Page 21 of Summer Redemption

Sometimes life gives you exactly what you need when you need it. Haven’t my brothers already shown me that? It just took a while for the lesson to sink in and stick.

I walk around the Holloway’s house and head toward the garage since Sunshine is living in the upstairs apartment which her parents converted out of unused storage space. It makes me wonder if she’ll be happy living in the Limitless farmhouse one day. Noel is building a house for him and his family. When it’s done, I’ll be the only one left in the house unless our parents decide to leave RV life and stay at home. Even if they do, the house is more than big enough.

It’s the only place I’ve lived and the thought of leaving it doesn’t sit right with me. I’ve seen the way Sunshine’s face relaxes into peacefulness when she’s out at the ranch. Maybe we can make it into a home, one which will last forever.

I pause before knocking on the door, waiting for the panic to set in at the thought of forever with Sunshine.

But it doesn’t come.

As strange as it is, my gut is screaming at me to simply accept it.

Sunshine is different; she always has been. When I was young, I wasn’t ready for everything she is, and then I denied the possibility of finding something lasting with anyone else. Maybe I knew the entire time that she’s the only one for me.

She’s mine.

The truth of it ripples through me and I find myself knocking on her door with a force I didn’t intend. The need to see her pushes my actions and I don’t think I’m capable of apologizing for it at this point.

Hopefully, she’s ready for me.

Moments later, the door swings open and I almost swallow my tongue. “Wow,” I breathe out.

My eyes roam down and up her body. She’s wearing jeans again, this time they’re a dark wash with a few rips in them, a pair of cowboy boots, and a flowy top that looks soft and silky. I desperately want to touch it, but I know if I do then I won’t stop at her top.

I’ll run my hands all over her body.

“Hi,” she shoots me a shy little smile that has my heart racing. Her green eyes roam over my chest and she muses, “You’re not wet today.”

“Not yet,” I tease her, “but you never know what kind of entertainment I have planned for our date.”

She giggles softly and shakes her head like I’m ridiculous. Maybe I am, but she laughed and it’s all I wanted.

When she bites her lip, I have to stop myself from leaning in and getting a taste of her pouty lip for myself. I want to, desperately, but I’m not going to move too fast. There’s no way I’m going to ruin this before we even get started; not again.

“Are you sure you want to go out on a date?” Her voice is hesitant and a little scared. I hate it. “I just mean,” she starts to ramble, “we don’t have to call it a date if that’s not what it is. We can just call it forgiveness time or the chance to be friends even though we’ve never been friends before. I just don’t want to call it a date if it’s not the right word for this.”

My arm wraps around her waist, and I pull her flush against my chest, loving how fucking adorable she is right now. Her eyes go wide as she looks up at me.

I make sure to hold her gaze as I tell her, “This is a date. Our first date. Our last first date,” my voice is strong and sure.

It looks like her eyes are about to pop out of her head and I find myself smiling. There’s something about surprising her and throwing her a little off which I find intoxicating. It’s dangerous, I know, but she needs a little levity in her life, moments where she can find the joy and the pleasure in what life offers us.

While making a silent vow to myself, and to her, I promise to not use my need to throw her a little off balance against her. Iwon’t hurt her while doing it. I’ll put her first and make sure she knows she’s my priority and is safe with me.

“O-o-okay,” her voice is shaky, and I barely stop myself from grinning from ear to ear.

With a kiss to her forehead, I let her go and offer her my hand. “Ready to go?”

As she slips her hand into mine, I get a glimmer of redemption on the horizon. No, I’m not going after Sunshine to chase my own forgiveness, but this moment feels like a step forward and out from under the weight of our past.

Her face is filled with curiosity that matches her tone, “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise,” I admit and wink as I start to lead her down the stairs and back around the main house.

She doesn’t look scared or unsure, and I didn’t even realize how important it was for her to trust me until this very moment. It would have been a blow, but not surprising, if she wasn’t willing to follow me blindly. The fact that she’s gifting me with a little trust is something I cherish, and I refuse to squander it.

The drive to the outskirts of Wintervale doesn’t take long. It’s one of the best things about living in a small town. Even though everyone knows your business, it means you don’t have to go far to get to where you’re going. I can’t imagine living in a city where everything is so spread out.

We fill the space between us with chit chat. It’s not deep, but she still grants me with little tidbits about herself like her favorite food and how much she enjoyed getting out of Wintervale for college but always looked forward to coming backhere to put down roots. I’m in awe of her and could easily get lost in her voice and the way her energy fills up the cab of my truck.

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