“Are you talking about when Imogen accidentally spilled punch on Jacob’s suit and he almost flipped the table, or when you took me and Lucy out into the field where the old community garden used to be?”
“The latter,” Connor said. “Though, looking back, I really wish I’d punched that dude in the jaw when I had the chance.”
“You and me both,” I said, anger flickering in me at the mention of Imogen’s ex-husband. “As far as the other thing, goes . . . it’s the best date I’ve ever been on,” I said honestly.
Connor paused at my words as we approached the street corner.
“I have to admit, I’ve been nervous about this since I first had the idea. You’ve been so stressed recently, and I wanted to do something nice for you. So, I planned a little evening out for you.”
My jaw dropped as we turned the final corner, and I saw what Connor had done.
We were back in the field that had once been used for a community garden and now laid fallow most of the year. Lucy’s tailgate was down, and inside the truckbed were lush pillows and blankets. Connor had looped fairy lights around the metal frame, illuminating the space just enough to feel cozy and safe. There was a larger cooler underneath the tailgate, and Connor set the smaller cooler in his hand down beside it.
“There’s food, but I didn’t want to set it out until you got here,” he said. “I know you just said you associate this with our date, but this is for you. I want you to have a night where you can relax.”
I tried to find the words to express how much this meant to me, but all of them came up short. Connor turned his back to me and began filling a large platter with an assortment of cut meats, cheeses, olives, breads, strawberries, and other fruit.
“I also brought your tablet in case you wanted to cozy up and watch a movie,” he said. “And there’s bug repellent torches stationed around the truck.”
He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and my chest squeezed to the point of pain. He’d done this forme. I knew he’d be fine if I asked him to leave, but that was the last thing I wanted. Right now, I wanted him. I wanted to know more about this man I used to love.
“Will you stay?” I said, reaching for his arm. Connor hesitated.
“Please. I want you to stay.”
His gaze softened, and some of the tension seeped from his shoulders.
“I’d like that.”
I kicked off my sandals and hopped into Lucy’s bed, careful not to dismantle the platter of delicious charcuterie that had my mouth watering. I settled into the back right corner, reaching for the first plate he’d prepared and shoving a massive bite of food into my mouth. Connor smirked.
“I was so hungry,” I said around a mouthful of crackers and cheese. “You’re my hero for this.”
Connor let out a small chuckle and popped a grape into his mouth. “I live to serve.”
He hopped into the truck bed alongside me, lying down on the opposite side. I laid back against the pillows, gazing up at the sky.
“It feels like a lifetime ago that we did this.”
“Almost five years ago,” Connor said, mirroring my movement and laying back against the pillow, his right arm propping his head up so he could look at me.
“So much was different then,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Imogen and my mom forced me to go prom dress shopping with them, even though I insisted I already had something.”
“Oh, really?”
I smiled as the wave of memory washed over me.
“Yeah. My mom insisted I should get the exact dress I wanted, because there was no guarantee I’d go to senior prom too. I needed to live it up in case I never got the opportunity again. So we went shopping, and I picked out the navy blue dress.”
“I loved that dress.”
I smacked his arm and laughed.
“I know you did.”
We settled into a comfortable silence as we ate. Ambient noise and conversations from the buildings across the street filtered into the quiet space, but it wasn’t annoying. The background noise was helpful to keep my anxiety at bay.
“Did your mom ever tell you about the conversation she had with me that night?”