Page 111 of When We Were Us
I swallow my own food and point at him. “You’re the man about town, Hayes. All the girls—and I’d bet even some of the guys, too—swoon at your feet.” I flutter my eyelashes up at him while we walk.
He gives me a playful check with his shoulder. “Ok, you’ve had your fun,” he says, turning to throw me a smile. “It’s bad enough I get shit about it from my brothers.”
A laugh escapes me again. “Ooooh, so itiscommon knowledge that she’d like to ride the sink boat to tuna town?”
A horrified expression crosses his face, and he barks out a laugh. “What the hell did you just say?”
“You know, ride the bony express? Toast the bagel? Stuff the muffin? Toss the hotdog down the hallway?” I throw out with a laugh. “You’ve had sex, Hayes. You know how this stuff works.”
I try to pass him the drink, but he shakes his head with a laugh. He grabs my wrist instead, pulling me in close to whisper in my ear: “Remember what I said about your mouth getting you into trouble, Wren?”
Desire pools between my thighs and I laugh breathlessly, having zero trouble remembering his filthy promise to get between my legs.
“Who’s got the fuck-me eyes, now?” he says, all low and gravelly.
My mouth drops open, and I laugh. He just huffs out a chuckle in that sexy way of his, his eyes crinkling around the corners. Then, he wraps an arm around my shoulders, plants a kiss on my hair, and pulls me along with him.
We eventually make our way to the petting zoo, and I get to see the adorable piglets that Paige raved about. They are pretty cute. We run into Duke and Emily, and she gives me a little wink when we come walking up holding hands. Hank checks in with Jack and the calves, and then we walk the rest of the way around the town square, hand in hand.
We run into Finn, Hudson, and Paige, and the three of them are adorable together. Paige is completely enamored with Finn, and Hudson is the cutest with his daughter. Everything she wants to do or see, they do.
Paige begs Hank and Hudson both to try and dunk the high school principal, who also runs the scoreboard for softball games. I recognize him from the game the other night. He manages to stay dry through all of Hank’s attempts, though he comes close a couple of times. But it’s when Hudson steps up that the middle-aged man shakes his head with a wry grin, resigned to his fate.
Hudson pitched and played baseball all through high school, and it only takes him one throw to dunk him. Paige just about loses her mind, fist pumping and jumping around, and Finn lets out a loud whoop.
After Hank high-five’s Hudson’s throwing arm, we head over to watch Paige take down a boy two years older than her at the pie eating contest. It's just whipped cream in a pie tin, but I can’t imagine how Hudson will ever get her to sleep after all the cotton candy and whipped cream she's consumed.
At the ring toss, Hudson wins a now sugar-high Paige a giant, stuffed pig. Poor Finn ends up carrying the giant thing while Hudson takes his daughter on the tilt-o-whirl. Time flies quickly, and the three of them head out around eight, with a sleeping Paige tucked under Hudson’s chin as he carries her to the car.
The sun is just starting to set, and the tang of huckleberry jam on hot dough, buttery popcorn, and cinnamon roasted almonds hangs in the air. I shiver abit and wish I’d thought to bring a jacket. I’d forgotten how early in the year it gets dark and chilly in Timber Forge. It's late August, but the digital read out below the clock in the square reads fifty-eight degrees.
Still, even with the chill in the air, nothing has felt this right in years. The low hum of mechanical rides, children laughing and screaming on the Ferris wheel as the buckets sway and rock, live music from the stage a little over a block away, and the distant pop of a balloon fill my ears.
“Do they still have the tree lighting every December first?” I ask, tilting my head toward the gigantic Douglas fir that sits in the center of town square.
“Mm-hm.” Hank nods. “I don’t think they’ll ever stop doing it.”
“I’d like to see that again sometime.” I remember going as a kid with Dad, and then with Grams and Granddad in later years. It was one of my favorite Christmas traditions growing up.
As we walk, I let my mind drift back to yesterday, when we’d spent almost all day at my place. I’d left him at the ranch after setting up pens, and I went into town for some groceries. When I got back, he was already working at the house.
He took out my trash, cleaned out the rain gutter above the porch, and pulled weeds in the front flower bed. After that, we took turns mowing the lawn, betting each other who could get the straightest lines. He did it all selflessly. He doesn’t have to help me, but I’m grateful. He’s the best man I know.
He’d been almost shy when he asked if he could bring me here tonight. I couldn’t have said no if I had tried. The pull he has on me is so strong. More and more, I find myself wanting to say yes to Hank, every day for the rest of my life. The realization has been startling.
“You cold?” Hank asks, and immediately wraps his arm around me, rubbing his hand up and down my arm.
“A little.” I snuggle closer to him, wrapping my arms around his waist as we walk. He smells justlike I knew he would—all woodsy with just a hint of lemon, and 100 percent Hank.
“There’s a blanket in the truck. I’ll run back and grab it.”
“No, it's ok. I like this better.” I tip my head up to look at him, and he grins down at me.
“Me too.”
I sigh. “You always were a good snuggler. Always kept me warm.”
“I just liked being close to you.” He gives me a squeeze. “Still do.”
