Chapter 29: Pumpkins and Hayracks

Rex

"This is where you’re taking me?" she asks, surprised but excited, too. Chloe spins around, walking backwards toward the entrance, golden flecks in her eyes shimmering in the sun.

"Yup."

"A pumpkin patch, huh? Is this what we would have done last night had I not ditched you?"

It’s actually not just a pumpkin patch. There’s a hayrack ride and corn maze but the best part is the fresh doughnuts. I was here only a month ago when Ethan asked me to come with him to talk with the owner about a few things for a Halloween party he’s planning for The Flying Goat. The thirty-mile drive to get here is worth it, especially after seeing how happy Chloe is now that we’re here. And, just to say, the thirty miles of seeing her sitting next to me in my pickup wasn’t entirely awful. With every mile we drove, I felt lighter. As if some of the ugly childhood baggage was somehow drifting away. Simply being around Chloe brings a sense of content in me that I can’t help but want more of.