Page 19 of Love and Pumpkins
In a momentary lapse of reason, I step towards him and put my arms around his waist. I just want to take comfort in his presence.
He wraps his arms around me and squeezes me close. “This is unexpected,” he says softly. “I like it, though.”
I shut my eyes and inhale deeply. We’re not lost. We’re perfectly safe. While we may lose this race, we’ll be good sports. Maybe this wasn’t about winning, anyway. It was a good excuse for Chloe to spend time with Ray, and I got to spend time with Hunter.Way to go, Chloe! Your brilliance amazes me.
Two young kids run by us. “Ew, gross,” one of them says.
Hunter chuckles, then whispers, “Ignore them.”
Why is he being so nice?
“Hey,” he says, pulling back from me.
I look up at him and sigh. Soft orange twinkle lights are woven through the maze to help people navigate it at night. The lights create a cozy, warm glow on Hunter’s face. I see a few faint lines around his eyes. I have a sudden memory of Hunter at five, then sixteen, and now. What an amazing experience to have known him for over twenty-five years. Outside of my family, there are onlya handful of people, maybe eight or nine former classmates, that I can say that about. I imagine seeing Hunter’s face ten years, twenty years, even fifty years from now. The thought makes my knees weak.
For the first time, I truly feel like this is someone I could grow old with. I never thought about that with either of the men who proposed to me. Yes, they were both short-lived engagements, but shouldn’t I have been thinking about a lifetime with them when I said yes to their proposals?
Why am I thinking about this with Hunter? He’s not said he’s interested in me. He lives over three hours away. I’m an idiot for even entertaining this thought.
“Are you all right? Really all right?” he asks.
I’m not surprised he’s asking; I’ve gone from a cynical attitude and barely speaking to him yesterday morning to standing in his arms. He probably thinks I’m a scattered mess. He wouldn’t be incorrect.
“I’m fine. Sorry.” I try to step back, but he won’t release me. I tilt my head and look at him, raising my eyebrow.
Before I can say anything else, he leans down and kisses me. The kiss is tender and cautious, like he wants to heal the hurts inside of me but is worried I might slap him at the same time.
There’s no way I’m stopping this or slapping him. If he didn’t have his arms around me, I might fall to the ground like a scarecrow, a pile of straw and tattered clothing, boneless under the moonlight, with the twinkling lights surrounding us and the risk of more kids yelling “ew”.
I’d happily take the teasing, as long as I got this in return.
Far too soon, Hunter pulls back and locks his eyes on mine. He’s looking for my reaction. Kissing him back should have been enough of a clue, but I smile to let him know that I’m glad he took the initiative.
Chapter Eight
It’s Sunday morning, and the weather forecaster said to expect rain today. Even though I’m prepared, I still feel a sinking in my stomach when I hear the first rumblings of thunder.
“No rain!” I mumble to the stack of soap in my hand. I’m moving inventory around this morning in case repeat shoppers return today—they’ll see new products on the front table. Leaving my aunt and uncle’s farm last night, I purchased a bushel basket of Honeycrisp apples. They smell so delicious and look so pretty next to my display of caramel-apple-scented soap bars.
Hunter hasn’t arrived yet, and I’m nervous about seeing him. After our brief kiss last night, we didn’t talk about our feelings or the future. I have questions but am worried about the answers. I don’t want a long-distance relationship. He lives in Chicago, and I’m in Central Illinois. Three hours away. My close-proximity relationships that turnedinto short-lived engagements didn’t work out. How could a long-distance relationship work?
There had been no time to ask or talk; Chloe and Ray ran past us, and we gave chase. At the last minute, Hunter made a quick left turn, and we made it through the exit first, followed closely by Ray and Chloe.
I can’t worry about the future with Hunter right now. I have to finish setting up my booth and hope for a great sales day.
When the next round of thunder rolls, it feels as though the ground vibrates. I glance around; the tables are close to the edges of the tent coverage. I pull each table in about six inches. If it rains, hopefully the soaps and tablecloths will stay dry.
Hunter calls, “Good morning,” and the sound of his voice makes my knees weak.
I turn to see he’s carrying two coffee cups and a bakery bag. My stomach growls. I would have eaten breakfast before I left home, but my mind was on fresh apple cider donuts. The vendor wasn’t open when I walked by, or I would have grabbed some already.
Is it possible Hunter read my mind and brought those delectable treats?
“Morning,” I respond, moving to the front of my booth. I glance up anxiously at the sky. Dark clouds are moving in from the west.
I frown as Hunter stops in front of me. “I brought breakfast,” he says as he leans forward and kisses me on my nose.Wow, maybe the kiss last night wasn’t an accident.
“Donuts?” I ask.
