Page 52 of Finn Rhodes Forever

“You went to Dot’s doily workshop,” she said, her gaze on the passing trees.

I huffed a laugh. “Yeah, I did.”

Her eyebrows pinched. “Why?”

“Because she seems kind of bored.” I shrugged. “And she’s interesting to chat with once she moves on from doilies. She tell you that she used to be a nun?”

She laughed. “Yeah. She did.”

“She and her husband hiked all over the Rockies after they got married. And they did the same hikes when they were in their eighties. She said he was her best friend.”

Liv's gaze was on the passing trees. Was she was wondering the same thing I was—would we ever be best friends again? Would we have adventures in our eighties, hiking around the mountains and teasing each other?

I fucking hoped so. I’d fight like hell to get that. I couldn’t picture my life with anyone but her. Even when I was twenty-two and stupid, when I told myself I wasn’t destined for anything long-term, my mind would wander back to Liv.

When I pulled up to the park, half the town was there. Anticipation curled in my chest, and my heart rate picked up speed.

Our date tonight was about showing Liv that we were meant to be, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t have alittlefun with her. I knew she was lying through her teeth about wanting us to be a couple again, and seeing her keep the charade up was becoming an addiction. The flare of her nostrils, her twitching nose, the amused glare she shot me—it felt like we wereusagain.

“What’s this?” Liv asked, stepping out of the car, gaze sweeping over everyone sitting on picnic blankets.

“Movie in the park. They’re playingSuperbad.” I opened the trunk and handed her a blanket. “We have a couple hours until sunset, though. Can you carry that?”

She took it from me and a little smile curled up on her mouth. “I love that movie.”

“I know.” I smiled at her and hauled out the cooler.

We wandered through the people on the grass, saying hello to Emmett and Avery seated on their own blanket, waving to Miri Yang and her husband Scott, who shared a blanket with Miri’s best friend, Don, who ran the town news blog, and his wife. I recognized some people from our high school, some with their own families, some on dates or with friends. Liv waved at Hannah’s dad, Frank Nielsen, sitting with his partner, Veena, who owned the bakery. I spotted the elementary school principal, and even some of the brats who had skewered me in front of Jen and Liv the day of my class presentation.

Everyone was here. Exactly what I wanted.

When we found a spot on the grass, we laid out the blanket and I unpacked our dinner. I had received a confirmation text earlier this afternoon, and now all I had to do was wait. I tapped my thumb against my leg, scanning the sky.

“What’s up with you?” Liv asked as we ate dinner. I’d brought pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw. Emmett had shown me the recipe the other day.

I froze, trying not to grin. “What do you mean? Nothing.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You’re twitchy.”

“No, I’m not.” Yes, I was. I was listening hard for the low sound of the motor.

“You keep looking up at the sky.” She glanced around. “What are you looking for?”

I shrugged and made a face like I had no clue what she was talking about. “It’s such a nice evening, don’t you think?”

“I guess.” She studied me, skeptical, and I bit back a smile.

Then, I heard it. The low, buzzing sound of a plane. I sucked in a breath, tongue tapping my upper lip as I watched the horizon from the south, where Mark said he’d be flying in from. The drone of the plane got louder but Liv didn’t notice it.

There. My stomach flipped as the plane appeared.

Mark flew for us as part of Search and Rescue, and ran a small airline company on the side with flights to and from Victoria and Vancouver. He’d been on board immediately with my idea.

“Oh my god,” Miri hollered, jumping to her feet, pointing at the plane. The banner behind it was visible but not yet legible. “It’s a message in the sky! I’ve always wanted to see one of these!”

Everyone started murmuring and watched as the plane approached. Delight unfurled in my chest, light and sparking, and out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Liv.

She gave me a strange look. “What have you done?”

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