Instead of waiting for Trey to reach for her, she took his hand first, twining their fingers. His big hand engulfed hers and squeezed affectionately.

A smile filled her soul. Life was good. Very good. Too good? The alarm bells of internal caution faded to an annoying ding, like a computer alert for an email she’d received but didn’t care to open. Church bells rang out across the grassy field, a pleasing echo that drowned the faint little dings of doubt in her head.

Lost in her heightened awareness of the moment, she didn’t want to be found. She wanted to enjoy this moment with Trey and the euphoric emotions unfurling within.

They set up their picnic in a square of grass between a young pair with tattoos and a gray-haired couple. Trey whipped the red-and-black checkered blanket until it caught the breeze and floated to the ground. She tugged the corners until the cloth made a perfect square then joined him in the center. He lifted one flap of the picnic basket and withdrew a carafe of white wine and two glasses.

“Are we allowed to drink in public?” she asked.

He nodded to the young couple on their left holding cozies of Coors Light. That answered her question. After they finished the turkey and cheese sandwiches he’d made, along with a carton of potato salad, Trey tossed their paper plates and plastic utensils in the trash.

When he returned, he sat behind her instead of beside her. He pulled her between his legs, and she leaned into his solid chest, letting her head fall back against his shoulder.

A sense of fulfillment rippled through her like gentle waves. She closed her eyes.

The bass drum thumped like the steady beat of Trey’s heart. The rasp of cymbals kept pace with the standup bass player’s notes. The brass section punctuated the rhythms with bursts of enthusiasm. Guitar chords lent a soothing strum.

A sigh left her lips. “This is perfect.”

He dropped a kiss to her neck and she felt him smile. “I agree.”

Then her eyes popped open. “Why didn’t you bring Peanut?”

Trey poured them both another half a glass of wine. “At the pet care place, the other dogs must run circles around him. He was so beat he barely ate dinner before he crashed hard in the corner of my couch.”

The image amused her. “I take him there only three days a week to keep him active and tire him out. Four days in a row and Peanut’s probably a slug.”

“Pretty much.”

“Thanks again for watching my dog. Sorry to make you a part time babysitter.”

He took a sip of wine. “I don’t mind. The little guy’s growing on me.”

“Well, you’re a champ. Most guys wouldn’t put a girl up in a hotel and take care of her dog.”

“You’re not just any girl. You’re my girl.” He kissed her temple.

That claim touched the deepest parts of her. Snuggling into him, she cupped his bent knees. “Do you know how amazing you are?”

“Tell me again,” he whispered with a grin.

Twisting to face him, she looked up into his sparkling brown gaze. “You are the most thoughtful, kind, beautiful man I’ve ever met.”

His eyelids lowered a fraction. “You’re just trying to sweet talk me into bed.”

She laughed and shoved at his shoulder. “How did you know?”

“Because that’s what I tell myself when you say things I want to be real.” Deep, dark hues of emotion swirled in his eyes. She couldn’t decipher each layer of bare honesty he revealed, they came in such rapid succession. Momentarily speechless, she nodded in recognition.

The silent encouragement seemed to lessen the turmoil in his eyes. He captured her mouth in a sizzling kiss. Parting her lips, he dipped his tongue inside and curved around hers possessively. Desire caught in her abdomen.

Then he released her. Though disappointed, she supposed this wasn’t the ideal place for a sexy make out session, but it would’ve been the right time.

Was she ready to do that? Lay her soul bare in front of him? She didn’t know the answer, and he didn’t seem to require one right that second. A little relieved, she sipped her wine and relaxed into his large, strong body encasing her. Simple pleasures were so rare, anymore. She relished these moments of peace and acceptance in his arms. Something she hadn’t found elsewhere in her life in a long time. Not even in the prospect of a new career path.

The thought startled her but she didn’t want to investigate that realization right now. She just wanted to be with him.

The jazz tune ended and claps rose up from the audience spread out across the lawn. The bassist walked to the microphone, adjusting it to his height. “I want to give a shout out to my little brother and his new fiancée as of tonight.”

The young couple to their left smiled and lifted their Coors Lights in recognition. “Thanks,” the guy shouted back.

“Yeah-hah!” the guitarist belted out in response. “Congrats, Danny’s little brother!”

Leaning forward, Devon said to the girl, “Now you have to show off your ring.”

Beaming, the young woman tucked her short blonde hair behind her ear, blushed and held out her left hand. A small heart-shaped diamond sparkled in the setting sun.

“Beautiful,” Devon admired.

Trey fell unusually silent. “Babe, I have to admit something,” he finally said, a slight strain in his voice. She’d never been good at declarations of emotion, and her pulse thundered in her ears. “About my past.”

It had been ages since she’d found herself in a budding relationship. Usually, by the time she made it to this point with a guy, she’d found plenty of excuses to leave and was halfway out the door. “I understand,” she said slowly, inviting him to share but not yet willing to reveal the heartbreak that had happened to her eight years ago. “We all have a past. Some things we’re proud of, others not so much.”

“I was engaged once,” he stated. Prickles of uncertainty scattered over her skin. “Before we go forward in our relationship, you should know that.”

Despite her wariness, she figured her spike of insecurity was typical when the man she cared about revealed details of his romantic past.

Taking her silence as an invitation, Trey continued. “We hooked up in high school. Then we broke up, off and on, both of us thinking we’d find something better, different, but never did. Eventually, we just assumed we were supposed to be together since we kept coming back for more. Looking back, I think we were just comfortable. We’d seen each other go through life’s big transitions, all the highs and lows. I turned twenty-eight, she turned twenty-six, and getting married seemed like the next step.”