was a bench beneath a sprawling oak tree. The shining stone caught what little light shone through the branches above, the edges rounded into the shape of a heart.

We should do this every year, Peanut...

"Ava... and mustard?"

I gulped and tore my gaze away. "Huh?"

"Ketchup and mustard, did you want some?"

Swallowing down the lump swelling in my throat, I stepped forward and took the brat from his outstretched hand. "Ketchup on a Brat and Kraut. That's sacrilege." I smiled at Karl standing in the trailer, putting buns together. "Spicy mustard, please."

"Just for you, Ava."

"Thank you." I took the packets of mustard and stepped out of the line, tucking my half-full beer cup against my chest with my arm.

"You know him?"

Tearing open the packet with my teeth, I squirted a dime-sized amount on the end of the brat. "I wasn't kidding when I said 'every year'."

I bit into the brat, snapping the skin with my teeth as we walked toward the covered picnic tables, careful not to spill my drink. Sauerkraut hung from my lips in strings as I chewed, the lumpy grass causing my beer to foam as it sloshed.

We sat down across from each other as I swallowed, my tongue swiping over the remnants of food, and placed my mustard packet down, then my beer.

"Wow, you're right, these are good," he said around a mouthful.

"Would I ever lie?"

He laughed as we ate our food.

"They need to have these available year-round." I rolled my eyes into the back of my head as I ate the last bite.

"Then it wouldn't be as special."

It would always be special to me.

"Maybe." I gave a lopsided shrug and drank my beer as I glanced away.

"Where did you go before?" He pointed at the food cart. "Back there in line."

"Nowhere. What do you mean?"

He crumpled his paper into a tight ball. "You checked out for a minute. You're not bored of me already, are you?" He gave a short chuckle.

"No, no." I propped my elbow onto the table and twirled the ends of my hair in a discreet twist. "This place holds a lot of memories for me."

"Oh yeah?" He glanced at me over the brim of his beer cup. "You come here with your family?"

"Something like that." I wrapped my hand around my near-empty beer. "How's your work been?"

"Subtle change of subject." He laughed with a curt nod. "Not bad. It's been pretty quiet, not a whole lot of broken sinks lately." His dimple deepened as he smiled. "You?"

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