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I have a special someone in my life — and not just any someone.
Erin Toomey. The girl of my dreams. The girl who I now see has always had my heart, even though I had no clue.
With her in my life, things can only continue to get better.
CHAPTER 18
ERIN
Standing in front of the bedroom mirror, I check my reflection one more time. Am I wearing the right dress?
Or is a sundress too casual?
Josh didn’t say where his parents are taking us for dinner, but there’s nothing incredibly fancy in this town. I should be okay.
Except… am I showing too much cleavage? It’s only a little, but what if even that is too much?
Groaning, I throw my head back. I’ve changed three times already, and I’m getting tired of second-guessing myself.
The whole last week with Josh has been absolutely blissful, and it wasn’t until he told me his parents wanted to have dinner with us that I started to freak out a little. I don’t know his mom and dad in any manner besides casual passing, and I really need to make a good impression tonight.
A knock on my bedroom door makes me turn around. “Come in.”
My mom opens the door. “Oh, that’s a pretty dress.”
I smooth my palms over the skirt. “Is it right for tonight? Maybe I should change.”
She sits on the edge of my bed. “Erin, you look beautiful in anything you wear. Don’t worry so much. Just be yourself.”
I let out a sigh. “Thanks, Mom. I needed to hear that.”
She smiles. “Of course, sweetie. It’s so funny. You’re back here, dating a local boy… I never thought I would see this. I thought you hated this town.”
I hesitate. I have always hated this town. Josh is the only thing that makes it better.
My mom’s eyelashes flutter, and she fiddles with her bracelet. “Erin. Why have you hardly ever visited before this?”
From the way she’s avoiding eye contact, I know the subject really hurts her. It’s a knife through my chest, seeing my mom, a grown woman, so hurt.
Sighing, I sit down next to her. “I don’t know. I mean, it’s so small here. I kind of felt like I already lived everything I could here, you know? And then there are the memories.”
“What memories?” Her brow furrows.
I suck in a sharp breath, regretting my confession. There’s no going back now, though, and maybe it will feel good to get this off my chest.
“Growing up, I was always Nerdy Erin Toomey. All the other kids saw me as stuck-up. They thought I considered myself too good for this town.”
“And did you think that?” my mom asks.
My cheeks burn. Yes, I always thought I was too good for Fort Williams. Even now, as a thirty-three-year-old adult who should know better, a part of me still thinks I’m too good for this place.
“I like cities,” I settle on saying.
My mom nods slowly, understanding written all over her face. “I see.”
Have I hurt her feelings? I can’t tell. She can be so closed-off, even if she’s just had a moment of confession.
She smiles at me, but there’s something tight about it. “Your dad and I need to get to our own dinner. We have reservations at the Italian place. Have fun tonight.”
