The right corner of his mouth kicks up. “That my favorite piece of sunshine in your blue eyes sparkles more in this small town than it ever has in the city.”
Growing up, most kids my age picked on me because my eyes were “funny looking.” Navy-blue rim, cloudy sky-blue center, and a small orange spot near the outer base of my pupil. I’d heard all the cruel opinions—mostly from girls. My eyes were defective. It was a poop spot. Those were from the younger years. As I entered high school, it turned uglier. That my mother had an affair or I was adopted and didn’t know it.
As strong as I tried to be, as much as I tried to ignore their hurtful words, they still stung.
Until Jensen.
The moment Jensen entered my life, everything changed. He gave me a new outlook. Lifted me up when others had shoved me down for so long. Jensen has this uncanny ability to make me smile, even on the worst days. He adds this extra blip to my pulse and stutter to my breath.
Granted, we hadn’t met under the best circumstances. No one dreams of finding love in a psychiatric facility. Our individual histories may be vastly different, but our hearts were so heavy during that time. Seeing Jensen each day during that dark period… it gifted me with new perspective. Made me feel all the love I had missed for so many years.
Jensen and I didn’t fall in love at Lewis House. We fell in like. Bonded over situations other people may not fully comprehend. Became the best of friends after we left. And slowly, that friendship turned into the most incredible and unbreakable love.
I love that our past isn’t pretty or perfect. That we aren’t some picturesque relationship model. Our love has cuts and bruises and scars. It also has tenderness and devotion and promise rings.
My thumb traces the thin gold band with a small opal and diamond chips on either side. Jensen’s promise to always be mine. Not like I needed a ring for such a vow, but it makes me love him even more.
“And I’ve never seen your eyes twinkle this much since we pulled up to the cottage.” I stick out my tongue and haul him into me for a kiss.
Two older women a few feet away snicker before one of them says, “How I miss young love.”
As we break free, the smell of the shop finally hits my nose. Chocolate and cinnamon. Vanilla and caramel. Freshly baked waffle cones and sweet cream. Pure heaven.
Inhaling deeply, I hug Jensen’s side and squeeze his bicep. “I want one of everything.” Of course, this is an exaggeration. There have to be a thousand different types of sweets in the store. Homemade candy, fudge, and ice cream options galore. Stumbling across old sweet shops like this is rare, but they are gold mines.
But that doesn’t stop Jensen. And his next words don’t surprise in the least. “Better start filling a bag now. Might be here until close.”
I squeal, kiss his cheek and skip over to the bag holder like a seven-year-old. Jensen simply laughs in my wake and helps me pluck candy from bins. I fill the bag to the brim in no time. We wander to the cases with homemade candies and fudge, studying them all before making selections for us and the moms. Then, no surprise, I order a waffle cone loaded with marionberry pie ice cream.
Jensen pays for my sugar habit and we exit the shop. Parking on the bench outside, we share the cone and people watch.
“You know,” I say as I hold the cone for Jensen to lick. “Never really thought I’d be a small-town girl.” My eyes shift up the street and survey the cedar-shingled stores and cheery-eyed pedestrians. “But I like this place. More than expected.” I return my gaze to Jensen, a knowing smile on his lips. “I think we should visit more places like this along the coast.”
“Samantha Benson, are you hinting at something?”
“Like what?” I ask, genuinely confused. I take the cone back and take a bite of cream and waffle. So. Freaking. Good.
Jensen shrugs. “We’ve never really talked about it, about us living together.”
My brows pinch together. “Wedolive together.”
He holds up a finger as his lips bunch. “Good point.”
I moved in with Jensen and his moms six months ago. At first, I thought it would be odd, the four of us living under the same roof. As the days ticked by, though, it was nothing like I expected. Liz and Tiffany respect our space and don’t helicopter parent us. Which is nice, considering we are adults.
“What I meant,” he says, lowering his hand. “Is us living together on our own. Just me and you.”
Oh.Oh.Hello, next step. Not that the next step scares me. With Jensen, every step is inevitable.
“That’s kind of big for us,” I say. His frame wilts and eyes grow sullen. “But I’m ready if you are,” I rush to add.
A hint of color returns to his face, along with his bright smile. “Thank God.” He lays a hand over his heart. “I was worried for a second.”
I lean forward and press a kiss to his lips. “Jensen Page, you never need to worry about us.” Then I kiss him again. “Now…” I hold the cone between us. “Help me finish this so we can go to the market for Ma.”
“Yes, ma’am, Sam.” He smirks, takes the cone and bites a chunk of it off.
If this is day one of our vacation, I can’t wait to see what the next six days have in store. Being in this place with Jensen feels magical. Like all our dreams are possible. Him saying he wants us to take the next step… that is definitely a step in the right direction. And I look forward to walking the path with him.