He nods, his expression growing more concerned. “Yeah.”
“The truth is it’s been a really long time since I’ve done this and I’m a different person than I was then.”
“I understand. But, for what it’s worth, I like who you are now.”
I drop my gaze to his chest as his arms tighten around me. “You didn’t know me then.”
“Doesn’t matter. It’s not like you can go back and if we’re going to move forward, this is the girl I’d like to move forward with,” he says, brushing his thumb over my cheek and I peek up at him as my heart melts.
“All right, then.”
He grins. “Are you ready to go out on our date now?”
“Yes,” I answer with a nod and he opens the passenger door for me before helping me climb up. I smile as he rounds the front of the truck and as he slips behind the wheel, I realize that my nerves are mostly gone. The excited butterflies remain but the outright panic that I was feeling before he showed up is gone. I don’t know if it was Alice’s distraction or just Lucas himself that makes my fears flee but I’m glad that I can just focus on having a good time with him tonight.
“Hey,” he says, pulling my attention to him as we pull out onto the road and I glance over at him.
“Yeah?”
“There’s something I need to ask you…” He leaves the statement hanging in the air and my belly does a little flip as I nod.
“Okay.”
“When you said you hadn’t done this in a really long time… how long are we talking?”
I suck in a breath. “Two years, give or take, since my last relationship.”
“Did it end badly?”
“No,” I answer, shaking my head. “The breakup was just the start of a lot of bad things in my life.”
“Were y’all together for a long time?”
I glance across the truck and meet his gaze. “You really want to know?”
“Yeah.”
“Danny and I were together for three years and we were engaged.”
It’s clear from the look on his face that I’ve stunned him so I wait, biting my lip while I give him a minute to process.
“Is he Brooklyn’s dad?”
I shake my head, fighting back memories. “No.”
He nods, staring out at the road again for a second and in the same way that thunder always follows lightning, I know what question is coming next.
“Is her dad in the picture?”
“Nope. Are we getting dinner first? I’m starving.”
He stares at me for a second before, thankfully, ignoring my change of topic and nodding. “Dinner may be included in my plans for the evening.”
“Well, that’s cryptic,” I mutter and he laughs, reaching across the cab to grab my hand.
“I’m sorry if I pushed too hard.”
I shake my head, meeting his gaze. “I want to tell you all about myself but I just need to do it in my own time. There are things that I’ve never told anyone besides Alice and my therapist so opening up isn’t always the easiest thing for me.”
“So, what you’re saying is that you need to take this slow?”
“Yes,” I answer, relief washing through me as I nod. “I need to take this slow.”
He nods. “Okay.”
“That easy, huh?”
We pull into a parking lot and he parks the truck toward the back of the lot before turning to me. “Yeah, Quinn, that easy.”
Before I can say anything else, he jumps out, rounds the back of the truck, and opens my door. He helps me down and as I turn around, I gasp at the Ferris wheel towering above us from the fairgrounds.
“You brought me to the fair?”
He nods, a shy smile replacing his usual cocky grin. “Yeah, I thought it seemed like fun but we can go somewhere else if you want.”
“No, this is perfect. Actually, the first concert I ever went to was a Garth Brooks concert here with my dad.”
“Yeah? How old were you?”
“Oh, gosh,” I reply as we walk toward the front gate hand in hand. “Five, maybe. I haven’t been back here since they died.”
“How come?”
I shrug. “It was just sad for me. I don’t think I even realized how much I missed it until I saw the Ferris wheel.”
“We can go somewhere else…”
“No!” I exclaim, cutting him off. “I don’t want to go. Besides, I think it’s way past time for me to make new memories.”
He grins, giving my hand a squeeze as we step up to the gate. “I like the sound of that.”
“How many?” the attendant asks.
“Two,” Lucas answers, sneaking glances back at me as he pulls his wallet out of his pocket. After he pays, he takes my hand again and leads me past the gate before throwing his arm over my shoulders.
“So, what first? Food or dancing?”
I sputter out a surprised laugh. “You dance?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see,” he teases with a wiggle of his eyebrows and I laugh again.
“Well, as tempting as that is, food first because my stomach is currently in the process of digesting itself.”
“We can’t have that,” he says, nodding to the path in front of us. “Any preference?”
I stare up at the rows of different food trucks, my mind blank. “Uh…no?”
He laughs, pulling me closer and I relish in the feeling of being tucked into his side. “Okay, what did you always get when you used to come with your parents?”
“Corn dogs,” I answer. “But I think I’m a little too old for that.”
“Bullshit. Let’s go find corn dogs.”
I giggle as he pulls me along, intent on finding me my childhood favorite. We pass by so many trucks I lose count before he stops at a pizza truck.
“What can I get you guys?” the guy manning the truck asks.
“Yeah, can you tell me where I could find some corn dogs?”
He shoots us a glare. “Man, do you want pizza or not?”
“Lucas,” I whisper, poking his side. “It’s fine. We can just get pizza.”
“Naw, we’re good,” he says, ignoring my comment and I roll my eyes as we set off again. We pass a few more trucks before I spot a kettle corn stand and let out a squeal before pulling Lucas to it.
“Hey, can I get two bags?” I ask when the woman at the register looks up at me. She smiles and turns to scoop two large bags of popcorn as I release Lucas’s hand to dig in my wallet for money.
“I got it,” he cuts in, laying some money on the counter and I turn to him with a scowl.
“I can pay for my own food.”
Shaking his head, he pulls me into his arms as his gaze drops to my lips for a second before meeting my eyes. “Not when you’re with me, you don’t. Besides, I’d buy the whole damn stand just to hear that cute little squeal again.”
“Shut up.” I laugh, shoving him away as the lady behind the counter hands us the kettle corn. I flash her a smile. “Thank you.”
“Have a nice day,” she chirps.
“You, too,” I call over my shoulder as we turn away and set off down the path again. We make it a few more stands down before my stomach growls loudly and I turn to Lucas. “I don’t know that we’re going to find corn dogs.”