Free Walk with Me (BookStrand Publishing Mainstream) by Kaitlyn Stone Page B

appears.
    “I was wondering if tonight’s event is what my prom would have been like.” I quickly cover my thoughts.
    “You didn’t go to your prom either? We can make up for it together, make tonight our special prom night. What do you say?”
    My smile spreads so wide my cheeks tighten. “I like that idea. Our special prom night.” I reach over, taking his hand in mine, and hold it tightly on the center console.
    “Is Paul your only cousin?”
    “No. I have three cousins from my mom’s side. They are all older than me but we’ve all grown up together and we’re the only family we have in California. My aunt died from cancer three years ago and Uncle Jean followed her six months later. My cousins come over practically every Sunday for a family dinner.” He stops, pulling his hand from mine, and signals to change lanes.
    With his hand gone, mine is now cold and empty, and I want his back filling the void. When Donovan seems situated with the lane change, he returns his hand to mine.
    “Tell me about your other cousins.”
    “Paul is the oldest and you know that he works at the car dealership. Then there is Sarah. She is the middle child, an attorney. She’s been married for about four years now and has a two-year-old little girl with her husband. And then there is the baby, Mark, he’s the closest to me in age. Mark is an accountant.” Donovan pauses. He seems to be deliberating about something, like he wants to say more. “That’s pretty much it. We are all we’ve got here and we try to support and help each other out wherever we can.”
     
    * * * *
     
    We pull up to the valet line at the hotel and leave our car with the attendant. Donovan, in an old-fashioned gesture, gives me his elbow to hold onto as we make our way through the interior of the hotel. He leads me to the banquet rooms where we check in and are handed raffle tickets for betting. Tonight’s theme is Casino Night, and the banquet room next to the dining room is outfitted with roulette, blackjack, and craps tables, how I would picture a Vegas Casino.
    The room is alive with excitement, with hooting and cheering at the gambling tables. Guests in tuxes and elegant formal gowns are milling around the parameter and by the two free-standing bars in the back corners. I don’t think my prom would have been this professional. I feel so grown up.
    “What do you want to drink?” Donovan leans toward me and whisper shouts.
    “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”
    Donovan smiles reassuringly at me and points around the room. “The tables lining the walls are filled with silent auction items. Why don’t you start looking at the items in the back corner and see if there’s anything you want to bid on? I’ll get our drinks and meet up with you.”
    As I walk toward the back corner of the room, I weave carefully through the growing crowds around the gaming tables. I barely pass one table before cheering erupts and players throw their hands up in excitement, almost knocking me over. Lining the back walls are long tables covered in white cloth and adorned with wrapped baskets of goodies and clipboards describing gifts to bid on. The first table is restaurant gift certificates. The Lobster Seafood Restaurant for one hundred dollars, starting bid at twenty five dollars—still too rich for my poor student’s blood.
    “Excuse me,” one older woman says, leaning over to sign her name on the clipboard.
    I step aside. She obviously can tell I’m not in the financial position to afford to bid on this item or any others.
    The next table over has spa packages, hotel rooms, and vacations. Who are these people? They can’t all be cops.
    Donovan steps to my right and hands me a sparkling water with lime. “See anything you like?”
    “Yeah, there are a lot of things I like, just nothing I can afford.”
    “Keep looking. You never know what you’ll see. If you time it right, you can swoop in at the last minute and outbid everyone and still get a