Page 26 of Winter Memories

I chuckle and give her a look when she reaches for the door handle. She folds her hands back in her lap as I jump out of the truck. “They have some good food here. The bar can get busy at night, but it won’t be too bad right now,” I tell her as I lead her inside. “They have karaoke and live music on certain nights.”

“That sounds like fun,” she gushes and lights up.

“This is just the first date of many,” I promise.

The moment we step inside, Eden tenses while her eyes dart around. “This is nice,” she murmurs, but she’s not really looking at any of it.

As I look around, there are a lot of people looking at us curiously. Since it’s still kind of early in the night, the bar isn’t full and there are plenty of people enjoying dinner out. The later it gets, the younger the crowd, but right now it’s a mix.

The whispers start almost immediately, but I don’t pay any attention to them as I lead Eden over to a table with a little reserved sign on it since I called over earlier and asked for it to be marked for me. I pull her chair out for her and get her settled in her seat. She keeps looking around as if she’s waiting for someone to start yelling at her.

She should know no one is going to make her feel bad about not being back sooner and I’m sure quite a few people will be happy about seeing us together. I relax back in the seat and watch my woman as she looks over the menu since I already know what I’m getting. Even if I didn’t, I’d take the opportunity to just watch her; she’s captivating.

While she’s still tense, she relaxes slightly after we order, and we both have drinks. The shy smile she gives me fucking slays me.

“Sorry,” she winches slightly and shakes her head a little, “I’m being silly. Thank you for asking me to go out.”

I reach over and take her hand in mine and give it a little squeeze. “I know you’ve needed some time to get used to this between us and process everything, but I didn’t want to let too much time pass before taking you out on a real date. I wantyou to be able to trust my intentions about where this is going between us.”

The chuckle she lets out is a touch self-deprecating. “Of course, you would know I needed to be able to process this change,” she sighs while smiling. “I was spiraling a little at first,” she admits.

“What had you thinking so hard?”

She gnaws on her bottom lip and her eyes widen as I reach over and pull it out from between her teeth. “I was concerned this was moving too fast and if it was just a reaction to seeing each other again. We didn’t have a lot of closure 13 years ago when we went from being best friends and together, even with the distance, to not in each other’s lives at all.”

I nod slowly, understanding her thinking. “The way I feel about you has nothing to do with closure,” I assure her. “I’ve missed you more than I could ever express. I missed my best friend and our relationship.” I stare into her dark eyes and hope she can feel the sincerity in my words, “I gave you my heart when we were kids, Shooting Star, and I never got it back.”

She deflates and her eyes get glassy with unshed tears. “I feel the same way,” she admits.

Her words make me feel like I’m one step closer to making Eden mine permanently. I prod her gently, “What else were you worried about?”

She huffs out a small laugh and rolls her eyes. “I’m not sure if I like how well you can read me sometimes,” she teases. “I was just,” she shrugs, “worried I was moving too fast with bringing someone into Macklin’s life. I never really thought about how I would go about it after his dad left. It wasn’t somethingeven remotely on my radar, but I also know you will never do anything to hurt him.”

“Never,” I vow. “I understand why you’d be concern. It’s a lot to expect someone so young to understand and adapt to, especially when we’re just getting to know each other again after being apart for so long. You don’t want Macklin to be hurt.”

“You’d never hurt him,” her words are filled with an appalled shock. “I know it without question, Fletch.”

“If we need to slow down, Eden, we can,” I let her know. “I don’t want to push you to move faster than you’re comfortable with, but I want to make sure you know what I want out of this.”

She whispers, her eyes wide, “What is that?”

“You,” I lay my truth at her feet. “I just want you. I want to be with you. There will be things that are different in our relationship now, but I know we’ll face all those changes and whatever challenges come our way. I want a chance to make you mine because I already know I won’t be able to let you go.”

She can’t fight the wide smile that curls her lips upward. “I like the sound of that.”

Our food is delivered, and the conversation becomes lighter. We’re going to give this a try, a real try. I know it’ll all work out. The only woman I could ever picture growing old next to was Eden and it’s still true now.

We are interrupted a few times while we’re eating. Even though everyone acknowledges me, it becomes clear very quickly they all came by to see my woman. She tenses every time we’re interrupted, but her shoulders do leave her ears eventually and she looks far more relaxed with every person who stops by to speak to us.

As we’re finishing dinner and it seems people are leaving us alone, I lean forward and grip her hand in mine. I tease her, “Did you think someone was going to grab you and then march you out of town with pitchforks or some shit?”

I chuckle lightly and look at my girl. She has no idea how people really view her. As much as she tried to stay away, she’s always thought of Wintervale as her home.

“You never know,” she chirps, and smiles at me.

“It would never happen. Not only would I not allow it, but the people here love you. They’ve missed you,” I tell her earnestly.

Something twinkles in Eden’s eyes, and I know I need to get us out of here. As soon as possible.

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