Page 28 of The Love Hoax

I lead her to the wooden swing I made with my father the last time my folks came to town.

Evie sits beside me, and despite the narrow space between us, she feels too far. I want desperately to hold her hand, have her lean against my chest. I’m not sure I can trust myself and I scoot farther away.

“Your backyard is lovely, but I think it’s bedtime for Bonzo.”

“One more second, please.” I flick something on my phone, and everything goes dark.

Stunned, Evie grabs my hand. “Oh. My. God.”

Chapter Nineteen

Evie

The sky is filled with stars, a twinkling sea spreading from horizon to horizon. The swirly haze of the Milky Way hovers above us. When I’m finally able to speak, I do so with reverence. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”

“Never in all your hiking adventures?” Adam asks, delighted by my reaction.

I shake my head. “Nothing like this.”

Keeping a respectable distance on the swing, Adam points skyward. “Know what that is?”

“Sure, it’s the Big Dipper.”

“How about that one?”

“Is this a test?”

Adam chuckles. “Sort of. You game?”

“Why not? Okay, that’s Orion’s Belt.”

“I’m impressed.”

“Now it’s my turn,” I say, playfully. I point to a star at the end of a kite-like tail, then move my finger eastward.

“The Little Dipper, and Polaris at the bottom, of course.”

“I mean, that star just to the right of Polaris.”

Adam squints, looking and concentrating. “I think you have me stumped.”

“That’s the DanJeff star.”

Adam frowns. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that.”

“Makes sense. My ex and I bought it for our sons after the younger one was born. You know, on one of those star registry sites. At first I thought it was a major racket, selling stars,” I say, recalling that time so long ago. “But now I know better. No matter where I am in the world, every time I look at it, I think of them. And I hope the reverse is true for the boys.”

Adam is completely focused. On me.

“What are your sons like?” he asks.

A broad grin spreads across my face. “Daniel is a guy’s guy. Sports are his life. Jeffrey is more into academics. I’d say they each have a bit of me and their dad in them but also are very different.”

“Are they close?”

“Very. That’s not to say they didn’t fight like cats and dogs when they were little. But they are best buddies.”

“They sound like great guys.”