“Only for special occasions,” he says, pulling out a corkscrew like he’s done this a hundred times.
Stripe and Shadow stir in their carrier, curious but content, and settle again once I tuck the edge of their blanket over them like I’m swaddling royalty.
Knox pours the wine into a pair of stemless glasses, hands me one, and offers a crooked smile. “To warm-up date number six.”
I clink his glass. “The longest third date in human history.”
Side by side, we sit, grazing on grapes, sliced figs, cheese, and crackers as dusk settles around us.
The crowd thickens, more couples arriving with blankets and portable chairs. A few kids dart between groups, chasing bubbles, their laughter echoing off the canvas vendor tents.
Knox leans in, his usually steely eyes glinting. “What do you think their story is?” He tips his chin toward a couple a few blankets away, mid-sixties, holding hands, sharing a blanket and a flask like teenagers.
“High school sweethearts who broke up before prom, lost touch for decades, and reconnected at a grocery store meat counter.”
Knox chuckles. “Pork chops and destiny.”
“Exactly.”
He nudges my shoulder, gesturing to a pair of twenty-somethings arguing over where to place their cooler. “What about those two?”
“Newly dating,” I say, tilting my head as if I’m sizing up the tiniest details about them. “He’s holding in a rant about logistics, but she’s too hot for him to risk blowing it.”
Knox laughs,really laughs, and I can’t help but notice his handsome face consumed with delight. How the mere sound of him makes everything else seem to fade.
Overhead lights dim as the projector hums to life, casting a cool glow onto the makeshift screen.
Greasebegins, Travolta and Newton-John belting outSummer Nightslike it’s our personal anthem.
Knox shifts beside me, his shoulder and forearm brushing mine, warm and steady, and I swear I can feel electricity buzzing between us.
As a breeze picks up, I rub my bare arms, pretending not to shiver.
Without a word, Knox slides an arm around my shoulders and pulls me gently against him.
I lean into his warmth, and something stirs in my chest. That quiet flutter of caution. The one that whispers…
Don’t fall too fast.
Don’t forget, this isn’t forever.
Because even wrapped in shimmering lights and wine and the scent of him, I know this moment isn’t mine to keep.
But I stay here anyway, eyes shut, heart drifting a little higher toward that moon.
CHAPTER 16
Cami
Our drive back is a blur of quiet smiles, lingering glances, and fingers laced between us, an unspoken current thrumming beneath the surface.
Resting my head against the window, the low drone of tires and ambient radio static lulls me into something dangerously close to bliss.
Is this the night we take the next step?
Because every part of me wants to. Heart. Body. Soul.
Streetlights flicker past in gold-tinted blinks.
