Page 40 of By Your Side

Owen looks at me and grins. “Let’s get you warm.”

He gathers the blanket from the sand, shaking it out before stuffing it into the bag. He adjusts the one wrapped around me before leading me to one of the kiosks and ordering us apple cider. Nearby there are multiple bonfires with chairs set up around it. We manage to find an unoccupied two-person chair.

Leaning into him when he drapes his arm over the back of the chair. He covers me with the second blanket and soon the shivers stop as his body heat and the heat from the fire lessens the chill of the winter air.

Owen hands me a thermos. “I made a chicken pot pie soup. My mom used to make it when the weather got cold. She walked me through her recipe.”

My heart flutters. I open the thermos and take a sip. Moaning, I close my eyes and take another sip. “This is amazing. Tell your mom you did her proud. This is the tastiest soup I think I’ve ever had.”

Owen grins as I hand it over to him. He sips it before giving it back. “Thank you. It’s still not quite as good as hers, but I think I got it pretty close.”

People slowly trickle away as the fires die down. Owen holds my hand as we walk back to his truck. He smirks as I suppress a yawn.

“It can’t be a good sign that you’re yawning on our first date,” he teases.

Chuckling, I angle toward him as he starts driving. “It is. I enjoyed myself so much that I stayed up over two hours past when I’m normally in bed.”

When we get back to my house, he turns off the truck and comes around to open my door. His hand is warm on mine as he walks me to the door.

He pulls me into his arms, holding me close. Inhaling deeply, his scent comforting as I rest my head on his chest a moment before pulling away.

“I had a really nice time, Owen. Thank you.”

“I did too.”

Elise and Raelynn practically dance where they’re sitting on my couch.

“You have to tell us about your date, which you didn’t bother telling us you were going on in the first place. Word spreads fast around here, which you know.” Raelynn’s expression is firm, but her tone teases.

I can’t stop the grin from forming as I fill them in on my evening with Owen. “I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect first date. If you would’ve told me in June that I’d be saying that I would’ve thought you were out of your mind. But it was everything I could’ve hoped for.”

Raelynn and Elise locked eyes before grinning and saying in unison, “We knew this was coming.”

Laughing, we move to firm up our plans for the masquerade ball. Before Owen dropped me off last night, he asked if he could pick me up and take me as his date. It was a no-brainer to accept.

Elise looks to Raelynn. “Are you ready to see Cameron there? Young Jae confirmed he’s going.”

Raelynn smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “There will be plenty of ways to avoid him. Besides, it sounds like he’s staying in town, so I have to get used to seeing him. He’s a part of our friend group and I won’t make you all choose.”

Wrapping my arm around Raelynn, I give her a gentle squeeze. “We can be your buffer. Maybe we need a code word?”

Her lips twitch. “Like what?”

Thinking, I laugh and then blurt out, “Banana hammock!”

The girls laugh.

Elise shouts, “Whippersnapper!”

Raelynn relaxes as we continue to brainstorm code words. Her mood shifting to excitement as we finalize our outfits.

Later that night I decorate for Christmas, Nora chasing strands of old garland through the main floor while Kane and Stella lounge by the back door. The fire crackles in the fireplace as I finish fluffing up my new tree. The evening is perfect. Much better than this time last year when I couldn’t bring myself to decorate.

Bending to the box of ornaments, the first one on top is one that Scott and I bought our first Christmas as a married couple. Holding it to my chest, I sigh. This Christmas is full of hope when last Christmas passed in a haze of despair so bad I didn’t decorate at all, but this ornament is a reminder of all the traditions I will miss.

Sure, new traditions will come and be wonderful, but it makes me realize how much I took that time for granted. Something I never want to do again.

The dogs’ heads perk up, both jumping to attention and running to the front door. Their tails are relaxed and wagging. The knock that sounds after a few minutes isn’t surprising.

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