Trent wasn’t a romantic, or at least he had never planned to be. He just wanted to spend time with Harper and since he had to do it alone, the only place he knew to bring her on the Fourth of July was to his favorite spot. It was located in the middle of two old farms and up on a hill. He’d laid out a blanket and brought some food. A warm breeze drifted about, bringing the scent of magnolias from the branches above. A few white petals fell around them as Harper held him close.

Sam had told him he was too young to be in love. First loves never work out. He promised Trent that things would fall apart as soon as her father found out she was “slumming” it. But no matter the warnings, he couldn’t believe feelings this strong could be anything but the truth. He loved Harper and how she made him feel important and needed.

At times, he feared if things didn’t work out he’d never find a relationship like this again. He looked up to the sky as some fireworks lit the darkness around them, filling it with bright colors. He’d never tell Harper about his fear. He couldn’t put too much pressure on her. She had choices to make that he would never experience. She could go to any college she wanted, but they’d spoken about her staying in Kentucky instead of going out of state to college. She hadn’t seemed overly excited about that part, but Trent promised her he’d make it up to her no matter what it took.

A feather soft touch caressed his face, drawing his attention back to Harper.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked. “Why aren’t you here in this moment with me?” She pulled his hand in her lap.

“Oh, I’m here.”

She eyed him, waiting for the truth no doubt. Her nose wrinkled when she smiled and her brow rose in question.

“Fine.” He chuckled. “I was thinking about the future,” he admitted. “Our future.” Her soft smile highlighted her face in the night. Trent had always come up here to get away. He never cared about fireworks or picnics in this place, but now it had new meaning. It was no longer his place to be alone, but his place with her.

“What exactly are you thinking?” She placed a tender kiss on his neck, then his lips.

It was hard to think when she touched him, let alone with her lips. “I was thinking about moving in together.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but Trent had thought about it a lot recently. Her smile fell and she looked away. “What?” he asked.

She turned to him. “Nothing, I—I’m just thinking about . . .” she trailed off, looking away again. Panic bubbled inside Trent as he listened. “You know, my daddy wants me to apply to MIT and CAL Tech, but I told him I was thinking of staying here.”

“What’d he say?” he asked casually, though his heart was racing.

She gave him a you-don’t-want-to-know look, but he did want to know. He needed to know what they would be up against. “He was angry. Trent, sometimes I wonder if—”

“Don’t worry about it,” he cut in. The worry was there in her eyes, but Trent wanted to relieve her of it. He wanted her to focus on the good in their future. How ironic it was the Trent was the one with a hopeful outlook on their future and it was sweet and sunny Harper who sat in front of him in fear of what the future would hold.

She smiled, but the brightness he’d been used to seeing was gone. For the first time since Trent had been with her, her smile wasn’t genuine. He felt her fear and worry, but believed he could soothe it.

“Look.” He pointed to the sky as red and blue lights burst in the air. “Let’s not worry about the future. Let’s just focus on the here and now.” He wrapped his arm around her and laid her back on the blanket. Her concern was noted, but Trent wasn’t worried. He’d make this right, no matter how hard he had to try.

Fourth of July had come and gone and Trent and Harper spent many more days making love under the tree in their favorite spot and he’d finally made her come. He knew his baby’s body and spent damn near every night memorizing it. Never in his life had being with a woman felt so right. He enjoyed the ways she let him touch her and he damned sure enjoyed the way she used her mouth to touch him. So right and skillful, sometimes he had to wonder if she’d done it before him; though, he’d never ask. He couldn’t take an answer other than by some miracle she was just great at it, but mostly, he didn’t want her questioning his past in return.

Trent sat down on a bench at the back of Sam’s shop and lit his cigarette. He was consumed with not wanting to fuck their relationship up, and he constantly found himself working harder to be right for Harper, to earn a place in her life. He knew her father could make their lives hell, so Trent was bent on getting his shit straight. Third on the list after graduating and getting a decent job, was getting his own place.

The plan was to tell Harper about his renting an apartment, but she’d come down with a nasty stomach bug and was still laid up a few days later. Trent had never gone more than a day without speaking to her. The past forty-eight hours had been brutal without hearing her voice.

The back door opened and Sam came out, throwing a cigarette in his mouth. “You got a lot of work done today,” he said as he plopped down into a chair. “You tryin’ to get off early?”

Trent nodded. “I got some shit to do today.” He trusted Sam and had finally told him about his relationship with Harper.

“Your girl still sick?” Sam eyed him with interest.

Trent had learned when Sam asked a question and gave you a sideways glance, there was something more on his mind. Like when he’d asked Trent if he started smoking, the question had really been asked to suss out the cigarette burns his stepfather had given him on his arm. However this time, Trent didn’t like the knowing look because it involved Harper, and Sam had been warning him about what would happen when the world found out.

“Stomach bug,” he said, not offering more.

Sam laughed as if he’d told a joke.

Leaning back, Trent cracked his neck and sighed as the stiffness dissipated. Sam’s constant nagging about Harper’s skin color and money was pissing him right off. He knew where they stood and the obstacles they faced. He was more than ready to face the world head on. As long as he had Harper buy his side, he could handle anything.

Five days. Five fucking days.

Never in the time they’d been dating had she ever gone this long without at least calling him. She had her own private line in her bedroom, so he should have had no problems getting a hold of her. Trent had bought her a secret pager months ago and he’d even paged her their special code, but nothing. Why wasn’t she answering? Was she that sick? Hopefully she wasn’t in the hospital.

Trent called the number again. Voicemail. Something isn’t right. Grabbing his keys and cell phone, he headed to the car. Something could be seriously wrong and he’d never know. No one knew to call him and even if they did know, he doubted they’d rush to the phone to fill him in on his girl.

Not even twenty minutes later he was parked down the street from Harper’s house. Cars filled the driveway and Trent nearly turned his car around and went back home. The thought of Harper sick without him by her side stopped him cold. He opened the door and got out. There was nothing left to do now but head down the street and knock on the door.

His stomach churned and his palms were sweaty, but he strode up the driveway to the three-story brick home as if he belonged there. In his eyes, he did. Trent belonged wherever Harper was, and he prayed he was just overreacting.

Ringing the doorbell, he listened as it sounded throughout the house. A shadow appeared and then a small, wiry black woman stood before him. Her hair was pulled up in and neat bun, a pair of thin-framed glasses rimmed her eyes and her lips seemed stuck in a permanent frown.

“May I help you?” The woman kept the door cracked and her body wedged inside. Trent was tempted to look past her, but her gaze was trained on his.

“Yes, is Harper home?”

The woman’s eyes narrowed and her lips thinned. “She is not taking visitors. Who are you?”

He was about to ask her who the hell she was when he remembered what he was here for. “My name is Trent.” Her eyes widened in shock and a hand flew to her mouth. He tried to ignore her reaction as he spoke. “I go—went to school with her at Lincoln High.” Trent wasn’t sure what part of his speech offended the woman, but he knew an angry woman when he saw one. Which is why it was so shocking when she moved to the side and opened the door further.

“Come on in. Mr. Hannock was just on his way to see you.”

He swallowed hard. So that was why she hadn’t reached out to him in so long. Her father knew about them. Trent couldn’t figure out how, but then again, Sam had guessed it, and they had been seeing each other for over a year. Someone else was bound to find out.