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They’d arrived. She’d taken nearly nothing to win over, just the word ‘date’ and she was here in his truck. She couldn’t be the one making Austin nervous, so what was?
Sofi’s heart dropped as she guessed what was bothering him. Though it was one of the hardest things she’d ever done, she looked up at the face she loved and said, “We don’t have to do this.”
Now that they were finally together, he was realizing he’d been wrong all along. He’d hoped he could give her what she longed for, but holding her hand and going on a date told him that he wasn’t in love with her. He was here just to appease her, just so he wouldn’t lose her, her most terrorizing nightmare come to life.
Sofi closed her eyes, waiting for Austin’s admission. She’d been on cloud nine and to drop so far so fast sent her stomach into a nausea-inducing spin.
Austin tugged on Sofi’s hand.
She waited for him to say something. Anything.
He tugged once more and she knew what he was asking. He wanted her to look at him. But she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t hear him say he was doing this for her with her eyes wide open.
“Sofi,” Austin whispered as he tugged once more.
Sofi finally opened her eyes and saw that the tightness was gone. In its place his eyebrows were raised and pulled together, worry lining every aspect of his face.
“I want to be here with you. I want to be on this date. Dating you, Sofi,” Austin said, so boldly that Sofi felt some of the pain in her heart ease. But she didn’t want to make any assumptions. She realized Austin hadn’t really said anything about the two of them. He’d said fall fair and she’d assumed. He’d said date and she’d assumed. She now needed him to spell things out and starting withI want to be here with you,dating youwas a good beginning.
Sofi nodded once.
“I . . . ”Austin began and then paused. “This went a whole lot smoother in my head. But I didn’t realize there would be so much time before . . . ”
Austin was now making no sense and Sofi wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“I need to show you something,” Austin finally said, jumping out of the truck and running to Sofi’s door to let her out.
He took her hand as he helped her down from his raised truck and then kept it, leading her right into the middle of the fair where a stage stood. He parked her just in front of the stage before saying, “Stay right here, okay?”
Austin seemed so uncertain, yet his words told her this was what he needed. So Sofi nodded even as she wondered what the heck was going on.
With one last squeeze of her hand, Austin left, jogging toward the stage. Sofi looked on uncertainly, thinking she hadn’t signed up for this. Austin hadn’t told her he’d be abandoning her once they got to the fair.
She knew she should be more confident in this. She was on a date with Austin. He’d said he wanted to be there with her, like this. But her hopes had risen and then popped so many times she was weary of the ache that followed. She was done with this roller coaster ride and just wanted to know exactly where Austin stood. She needed commitment, even if the word scared him. But now that he was gone she couldn’t ask for any reassurance.
But she would. When he got back from wherever he was going.
Maybe he’d gone to buy cotton candy. It was one of their fall fair favorites, and Sofi couldn’t count the number of times they’d shared the treat, playfully squabbling over the last mouthful. Since Austin was making such an effort to show how well he knew Sofi, he was probably trying to recreate their past with an old favorite. Then they’d stand on the grass and watch local performers showcase their skill, as they’d done so many times before.
Sofi wished she could just enjoy this date. She was on a date with Austin, for goodness’ sake. He was doing everything right. Yet at every turn she was reading too much into his every action and facial expression. Rather than enjoying the moment she’d dreamed of, she was wasting her time—their time—by questioning his motives, her motives, what they were, what they would become. It was too much for one single date. But she couldn’t just hope that by the end of this night Austin would know she was the right one. She had to prove to him that she was the only choice. Because she couldn’t go on without him.
But how was she supposed to tell Austin all of that without scaring him away?
Sofi pondered that as an emcee came onto the stage and announced that the evening’s performances were beginning. People began to fill in around Sofi. The stage never drew the whole crowd at the fair—some people came solely for the games and rides—but a good number of Blue Falls residents joined Sofi as she waited alone for the first act. Austin had better get back soon or he was going to miss it. Despite the jostling as the area filled up, Sofi resolutely kept her feet planted exactly where Austin had left her, hoping he’d be able to squeeze through the crowd and find her.
Sofi then heard the familiar tread of cowboy boots on the stage and her heart froze when she looked up and realized it was her cowboy on that stage, guitar strap slung over his shoulder, his eyes connecting with Sofi’s.
Austin hadn’t performed since his father had passed. The single time she’d heard that deep croon since then was his whispered singing to her as they danced at Logan’s wedding. She’d only been able to get him to talk about it once, but he’d told her singing held no appeal to him now that his biggest fan was gone. Sofi had wanted to tell him she’d be the biggest fan she could, but didn’t feel right trying to take the place of Austin’s father. So she’d let it go, even as she’d wished she could change Austin’s mind. His voice was an unbelievable gift.
Austin cleared his throat and stepped up to the microphone, the tightness around his eyes back. Oh, had this been why he was nervous? It hadn’t been about Sofi at all. She breathed a sigh of relief even as her heart began to race for Austin’s sake. He looked so terrified she wanted to leap past the barrier of the stage and join him.
But he’d asked her to stay here. So she would . . . for now. If Austin ever looked like he needed her? All bets would be off.
“Some of you know I haven’t sung in quite a bit. I’ve never performed for a woman, but here I am doing both.” Austin chuckled nervously into the mic and others in the crowd joined him.
Sofi held her breath.
He was performing for a woman?
