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Her face lights up when she says, “You mean you’ll willingly walk around, mostly window shopping and potentially paying an exorbitant amount for something that you could find anywhere else for much less?”
“As long as I’m with you. You should know by now that I’ll follow you anywhere,” I say, lessening the sentimentality with an eye roll. She grins in response and grabs my hand.
“You guys want to come?” Summer asks as Todd and Layla work to get their chairs folded and put in the carrying bags.
“We have to get these back to the car, but how about we meet you guys for dinner? That way we don’t slow you down,” Todd suggests.
“Sounds good. I know there’s supposed to be a big line of food trucks somewhere. Want to meet there in an hour or so?” I ask, slipping the straps of my backpack over my shoulders. Todd and Layla agree and then lead Hudson back toward the side street to find their car.
We spend a long time weaving through the labyrinth of booths. It feels part farmers market, part craft fair, part music festival. Summer pauses at most of them, running her navy-tipped fingers over shirts, crystals, jewelry, and all manner of handmade tchotchkes. She picks up a tiny bracelet dripping with a rainbow of rhinestones for Emma and definitely pays more than I thought possible for such a small thing.
I get swindled into purchasing a handmade beard oil when Summer says she likes the scent. The man behind the booth (sporting a fantastic beard himself) looks at me and winks, saying, “Trust me, you’ll be going to our site for more as soon as you runout. Women are addicted to the scent and the softness.” He gives me a knowing look and slips his business card into my hand.
Summer assesses me with a critical eye and says, “Your beardcouldbe softer.” I sigh and fork over my credit card.
As we approach the exit of the vendors and move towards the scent of carne asada, funnel cake, and hotdogs, I realize she hasn’t gotten anything for herself.
When I point out as much to her, she tries to wave me off, “It’s no big deal. I’m trying to keep my excess spending to a minimum. I don’t want to dip into my savings more than I’ve already had to. There will always be more time to buy little things I don’t need.”
“Wait, are you saying Ididn’tneed the beard oil?” I dangle the brown gift bag accusingly in front of her face.
She laughs and pushes it away, “No, you definitely need it. Maybe I won’t get so much beard rash once you start using it.”
I scoff and tug her back to my front, rubbing said beard playfully along the side of her exposed neck. “See? Plenty soft,” I whisper into her ear before pulling back to look at her. She looks up at me, the corners of her eyes crinkling with a barely suppressed smile before schooling her expression with a playful scold.
We break into a clearing lined with food trucks and I spot my sister and her family in line at a taco truck. We wave and then decide on corn dogs and beer to really go for the all-American experience. Unfortunately, it seems like lots of other people have the same idea, so the line feels a mile long. There are at least fifteen people in front of us and the line slows as a large family of eight approaches the window. The parents try to corral their children while also ordering food to feed their small army.
As we stand melting in the heat, I get an idea. “Hey, I’ll be right back, okay? I just have to use the restroom. If I’m not back by the time you’re close to the front, give me a call.” She nods andsmiles at me. I give her a quick peck on the lips before dashing back through the vendor booths.
I weave my way back to a stall we spent a long time looking over. There are crystal bookmarks made of obsidian, agate, rose quartz, and ones I can’t even name spread across a section of the table. They’re thin enough to be placed in a book but delicate enough that they have a translucent quality to them. I select a rose quartz one that has a heart-shaped hole drilled through the top of it with a heavy tassel attached. I know Summer didn’t get it because of the price. It wasn’t outrageous, but enough to make her turn away after she spent a few minutes turning it around in the light and playing with the tassel.
“That’s the one your girl was eyeing earlier,” the woman running the booth says with a smile. She’s petite, almost birdlike, with a large nest of dark, curly hair piled atop her head.
“I know. I paid attention,” I say, smiling at her in return.
“Good man. I’ll even throw in a worry stone for free. She looked like she could use it. Clear quartz will help absorb negative energy.”
“Maybe I’ll strap a few dozen to her myself then,” I say with a chuckle. She laughs with me as she carefully wraps the bookmark in tissue paper and places it into another brown gift bag. She picks up the worry stone, wraps that one up too, and sets it on top. “Thank you,” I say, after signing my name on her card reader.
“No problem. Take care of that one. Lots of bad energy hanging around her, but I can tell she’s usually full of sunshine. Stick close to her, I think she’s going to need you.” I smile and nod, a little spooked at the accurate reading. I’m not one to believe in much outside of what I can see with my own eyes, but that damn near sent a chill down my spine. I pause to shove the two bags in my backpack on top of the picnic blanket.
I head back through the booths and am back in the food truck alcove just as I feel my phone start to vibrate. I jog up to Summer and give her a loud, smacking kiss on the cheek. She laughs,ending the call. “You’re just in time.” She gestures to the food truck ahead just as the couple in front of us steps out of line to wait for their order. I grab her hand and entwine our fingers together while we come up to the window.
A young guy leans out with a harried smile and asks, “What can I get you, folks?” He has sweat beading his brow and I hope he’s had at least a small break today. This heat is no joke.
Summer cranes her neck to meet his eyes and says, “I’ll take a footlong with nacho cheese dip, please.”
“Make that two,” I say, digging my wallet out of the back pocket of my shorts. Layla, Todd, and Hudson join us as the man returns my card to me. Layla and Todd each hold a burrito that looks like it could feed three people a piece.
“Thanks for buying me dinner,” Summer says as we all walk over to the pick-up window on the truck.
“Only the fanciest for my woman,” I say with a cheeky smile. I catch Layla’s eye as she mouths, “I like her,”behind Summer’s back. I wink at her in acknowledgement and go back to looking at Summer. She laughs at my dumb joke, the setting sun catching the side of her face and making her glow.
I am absolutely fatal for this woman. We haven’t said “I love you” yet, but I know we both feel it. We’ve been in such a whirlwind since we got together that there just hasn’t been a good moment. I know Summer would never ask for it, but I want to give her a book-worthy moment. She deserves to have a few fantasies played out in real life. That’s what tonight is for.
CHAPTER 32
Summer
