Page 33 of Denim & Diamonds

Satisfied with that answer, I closed the shirt over my chest. “I’ve had a lot of good days in my life, Brock. But this one might have made my top ten.”

“Well, damn. I’m honored.” He smiled.

“I feel like I’m in a movie. This town is like a place you go to forget about your troubles.”

“That’s an illusion,” Brock countered. “Want to know the reality?”

“Okay…”

“The fair is a nice escape, but I know many of the people here. And some of them don’t have a pot to piss in. They probably save up for weeks just to afford to enjoy themselves for one day here.”

“Well, that’s very sad, actually.”

He nodded. “And I can probably point to any person here whoseemshappy and tell you a story about them that would surprise you.”

“What about him?” I challenged, pointing to an old man sitting on a bench. He was eating cotton candy and seemed content.

“That’s Randy Lindley. Lost his wife earlier this year. Used to always see them around town together. It’s like his other half is missing now. This is his first season here without her.”

That’s so sad.“Oh.” I frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

He pointed to a cute little girl who looked to be about five or six. “See her? She doesn’t know it, but her father is cheating on her mother. Saw him down at the bar the other night with a woman who wasn’t his wife, Josephine.”

My stomach sank. “Jesus, that’s horrible.” Just the thought gave me PTSD and reminded me of my own dad.

I pointed to a random woman. “What about her?”

“Cheryl Brown. Her husband was injured while on active duty. He uses a wheelchair now. Doing okay, but they have a ton of medical bills. Three kids.” Brock shook his head. “Bryce deserved better than that.”

“Well, you’ve brought me back to reality, Mr. Hawkins, and managed to depress me at the same time.”

He smiled sadly. “Not trying to depress you, Red. Just making the point that no one’s life is easy, and there’s plenty of heartache, even in an idyllic town like this. Here’s the thing, though. Despite everything that anyone here is going through, they’re still here, enjoying themselves. We have to find these little moments that help make up for the tough times. That’s why I wanted to break you away from that place to experience this. It’s good for the soul.” He stared into my eyes. “I hope your time here in town is worth it, that you’re able to go back to the City with a fresh outlook.”

I could see the reflection of the carnival lights in his beautiful eyes. “Well, that sounded suspiciously like goodbye, Mr. Hawkins. And I don’t know if I like it…” As we looked out toward the chaos, an evening breeze caressed my face.

After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence, I turned to him. “What’soursad story?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, what would someone say about us if they were privy to our situation? Two seemingly happy people, assumed by all to be a romantic couple, but the truth is…” I paused. “You fill in the blank.”

Brock crossed his arms and seemed to think about it for a second. “They’d say, ‘See that knockout with Brock Hawkins? She’s not really his girl, just a mysterious woman passing through town with an expiration date.’”

“Ouch. That’s abrupt and tragic.” I laughed. “Well, I feel fortunate to have this experience anyway. It’s very grounding being here. Back in the City, everyone is constantly moving and paying no mind to each other. It’s disheartening to live in that world day in and day out. Just the fact that you can point to someone and know their story… How many people do I pass on the daily that I’ll never see again, let alone have a true understanding of their personal struggles?”

“Who broke the girl out of prison?” someone interrupted.

I turned to find Brock’s brother Trevor standing beside us. Brock must’ve filled him in on the reason for my stay in Meadowbrook.

Brock rolled his eyes. “When did you get here?”

“Been trolling around for a few minutes. Ran into three different women who’ve made me Mexican food in the past six months, so that’s awkward.” He turned to me. “You’re looking even more beautiful tonight, Red.”

Brock gave him a look of warning. “You don’t get to call her that.”

A look of amusement crossed Trevor’s face. “Oh, it’s like that, huh?”

Brock gritted his teeth.