Olivia Graham was twenty-two when she started a whirlwind romance with charismatic Jakob overseas.
By age twenty-five, Liv was back home and checking off the widowed box on paperwork. With zero plans, Olivia and beloved dog Snuggles find themselves...
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Flashback
The weather is balmy and breezy, and the outdoor party vibe is lighthearted as people are laughing loudly and chattering around a campfire.
Chris stands by me most of the night, flirting with me and making me laugh, his fingers intertwined in mine, and the butterflies won't stop fluttering.
At one point in the evening, he has walked away to talk to somebody, and I make small talk until he finds me again.
"What is that over there?" Chris points to the right of us as he walks up to Jeff Tupper and me talking.
Jeff and I look over to where he points, but Chris is cupping my face in his hands and kissing me soundly.
"Whoaaaa," Jeff says as he turns to see us.
Chris ignores him, leaning his forehead on mine. "We can go whenever you want."
I intertwine my fingers in his again. "Go where?"
"Somewhere where nobody will interrupt us," he suggests, tucking hair behind my ear.
"My house?"
He parks his vehicle around the corner, down a side street. "Don't want your parents to see me," he explains, putting it into park.
My heart is pounding like a drum. But I touch his face and swallow hard, and lean in, halting as I get closer. Chris puts his arm around the back of my seat, and he lets out a nervous laugh, then looks up at me. "Kiss me, baby," he suggests.
Taking a deep breath, I lean toward him and do just that, listening to his sounds of approval.
It starts romantic, a series of soft, slow pecks. As the minutes go on, our kissing grows more passionate, the windows becoming steamy.
"More," I tell him heatedly, my hand curled into his hair.
"What do you mean?" He asks, his forehead resting on my temple, both of us lightly panting.
