Page 31 of Here With Me

David matched her pace, swinging next to her. In elementary school, they would have been “married” because their swings were in sync.

Great, why had her mind gone there? She leaned back in her swing, giving it a little more oomph, but David matched her move.

“Do you remember the last time we were on swings together?” His gaze could light her skin on fire.

Oh, she remembered. She remembered everything when it came to David. And that was why she should’ve gone to the library with Lottie.

“It was the night before our last Christmas.” There had been a park near the university, and they’d walked over, hand in hand.

“I’d stuck around school so we could drive back to Heritage together.” David stretched his legs out, mirroring Sadie’s movements.

“It was cold that night.” She’d had her heaviest coat on, and still the air had nipped at her.

David slowed his swing.

Sadie let her foot touch the ground, scraping the dirt enough to stay in sync with him. She shouldn’t, but she wanted to know what David would say. Had he ever thought about her after he left?

“I don’t remember the temperature.” David’s voice was barely audible. His cheeks bloomed red.

Sadie stopped her swing. She hadn’t been cold that night once David had felt her shiver—mainly because his kisses had kept her plenty warm. She rubbed her damp hands down her pants. Even the memory heated her.

What David didn’t know? That she’d returned to that park after their breakup. Sat in the swing. Bonnie had found her there, sobbing.

“Maybe I don’t remember that night.” Sadie stood up. She couldn’t do this again. Memory lane was overrated. “I appreciate the invite to dinner on Saturday, but —”

“I thought we agreed on friends.”

Sadie gestured at the swing. “Friends don’t walk down romantic memory lane. Friends don’t look at each other like…”—she waved in the direction of his face—“that.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll be good. Just come.”

“I don’t think?—”

“Mom!” Lottie’s voice and running footsteps pulled her attention away from the man in front of her. “We’re going to dinner at Mr. Williams’s? Did you know he built a fairy house? And I get to see it. Vangie says it’s gonna be awesome. And s’mores? I love s’mores!”

“Have you ever even had s’mores?” Sadie walked toward Lottie, a welcome break from David and their past.

Lottie shook her head, her red curls bouncing behind her. “Nope. What are they?”

David’s deep chuckle rumbled behind Sadie, and she hated the goosebumps that broke across her neck. He’d moved closer, and she hadn’t even realized it.

“They’re delicious,” he said. “You’ll find out on Saturday.”

So much for offering an excuse. She hadn’t considered that Caroline and Leah would talk to Lottie about dinner. There was no way out now.

Lottie skipped around Sadie to David and latched on to his hand. “Did you really build a fairy house?”

David held up his free hand. “With my own two hands.”

“That’s so cool!”

David nodded to his truck. “That reminds me. I found something this weekend I thought you might like to see. It’s in the bed of my truck.”

Lottie’s head bobbled up and down. “Can I see? Oh, did you see Otis? The librarian let me read a book to him, as long as I promised to bring the book back before I left. I did.”

Sure enough, Otis sat next to the library, looking toward the updated one-room schoolhouse. Sadie had been so consumed with David she’d missed an incredible photo op.

She would not miss out on anything else tonight, so she hurried to catch up to Lottie as she skipped next to David, holding his hand. Once Sadie caught up, Lottie held her hand too, connecting the three of them.

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