When I saw Casey’s tears, I freaked out, thinking I’d pushed her too fast. I knew of her agoraphobia, but I’d hoped that with me being near her, she could handle it. Then I realized that until we reached the carousel, she’d had her anxiety under control. Something about this ride set her off, but she seemed to be calm now.

Poppy Park had been the first place I’d thought of to have our picnic. The summer after my brother died, my mom brought Clarissa and me here. She had saved for several months to pay for tickets. We spent the entire day riding the rides, eating cotton candy, funnel cakes, corn dogs, and playing all the games. I’d won Clarissa a huge brown teddy bear bigger than she was, and I’d won my mom this cheap, plastic necklace, earring, and ring set. It was gaudy as hell, but she’d proudly worn it for the rest of the day.

It had been the best day of my life. Which was why I’d wanted to bring Casey here. In the hopes that even if it wasn’t the best day of her life, she could count it as a great day. She might think that learning to enjoy sex was living, but there was so much more to it than that. She said she wanted to live. I was going to help her do that.

“Come on.” I said, as I helped Casey up onto the carousel. We walked through the horses and the other animals interspersed around the ride, until I found one of the carriage seats. I watched Casey as she lingered at each of the horses we passed, her fingers running over them, almost petting them as if they were real. She caressed each one as though they were her favorite pet, her best friend. Her hands ran from mane to tail, and the look of wonder and pleasure made the trip out here so worth it.

“They’re all so beautiful.” Her words and smile were wistful. “Thank you for bringing me here, Philip.”

“It’s my pleasure.” While she’d been distracted with the horses, I’d already folded the blanket and put it on the hard seat for cushioning. I’d also pulled out the sandwiches I’d pre-made and the individual bags of potato chips. Casey settled on the seat next to me and started nibbling on her sandwich. I set her bottle of water between us.

“My mom brought my sister and me here once. Clarissa was devastated when they closed down.”

“Why did they shut down? This place is amazing,” she asked after swallowing a sip of water.

I shrugged. “Money, maybe. I think as time went on, more and more people were heading to the bigger amusement parks. The ones with the fancier and scarier rides. This place is small potatoes next to that popular park an hour away. I think more people began to drift over there, and there just wasn’t enough income to sustain the place. Who knows?”

“How sad. Just because something isn’t as pretty as it used to be doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any worth,” she said sadly. I got the impression she wasn’t just talking about the park.

I needed her to smile again for me. I also really wanted to kiss her. “I know I said this already, but you look beautiful today.”

Casey dipped her head in embarrassment, and a blush crawled from her neck to her cheeks. “Thank you,” came her shy response.

I eased the water bottle from her hand and set it to the side before scooting closer. Our hips touched, and I could feel the heat of her skin through our clothes. Casey’s eyes widened, but she didn’t move away from me. I pivoted an inch in her direction, and moving slowly, I reached out and traced her lips with my fingers. I kept my touch gentle and non-invasive. It was strictly to get her used to the feel of me. She trembled under my fingertips, and her lips parted just barely. Her breath quickened, and her pupils dilated. My gaze wandered across her face, taking in the dark, brilliant blue of her eyes, the slope of her nose, and the pinkness of her lips, the bottom one fuller than the top. The freckles that dotted her nose looked like tiny drops of cinnamon or maybe brown sugar.

Suddenly, I had to know. It was as though this was the moment I’d been waiting two years for. I threaded my fingers through her hair, palming the back of her head, and leaned forward stopping a hairsbreadth away from her lips, giving her time to put a halt to what we both knew was coming. I didn’t want to scare her by moving too fast. Our breaths mingled, and when she didn’t pull back, I feathered my lips across hers. I kept my touch light and hesitant, but a tiny spark still ignited, and a warmth flowed through me. Her lips were petal soft, and they tentatively parted when I traced them with my tongue. To my surprise, she tasted like bubble gum. A sweet burst of flavor.

I felt Casey’s gasp as my tongue dipped just inside her mouth to tease hers. Her entire body froze. Shit. As I was about to pull back, my pulse quickened, because just then, I felt her respond as she tentatively touched her tongue to mine. It was a shy, inexperienced touch, but one I felt to the tips of my toes. Taking a chance, I deepened the kiss by just a fraction, testing the waters. Inexpertly, Casey followed suit. She kissed like a woman who’d never been kissed before. Her low, breathy moans had me hard as a rock. Mostly, because she wasn’t even aware she was making them. When she leaned into me, we both suddenly jerked as her palm inadvertently landed on my hard thigh, dangerously close to my throbbing erection. Casey quickly jumped back, breaking our connection. I spotted her flushed face before she covered it with both of her hands.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” Her words came out rushed and muffled.

Her utter mortification was apparent and charming, but I didn’t want to make her more uncomfortable, so I stifled my laughter at the horrified expression that I’d only gotten a quick glance at. One would have thought she’d grabbed a handful of nut with the way she was acting. But, I knew how flustered she was, and I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” I reassured her gently.

“I almost—” she waved one of her hands in my general direction, the other still covering her face. “I almost grabbed your…you know. Oh my god, this is so embarrassing.”

“Casey,” I reached out to clasp her still waving hand. “Look at me. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. It’s okay. No harm, no foul. It’s just me. Don’t worry about it. All right?”

She peeked at me between her barely spread fingers. Slowly, she lowered her hand and set it in her lap before nodding. It was then I noticed I’d been rubbing my thumb over her knuckles, caressing her supple skin, in an unconscious gesture. Reluctantly, I let go of her now that she was calm.

“So, that went well.” I couldn’t help but grin at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Sure, if you don’t count the fact that I accidentally groped you. God, how mortifying.”

“Hey, think of it this way. We got to first base with no problem, and you were heading straight to third. Although, next time, let’s show second a little love, will ya?” I waggled my eyebrows at her.

“Oh my god, you’re such a guy.” Casey playfully punched my arm, unable to control her laughter.

“True, but I still call today progress. Now, let’s finish lunch, and I’ll get you back to the house.”

Casey ate the rest of her chips before washing them down with the remainder of her water. Once we were done, I packed up our picnic, and as we strolled back through the park, my hand accidentally brushed hers. Seeing how close she was, I reached out and clasped hers in mine and held it until we got to the truck. I dropped her off at the house with the promise I’d see her soon.