Page 96 of The Lies We Told Ourselves

Reece was my favorite subject, and when it came to her, I’d been a diligent student.

So why was I so damned nervous to be taking her to the carnival?

It was just a town carnival. It was barely a date. The picnic at the lookout had been a better date.

Oh god, was this a bad date?

Reece had been over at Delaney’s today, but she should be back soon. They were setting up the social media accounts for Delaney’s business and talking over what the plans were for the next couple of months.

I had no idea about this stuff, but Reece obviously did. The accounts she’d set up for the ranch were doing well, and we had people following Spirit’s story and asking for updates nearly every day.

There was no way I was shaking my ass on that thing, though. Social media was for kids, and I wasn’t about to set myself up to be the laughingstock of town.

I looked in the mirror again and cringed. Maybe I should wear a tie. Except I didn’t own one of those either. I stared into my closet and cursed my past self for not being organized enough to know that I’d need stuff like this.

Damn, it would have to do.

I came downstairs to the sound of Reece moving around the kitchen, and the smile came to my lips automatically. I loved having her here in the house. In my space.Our space.

When I reached the doorway to the kitchen, I found Reece dancing in front of the sink as she washed the lunch dishes that had been left there. Val yipped and pranced around Reece’s feet, making her head fall back as she laughed at her antics.

She was wearing a simple flowery summer dress, and she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.

I stood leaning against the doorframe watching the picture of everyday life in front of me, wondering what I could have possibly done to deserve this in my life. To deserve her. When she realized I was standing there, she came dancing over and held out her hands to me.

The old Booker would have turned around and walked away. He’d have grumbled about how only idiots danced when there wasn’t any music playing.

But this Booker looked at the vision standing in front of him and did what the old one never would have dreamed of.

So I reached out, taking hold of her hands, and grabbed onto my future with both hands, spinning her across the kitchen before doing my best imitation of a shimmy which had Reece cackling in glee.

And I knew that no matter what came my way, it would all be all right.

Because I had her at my side.

And what else could I possibly want?

“A Ferris wheel!” Reece squealed, jumping up and down on the spot with a stuffed unicorn under one arm that I won for her on the ring toss.

I’d officially hit the peak of manliness.

Tucking her under my arm, we walked over to the Ferris wheel where the others were waiting for us.

“Aww, what! I want a unicorn!” Blake gushed when she saw the fuzzy pink monstrosity that Reece had been instantly smitten with. “Booker, pleaaaaaaaaase win me a unicorn.”

“Maybe later.” I kissed the top of Reece’s head, and she smiled up at me. “I’ve got a Ferris wheel to ride first.”

“I never thought I’d see the day,” Dex mused, looking at me wide-eyed. “I want to make fun of you for going soft, but I’m genuinely too happy for you to bother.”

Dex shrugged like he hadn’t just said one of the nicest things I’d ever heard him utter.

“Thanks, man.”

He coughed awkwardly. “Yeah, manly feelings and all that…Trace, let’s go and win the girls some stuff with our big muscles.”Dex struck a muscle-man pose, and Cade looked at him, unconvinced.

“Don’t worry, Dex, I’ve got this,” Cade said confidently.

“I always knew you were my hero, Cade,” Blake said happily, taking his hand that he’d offered to her and doing a little curtsy as she did.

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