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Long before Whisper Lake found fame from the reality show that was filmed at Stone Castle, it had been known for its festivals. They had nine per year. And the Summer Festival was basically the kickoff to the summer season. Laura had come here every year as a child for it.
The tradition has lived on since Laura had moved to Whisper Lake. This year, two of Laura’s sisters, Lori and Luci, made the drive to Whisper Lake with their kids. It was a family tradition. Their youngest sister stayed in Destiny Springs to attend a work function with her husband. And her parents hadn’t made the drive because her dad had thrown out his back working on his truck, so they’d taken the year off.
Laura normally enjoyed experiencing the festival through her nieces’ and nephews’ eyes, but this year she was distracted.
She was on Knox Savage high alert.
"Mom, can we get ice cream?" Mikey asked his mom.
"I told your brother we were getting funnel cakes."
"I want a funnel cake!" her nephew Sergio announced.
"So do I." Matteo lifted his hand like he was in school and wanted to be called on.
"I want ice cream!" Matty and Samuel both chorused.
"I’ll take the boys to get ice cream." Cherry On Top had a booth up, and their cookie dough was to die for.
"Thanks." Lori and Luci replied.
Laura, the twins Mikey and Matty, and her nephew Samuel walked past booth after booth with people lined up to either play a game, get a corn dog, or bounce in a bouncy house. Her eyes kept scanning the area. She had no idea if Knox was going to be there or not. They hadn’t spoken since the last night they spent together.
"Hey, girlie!" Kennedy waved as she walked toward her.
"Hi!" Laura smiled as Kennedy said hi to her nephews, ruffling Samuel’s head.
"Where are you guys headed?" she asked.
"Ice cream!" Matty shouted.
The boys continued on, and Kennedy fell in step with Laura.
"I didn’t think you were gonna make it." Kennedy’s grandma had been having some health issues, and her friend had said she was going to stay in with her tonight.
"My dad showed up, so I decided to make myself scarce."
Kennedy’s relationship with her father was complicated. From what Laura had observed, he was a very charming, very charismatic, and very captivating man who also happened to be a liar who was unreliable and had put Kennedy and her mom through a lot when she was growing up.
"Sorry," Laura said. She gave her a quick side hug.
"It is what it is," her friend shrugged. "So, how have things been going with..." Kennedy finished her sentence with an exaggerated wag of her brows.
Laura wasn’t sure how to answer that. The sex was hotter than she ever knew it could be. But it was more than just that. They laughed and talked. He’d fixed her back screen door and even installed a new lock on it.
He’d also done dishes after they ate, ran a bath for her, and made her chocolate chip pancakes.
Chocolate. Chip. Pancakes. But this wasn’t a real relationship, so Laura was doing her best to keep her guard up and keep her swooning to a minimum.
Laura shrugged. "Okay."
"Um, the bright red shade of your cheeks is telling me it’s better than okay."
Laura couldn’t deny that it was, in fact, better than okay. But did that matter? They only had a few more weeks, and he was going to be gone. As much as she’d told herself that she could compartmentalize the physical relationship they were having from the emotional one, she feared she wasn’t actually capable of doing so. She feared that when he left, there was going to be a huge Knox-sized hole in her heart and life.
"Laura." A very familiar, deep voice cut through her inner thoughts.
