Page 90 of The Heart Shot
“Now,” she barked, clapping her hands together. “To what do I owe this pleasure? The patch is about to close, you know.”
It was the last weekend of October, and we wanted to come back to the place where we had our first date one last time before it closed for the season.
Jameson ran a hand through his hair. “We know. I wanted to show Elsie the stars from the best place in Meridel.”
According to Jameson, the patch had the best view of the stars at night, completely unobstructed by lights or trees. He claimed it was like staring at the entire universe.
Aunt Jo nodded and threw a thumb over her shoulder. “There are some extra blankets in the back. Feel free to take them and some cider with you.”
Jameson nodded his thanks before ducking into the back and emerging a moment later with an arm full of multi-colored blankets. I filled two Styrofoam cups of cider, and we headed for the door when Aunt Jo stopped me.
“Elsie?”
I stopped mid-step, looking at her over my shoulder. “Yeah?”
“You take care of my Jamie, you hear?” Her gaze was stern, but the love she had for her nephew was evident in each word.
I didn’t pretend to have everything figured out yet, nor had my fears vanished overnight, but I did know that Jameson and I had something amazing that I couldn’t imagine giving up now. It wouldn’t always be easy, but like Jameson had said: we were worth fighting for.
Reallove always was.
I smiled. “Don’t worry, Aunt Jo. There’s nothing I’d rather do.”
We said goodbye to her before heading outside. The late October air had taken a turn for the brutal and bitter, but Jameson was adamant that this was an experience not to be missed. Especially when our previous stargazing night had ended in a not-so-pleasant way. I winced at the memory, thankful I had decided to give a relationship with Jameson a shot.
In the two weeks since we made up, he had done nothing but prove to me that I had made the right decision, and now I couldn’t imagine my world without Jameson in it.Though I still had a lot of fear and insecurity to work through, there was no one else that I’d rather have by my side while I faced down the beasts within my mind.
We crossed the pumpkin patch by the light of the moon, my foot snagging on vines once or twice, before he helped me climb up the steps onto the hayride. His muscles flexed as he rearranged the hay bales into a bed-like rectangle before he spread one of the blankets down and then gestured for me to crawl on.Settling down next to each other, he planted a kiss on my cheek.
Everything was silent as we sipped on our cider and munched on the donuts he had swiped while Aunt Jo wasn’t looking.It was perfection: sitting here with Jameson by my side, listening to the sounds of nature, the wind blowing through the trees.
Once the treats were gone, he curled me into his arms, and we stared up at the stars.
Jameson was right. This was the best view of the night sky I had ever seen. It felt like we were floating through the galaxy, watching stars shoot by every few seconds. I was lost in the warmth of his arms, in the beauty of the sky, so when he spoke, I almost didn’t hear him.
“There’s no one I’d rather be here with, Elsie. No one I’d rather have in my arms.”
His smile had my heart stuttering in my chest as he pulled me impossibly closer. Tears filled my eyes, and I bit my lip to hold them back. I wasn’t sad—not in the slightest. No one had ever made me feel so treasured before. I loved how he truly cherished me with every moment we spent together.
I loved his kind heart. His sweet soul. The way he desperately loved those he cared about.
Jameson was a rare find, and I was so, so lucky he was mine.
I brushed my lips against his, knowing it would say more than simple words ever could. He kissed me through his grin, and I knew in that moment that I had found something irreplaceable. A love like pure magic—one I never thought existed or dared to dream of.
The last two months had been an absolute whirlwind, but I couldn’t stop thinking back to that moment in the tent when we watched that star shoot across the sky—when he told me to make a wish.
I pulled away just enough to look into his hazel eyes, which flickered in the moonlight, running my hand through his hair as his smile lit my insides on fire. Jameson’s arms tightened, wordlessly telling me that I wasn’t going anywhere—and neither was he.
“Thanks for making my wish come true,” I whispered against his lips.
And then I kissed him beneath the starlight.
Jameson
Fourteen Months Later
Iwas back in the sunflower field where I had first met Elsie over a year ago, only this time, snow covered the ground.
