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There were three couples ahead of them in line, and Finn took the opportunity to maximize their downtime and corner Veronica for information.
He stepped behind her and placed his hand on her rib cage. A shiver ran through her—he felt it when he deliberately blew across her neck.
“Are you going to tell me what happened on that boat?” She stilled but didn’t turn around to face him.
“Besides me being scared to death, you mean?”
Even though they had quickly changed out of their wet clothing, her hair was still damp. The brown strands blew in the light breeze and her orange scent surrounded him.
“No.” He let his other hand glide up her thigh and over her hip. Without stopping, he continued upward, caressing her rib cage until he came to her shoulder. With a long swipe of his finger, he followed the line of her arm down to her wrist and gripped it, bringing her hand up to kiss her knuckles. “I think you made some kind of decision. And I’m hoping that decision wasn’t anything hasty.”
The ride attendant motioned for them to enter the climate-controlled gondola. Luckily, they didn’t have to share the car with anyone else.
Once they were locked in, the ride moved up two spots to let on another set of passengers. It did that one more time before the wheel spun and they were whisked to the top.
The view was spectacular. The Niagara skyline sparkled in every direction.
She cuddled up against him, resting her head on his shoulder with the little stuffed animal in her lap.
“You were wrong.” She squeezed his hand and sighed. “I didn’t make a decision. But I did realize something.”
His stomach clenched. Hopefully, she wasn’t ready to give up on them, on this relationship they were building, out of an overactive sense of responsibility to her family.
“I think this is the best weekend I’ve ever had, and I’ve realized—”
His heart pounded against his chest and he had to stop his hand from fisting since it was wrapped around her forearm.
“I’ve realized that you make me a stronger person. Not because you come to my rescue, but because you force me to rescue myself, to break out of my shell.” She looked up from studying the stuffed animal. “Does that make sense?”
He nodded. “Yeah. It does.”
“Thank you, Finn.”
He pressed a kiss to the top of her head as they traveled around the Ferris wheel in silence for a few moments. She played with the cat on his lap, her finger gently stroking the top of its head.
“Are you going to name it?”
She craned her neck and looked up at him. “I think I’ll name him Lucky.?
?
“Why Lucky?”
“Because I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be with you here tonight. All weekend. And this will let me remember forever.”
His heart swelled in his chest. He couldn’t have put it better himself.
His feelings for Veronica were real—terrifying and life-altering, and very, very real.
He just hoped the time they had left together would be enough to fill his lonely days with memories, once they eventually went their separate ways.
Chapter Nine
Veronica pulled up to her townhouse and her mouth fell open.
Beer cans and bottles littered her pristine front lawn. Newspaper and—was that toilet paper?—swagged along the bush that sat to the left of the stairs under the bay window.
She cursed under her breath. “What happened to my house?”
