Chapter 68

68

ZACH

The sky was heavy with clouds the morning of the fair, but a quick check of the weather app indicated that the rain should hold off until later that evening. Jason had left a tumbler of coffee next to the bed before kissing my forehead and telling me he'd see me later. I'd managed one more hour of sleep before getting up and preparing for the day, nervous and excited to hang out with the kids and spend time with my boyfriend.

We arrived at the fairgrounds just in time to catch Jason for the last half-hour of his volunteer shift. The AFD booth was not far from the entrance, and once Lauren caught sight of it, she was tugging my hand in that direction. "Come on, guys. Mr. Jason is waiting!" Sean and Rusty rolled their eyes at her antics, but we all followed along, letting her lead the way.

The booth was popular, with kids waiting to climb into the firetruck while AFD personnel handed out stickers. Jason looked up as we approached, and when his face lit up brighter than the sun, I slid a little further in love with him. There was no use denying it or turning away from it, nor did I want to. Despite everything that had happened, he'd given us another chance and I was determined to never let him go.

He stepped away from the line, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek before swinging Lauren onto his shoulders.

"Put me down! Put me down! I wanna get in the truck!" she exclaimed, her words laced with giggles.

"Oh, you do, do you?" He lifted her back up, flipping her over his head and suspending her upside down. "What's the magic word?"

She kicked her feet, her little cheeks turning pink as the blood rushed to her head. "Pleeeease!" she begged, and he flipped her right side up, carefully setting her on her feet.

"Let's go check it out." He held out his hand, and she took it, following him over to the apparatus.

Lauren climbed into the truck while Jason showed her all the buttons and let her explore. The boys tried to act unimpressed, but I could tell they thought it was pretty cool too. Lauren took three stickers, immediately putting one on her shirt and one on each of the legs of her shorts, then proceeded to charm everyone else in the vicinity.

At noon, Hannah and Sonny arrived to take the next shift and we all set off in search of lunch. We stuffed ourselves on turkey legs, grilled street corn, and way too many items that weren't ever meant to be battered and fried. Though I had to admit the fried Oreos were pretty fucking good.

The kids wanted to head to the rides, but Jason wisely suggested letting our food settle first, so we made our way to the livestock area. Jason and I strolled hand-in-hand behind the kids, watching as they looked at the various animals.

I was struck suddenly by the mundanity of it all. I didn't think most people would be thrilled to hear a date described as "mundane," but this slice of life was exactly what I'd wanted when I walked away from my soccer career. I'd craved a quieter life where I wasn't constantly training, traveling, and dealing with the pressure of competing. I thought it was probably why the idea of buying my old house had been so appealing. I'd been craving the peace I'd always felt living there. And today, strolling hand-in-hand with my boyfriend and a gaggle of kids at the county fair, I could see a future I really, really wanted.

"Do you want kids?"

We stood by a wooden fence with our feet propped up on one of the slats, watching the boys follow Lauren from animal to animal. I hadn't fully formed the thought before the question had burst out, and now I waited with my heart in my throat for his response.

I chanced a look at him, trying not to flinch at the intense look in his eyes.

"Yes."

"That simple?"

"Does it need to be complicated?"

"No, I don't suppose it does. I've just never really thought about it before." Lauren squealed, and I watched her drag Rusty over to show him one of the sheep. I turned my attention back to Jason. "I take it you've thought about it?"

"Not in a concrete, specific way, but I've always figured I'd have a family. Though I didn't always know what that would look like. I mean, for a long time, I thought I was ace, and then after you left… Well, there wasn't really anyone else I was interested in, but I thought maybe I'd adopt." He paused, the corner of his mouth tipping up in a smirk. "Or there was always the option of marrying your sister. Drea and I joked that if we didn't find anyone by forty, we'd marry each other and be platonic spouses."

The only appropriate response to that statement was a glare. "I hate everything about what you just said."

He laughed big and hearty, his head thrown back with the force of it. It was almost impossible not to return the smile.

"Let's never speak about you and my sister entering into any form of a relationship other than friendship ever again." I gave an exaggerated shudder.

He reached over and grabbed my other hand, turning me so we faced each other, our hands clasped between us. "What if it's an in-law relationship?"

My body registered the implication of what he was saying before my brain did. My smile faded as my palms began sweating, my heart beating like a bass drum while those fried Oreos threatened to make a reappearance. Still, I had to be sure I was understanding him completely.

"Are you saying you want to marry me?"

"I think we still have some things to figure out, but yeah, I do. I told you I want a future with you."

I gaped at him like a fish, completely flummoxed.

"Say something, honey. Did I freak you out?" A crease of worry formed between his brows at my lack of response.

"N..no," I stammered. "I'm just shocked. I thought when you said you wanted a future, you were talking about next week or next month. I didn't really allow myself to think any further than that."

"Which is why we still have some things to figure out. But for me, a future means a life . I want to build a life with you." He moved his hand up to cup my face. "Is that okay?"

"Yeah, I mean…" A slow smile spread across my face as the full impact of what he was saying hit me. "Yeah, that's so much more than okay. It's…I love you, J."

"Are you guys gonna kiss?"

We turned to see the three kids standing a couple of feet away. Lauren had her hands clasped in front of her and a big smile on her face while the boys were looking everywhere but at us.

"Sorry, um, to interrupt." Sean broke the awkward standoff. "Lauren says she has to go to the bathroom."

That spurred everyone into motion as the reminder of why they'd come over had the hearts fleeing from Lauren's eyes and she started doing what could only be described as the potty dance.

"I think I saw one back that way," Jason said, pointing over his right shoulder.

I scooped her up over the fence and walked quickly in the direction he'd pointed with the boys hot on our heels. The moment her feet hit the ground outside the door, she was scampering in, her little legs moving faster than I would have thought possible. The boys headed into the side designated for men while Jason and I stood outside, trying to shake off the adrenaline.

As our breathing returned to normal, Jason linked his pinky with mine. "Hey," he said, drawing my attention. "I love you too, you know."

"Yeah?" My face lit with a smile at the wonder of it. That despite everything, he'd not only forgiven me, but he loved me. It felt like a fucking miracle.

At his nod, I pulled him into a kiss right there outside of the restroom at the county fairgrounds.

It was mundane and ordinary and wonderful .