Page 27 of Finders Keepers

“Thank you for showing me Starlight,” Sophie says, surprising me by directing her words to Gavin.

“You’re very welcome,” he responds, his voice warm but careful, as if he can sense my tension. “She’s a special horse.”

Sophie yawns, the evening’s excitement finally catching up with her. I lift her into my arms, and she rests her head on my shoulder.

“I think that’s our cue,” Ms. Lucy says with a gentle smile. “Time to head home.”

As we walk toward the parking lot, Sophie’s weight grows heavier in my arms. I can’t help but think about how different this evening could have been. In another life, without the shadow of Matt hanging over us, maybe I could have enjoyed the simple pleasure of a carnival night. Maybe I could have looked Gavin in the eye when he spoke or joined in the conversation instead of hiding behind my wall of silence.

I adjust Sophie in my arms as we navigate through the thinning crowd. Her steady breathing against my neck tells me she’s fighting sleep, the excitement of the evening finally catching up to her. Ms. Lucy and Gavin walk slightly ahead of us, their conversation drifting back in fragments.

The fair lights cast long shadows across the grass, and I find my thoughts wandering to Gavin. He’s different from Matt in ways that unsettle me—not because they’re bad, but because they make me question everything I thought I knew about men. Where Matt was all sharp edges and unpredictable storms, Gavin seems… steady. Like a harbor in calm waters.

Stop it. Stop comparing them. Stop thinking about either of them.

But my mind refuses to obey. I remember how Matt would get frustrated when Sophie was tired, how he’d snap at her to walk faster or complain about having to carry her. Yet here’s Gavin, slowing his pace without being asked, making sure we don’t get separated in the crowd.

“The clinic’s hosting an adoption event tomorrow,” Gavin’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “We’ve got some wonderful dogs and cats looking for homes. You should come by if you’re interested.”

I freeze for a moment, my arms tightening around Sophie. The invitation catches me off guard, and I feel the familiar flutter of anxiety in my chest.

“I… um…” The words stick in my throat.

Ms. Lucy turns to me with her gentle smile. “That’s entirely up to you, dear. No pressure at all.”

Sophie stirs against my shoulder. “Puppies?” she mumbles sleepily.

The hope in her voice tugs at my heart. Back in Oklahoma, she’d always wanted a pet, but Matt… well, Matt had his opinions about that too.

“Yeah,” I manage to say, surprising myself. “Maybe we could stop by.”

“Wonderful!” Ms. Lucy softly clasps her hands together. “I’ll come along too. Been thinking about getting a cat for company.”

We reach Ms. Lucy’s car, and Gavin steps forward to open the back door. The gesture startles me, such a simple thing. Matt never… Stop. Stop thinking about him.

I carefully maneuver Sophie into her car seat, buckling her in as her head lolls to the side. When I straighten up, Gavin’s already holding the passenger door open for me. Our eyes meet for a brief moment before I quickly look away, but not before I catch the warmth in his gaze.

“Thank you,” I whisper, sliding into the seat.

“My pleasure.” His voice is soft, careful, like he knows any sudden movement or loud noise might send me running. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

I nod, still not meeting his eyes. “Tomorrow.”

Ms. Lucy exchanges a few more words with him before getting in the driver’s seat. As we pull away, I catch a glimpse of him in the side mirror, a tall figure standing in the glow of the parking lot lights, watching us leave.

The drive home is quiet except for Sophie’s soft snores and the hum of the engine. My mind keeps circling back to Gavin, to the way he spoke to Sophie about the carousel horses, to the gentle way he held the door open. Each interaction feels like a puzzle piece that doesn’t fit with what I know about men, about relationships, about danger.

He seems nice,a small voice in my head whispers.

Matt seemed nice too, at first.

Gavin feels… different. There’s no underlying current of tension when he’s around, no feeling that I need to carefully measure every word and action. That could have been because I barely said three words to him.

“You know,” Ms. Lucy’s voice breaks through my thoughts, “Gavin’s been running that clinic for a few years now ever since his daddy passed, God rest his soul. Helps out at the animal shelter too.”

I recognize what she’s doing, offering information without pushing, letting me draw my own conclusions. “That’s… nice,” I manage to say.

“Mm-hmm.” She turns onto the gravel road leading to her property. “He’s got a good heart, that one. But don’t you worry about any of that. You just focus on what makes you and Sophie feel safe and comfortable.”

---