Page 38 of Hello Handsome
As we ate, the emcee announced Ford. Gray and I clapped loudly, along with Mia, as he walked to the microphone stand where the orchestra waited silently.
There wasn’t a hint of shake to his voice as he began speaking. “Everyone, thank you so much for coming to the third annual Ford’s Friends gala...” He shared some stats about the charity and who they’d been able to serve so far and then his lofty goals for the future of the organization. I saw so much of his dad in him, not only in his quiet confidence but also in his humility.
“Thank you all for coming and for your dedication to helping children,” Ford continued. “Speaking from experience, a good grief counselor can make a world of difference and change the course of someone’s life when they need it most.”
Next to me, Gray took a shaky breath, and I covered his hand with my own.
He gave me a grateful look with his watery eyes.
Ford concluded his speech by saying that he was personally matching all donations made that evening and stepped off the stage. The program manager spoke next, sharing more stories of children and families the charity had helped, followed by one of the grief counselors who shared how much she enjoyed working with Ford and the families in need. More people were crying than had dry eyes by the end of it. Including me.
Ford had shared his heart and pain with the world to create something better. I hoped I could do the same, on a smaller scale, by sharing my heart with Gray.
26
GRAY
My son hadplenty of room for the two of us, but I got a hotel room for Aggie and me to share. We agreed to split a room with two beds, but I hoped we wouldn’t need both.
All night, I’d been searching for the right moment to tell Aggie how much progress I had made. That I finally felt ready to commit to her in this life–however much of it we had left.
So, as the staff began cleaning up the event, we said goodbye and got into my truck. The directions played on the radio screen, every so often interrupting my conversation with Aggie about the evening.
She’d been impressed by all the glitz and glam, but honestly, I’d had a hard time taking my eyes off her. Whether she was in a diner or at a ball, she always seemed to shine.
“You must be so proud of Ford,” she said again. “I can’t believe all he’s accomplished.”
My chest swelled with pride for my son. “Everyone thinks I must be so proud of his football career, but if I’m being honest, I’m prouder of how he cares for others. No matter how big he’s gotten, he treats the janitor like the CEO and vice versa.”
Aggie nodded emphatically. “You can tell who has character on how they act… how they treat servers in a diner.”
I frowned, thinking of the abuse Aggie suffered at the hands of customers from time to time. “I still think there should be a ban list for shitty people.”
She chuckled. “Take it up with Owen.”
I shook my head, still disbelieving that Owen had gone from that slouchy kid shuffling through the diner to a decent man who managed the diner like his dad had. Still, “It’s about the bottom line for him.”
Aggie shrugged. “Bad customers are just a part of the game.” She reached out, brushing my forearm with her fingertips. “The good customers make it worth it.”
A chill went down my spine. This would be the time to tell her, but I couldn't trust myself to keep my wheels in the lane if she let me down. So I kept it in as I pulled up to the hotel and checked us in.
Once our bags were in the room, I suggested, “Why don’t we go for a walk? There’s a courtyard by the pool.”
Aggie nodded. “Let me get out of these heels first.”
She didn’t bother with her dress though, slipping out of her silver strappy sandals and trading them for hot pink flip-flops. I think I’d seen them in a bin in the grocery store last year, and they made me smile, thinking of the town, of all the history we shared together.
“Ready?” I asked her, gazing at her flip-flops.
She wiggled her painted toes. “As I’ll ever be.”
I held the door open for her, noticing the tantalizing scent of her vanilla perfume, and then followed her to the lobby and out the sliding doors. This late at night, the pool was empty, blue water shimmering over the lit bottom.
We walked around it, navigating between the paved edge and the empty cabana chairs lined up several feet away. Then we walked down a path edged by perfectly trimmed evergreen trees. It was set up like a waist-high maze, perfect to spendtime walking beside each other under the stars that were strong enough to overcome the city’s light pollution.
We made it a few steps into the maze when Aggie and I both broke the silence at the same time, speaking over each other. We both chuckled, apologizing.
Then she grinned. “Jinx, you owe me a soda.”
