Fisher follows me to the bench and settles beside me.
I inhale his familiar scent. It reminds me of a rainforest, or at least what I imagine one would smell like—earthy, with a hint of citrus, and something stronger. The scent seems to be stitched into the fabric of his soft looking hoodie.
Fisher leans back, resting his elbows on the back of the bench.
“Would you ever move out here to be closer to your parents?”
He thinks about it for a long moment as the sun sinks lower. “I don’t know. It wouldn’t be a bad place to raise kids one day, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for the smalltown life. Something closer to the city would interest me more and I’m not set on staying in Texas either. I guess it’s because I’ve traveled so much,but it doesn’t seem like a huge deal to hop on a plane to come visit them whenever I want.”
His mention of kids has my throat closing up, and shockingly it’s not because my thoughts go to Grace, but instead I can’t help but feel terror grip me at the thought of him having kids with someone that’s not me one day. It’s enough to have my stomach feeling a little queasy.
“What about you?” he asks. “Do you want to settle down in Miami?”
I shrug, stretching my leg out in front of me. “I don’t know. I’ve loved living in Miami but I’m not there a lot of the time so I guess I’m not sure how I would feel if I were there year-round. I guess I have the same thought as you—to move some place just outside of a major city.”
“How’s your social media going?” he asks, knocking his knee into mine as he adjusts. “I haven’t asked you in a while.”
I smirk at him. “You mean you haven’t been obsessively stalking all my posts?”
Teasing him comes so naturally.
“No.” He gives me a serious look. “I never wanted to torture myself with what I knew I couldn’t have. Besides, I’m not on social media much.”
I dip my head in acknowledgment, my throat tight over what he’s said. I think Fisher Grant might be the king of yearning. I don’t know how to feel about that, to know this man has never stopped caring about me. I never stopped caring about him either, though.
“To answer your original question, it’s going well. I’ve been working with a lot of brands I love and I’m so close to a million followers.” I try not to let my excitement show too much at that information, but his grin has me answering it with a smile of my own.
“A million? That’s incredible, Ebba.”
“Not quite, but almost. Maybe another month or two until I’m there.”
“I’m so proud of you.”
Five simple words, but they send my heart soaring. I didn’t know it would make me this elated for him to tell me he’s proud of me.
“Thanks.” I duck my head shyly, but he grips my chin loosely and urges me to look at him again.
“Don’t shy away from your accomplishments. You should be proud of yourself, too.”
When the sun is almost gone, we get up to finish the short trek back to his parents.
I reach for his hand this time and curl my fingers around his. His do the same with mine. Leaning my head against his arm, I let myself wonder what it might be like if all my evenings were like this one.
CHAPTER 37
FISHER
“I feelbad for leaving your parents.” Ebba raises her voice to be heard above the din of the country bar. “Maybe we should go back?”
I lead her through the crowded bar, hoping and praying for an empty table. It seems everyone in this town has come to Booze & Boots to ring in the New Year.
“Trust me, they’re glad we’re gone. I can almost guarantee you they’re in bed already. They were only staying up for you.”
Her face falls. “I wish they would’ve said!”
“They love you,” I say by way of explanation.
I finally spot an empty bar height table and quickly pull Ebba along with me.