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I reached up and wiped away a few tears that had leaked out of his eyes, feeling as if my dreams were coming true in this very moment. “I’m sure he’s still making good on that promise.”
“Thank you for saying that, Scarlett. Times like these, I can still feel him.” He caught my hand and kissed it.
Suddenly, the Ferris wheel jolted to a stop. We dangled there while each gondola’s passengers were let off. It was quiet between us, yet comfortable, as we got closer and closer to the ground.
I loved these moments with Kane where I got insight into his heart and soul. More and more, I was falling for him. Was it love? I was beginning to think so. I needed to check with Naomi, but I wasn’t sure how to start that conversation. July was fading fast, and next month I would be back at Samford. I wondered if this thing between me and Kane could last.
When we got off the ride, we walked around a bit. Kane wanted a picture in front of the Fountain of Rings to go along with the several others he’d already snapped while we were on the Ferris wheel. It seemed important to him to document our time together. I didn’t mind at all. This way I could always relive one of my dreams.
I’d been thinking about my dreams so much lately. I wished for a father like Kane’s who wanted to make my dreams come true. Unfortunately, Auggie didn’t even know what my dreams were, despite the fact that he was interacting more in my life than I’d ever remembered. Just yesterday he’d stopped by my office; he had stood there and stared at me sitting on the floor until he finally asked, “Is something wrong with your chair?”
When I’d told him no, he had nodded and walked off. This may not seem like a significant thing, but he’d never come to my office before, and the fact he cared about how comfortable my chair was, sadly, said something.
The real question I had been pondering lately was whether I was brave enough to make my own dreams come true. I strung my arm through Kane’s. Being with him this summer felt courageous. I’d been brave enough to believe someone like Kane would want to be with me. I’d been brave enough to be myself around him. Most importantly, I had started to take the leap of faith and explore who I was and what I wanted.
Kane pulled me closer as we walked through the crowded plaza toward the fountain. As we approached, I saw a scene that was filled with such happiness—children and adults running through the fountain, laughing and squealing.
Kane and I took a seat on one of the concrete steps to watch for a moment. He snapped a few pictures and a couple of selfies of us with the fountain as our backdrop.
“This is a good one.” He showed me a picture of our heads together, water shooting up behind us.
I stared at it for a moment. We looked like a couple. Like we belonged together. It was weird—I hardly recognized my tanned face. I liked the woman staring back at me. “It’s perfect.”
Kane kissed my lips. “You’re perfect.”
I bit my lip. “Not even close.”
“I beg to differ. My opinion is completely unbiased.”
“Uh-huh.” I wasn’t buying a word of it, but reveled in it just the same.
He pressed his lips to mine before whispering against them, “Sweet perfection.” When he pulled away, he had a mischievous glint in his rich caramel chocolate eyes that made me hunger in ways I didn’t know were possible. “To prove my unbiased opinion, I think you’re going to have to run through the fountain with me.”
I leaned away, wary of this plan. “What? We’ll get all wet, and we have dinner reservations.”
“Scarlett,”—he swept the hair off my shoulder—“what would you think of going to my place for dinner?”
I blinked and blinked, my brain short-circuiting. I’d never been to his place. He’d never even offered before this.
“I’m tired of the prying eyes, and after being gone all week, I just want to be alone with you. But if it makes you feel uncomfortable . . .,” he added when I didn’t answer—more like couldn’t. I was still trying to process.
Auggie and Eva were getting ridiculous whenever we were at my house. They seemed to hover wherever we were, whether in the pool swimming or the theater room watching a movie. And then there was the matter of Kane traveling more most likely because my father arranged it. “It doesn’t,” I stuttered.
He tilted his head. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. But this is like a big step for us, right?”
He chuckled. “Scarlett, you are a breath of fresh air.”
More like I was an idiot. Why did I ask that? My cheeks began to burn.
