Page 115 of Pink and Country

“You’re strange. That suits you.” I chuckled and pondered a thought for a few seconds. “If you find my phone, I’ll buy you dinner tonight. Pizza sounds good?” The guy nodded, a spark in his gaze.

“Pizza’s perfect. What if you’re the one who finds your phone?”

I giggled. “It would be weird to treat myself to dinner. That’s what I do every night.”

“What if I was the one to invite you to dinner then?” The guy tipped his eyebrows up, and a weird chuckle escaped my lips. I clamped my mouth shut. The amusement painted on his face made me giddy.

“You want to buy me dinner if I find my own phone that I dropped in the trash can in a moment of inattention last night? This is what you’re saying?” He shook his head.

“No. I want to cook dinner for you if you find your own phone, that you dropped in a garbage can last night, after an entire evening of studying, by mistake. You were exhausted. These things happen.”

My heart throbbed in my chest. Had I asked a guy out without intending to? His friendliness puzzled me.

“So, do we have a deal?” He raised his eyebrow in query. I inhaled deeply and stared at his boyish smile longer than I intended to. Time to act upon it, April. Make Nana proud.

“Okay, we have a deal.” I held out my hand to shake his, but he glared at it with a scowl.

“Usually, I would shake on that, but right now your hand is kind of disgusting, so I’ll pass.”

My eyes dropped to my mustard-stained hand, and we both burst out laughing.

“Okay, then let’s feet bump.” We both shifted our weight to one leg and raised the other one to kick each other’s foot.

“Now let’s dig in, it looks absolutely yummy in there. Maybe I could put together a healthy breakfast right here.” A wide smile spread across his lips, and I forced myself to avert my gaze, the temptation to crash my lips on his growing with every passing second. “By the way, I’m Travis.”

“April. Thanks for helping me out, Travis.” My entire body tingled with heat.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

* * *

On our sixth date, Travis brought me home, and I met his parents. It seemed like a lifetime ago but also as if it happened last week.

My eyes watered at the memory of how Travis and I first met.

Love at first sight. The moment our eyes locked, I knew deep in my heart I’d love him forever.

That morning, Travis ended up finding my phone but placed it—not so subtly—in the trash bag in my hands, so he’d be able to cook me dinner. Tacos. I’d never forget.

We shared our first kiss on the second date.

We had sex on the ninth one.

We moved in together after six months. In his shoe-box-sized apartment.

He died a little over three years later.

As I stood on his parents’ porch, I remembered my first time here.

Travis had promised his parents would love me. At first, I doubted it. Why would they love a girl like me? An orphan who didn’t know her own parents because they left her before even giving her a chance to be loved.

Wearing a pastel-green dress with a bouquet of white lilies clutched tightly in my hands, I prayed they’d welcome me into their family. Travis reached out for my other hand, and my fears vanished.

The Bensons invited me to their weekly Sunday night dinner after two months. In less than six months, they became the parental figures I never had growing up.

We spent vacations together. Travis and I came over for game nights. Movie nights. Mrs. Benson treated me to the spa a few times and came shopping with me when I needed a new dress or had a hard time picking out a new comforter for our bedroom.

Our relationship changed when Travis got sick, and they ordered him to move back home. It came from a heartfelt place. Or I hoped it did. They wanted to take care of their only son when his health declined faster than any doctor could’ve predicted. Travis refused. He wanted to stay with me. In our house.