I’d try to scare you on purpose?”
He leaned ever so slightly forward.
I grabbed at his shirt.
He grabbed my hand. “You can trust me.” His voice was low and rumbling, the sound sending delicious little goose bumps up my arms.
“I don’t trust you!” I said.
He winked. “You will.”
“Lean back,” I said through gritted teeth.
He eased back into the seat. “Don’t be scared,” he said.
“Isn’t that what you want?”
He shook his head. “It’s only fun when people are enjoying the feeling.”
“How could anyone possibly enjoy it?”
The gondola rocked and started to rise again.
Scott squeezed my hand. “Most people enjoy a little thrill.”
“Thrills are different from being terrified.”
He frowned. “Really?”
Suddenly the ride jerked and images of Aaron slamming into the San Francisco Bay flashed before my eyes.
I yelped and grabbed at Scott again. He put an arm around me, laughing, and said, “Now, that’s what I’m talking about.”
I pinched his arm. “Shut up!”
“Hey, hey. It’s fine,” he said. “The ride always jerks up at the top.”
He was right, of course, and now I was starting to feel like an idiot.
The ride was fine.
It was probably perfectly fine. I’m sure it’d been tested . . .
Tested by . . . whom?
Who had tested any of the equipment?
I took a deep breath.
“I’m skittish today.”
“I understand,” he said.
There was a look of compassion on his face that intrigued me and I decided getting my mind off the ride might be the best thing. “Have you been in love before?” I asked.
He raised his hands as the car descended. It was comical. The ride was so smooth, I wondered why the heck I’d been scared in the first place. I raised my arms alongside him and whooped.
He laughed. “Yeah. Her name was Jean. She was a total babe. I was crazy about her.”
“What happened? She dumped you?” I asked.
He turned to me and said, “No, we married.”
“Oh?”
“Then she got cancer about six months later.” His eyes glossed over and he said quickly, “She went so fast. Didn’t suffer.”
My heart suddenly felt heavy. “I’m so sorry.”
“My first book hit the
New York Times
list the day after she died,” Scott said.
I gasped.
“Life is but a dream, huh?”
Our car reached the bottom and the smiling attendant welcomed us. “Beautiful view, eh?”
Scott picked up the penguin and helped me out of the gondola. We walked in silence toward the group. I felt I needed to say something, somehow try to soothe the wound I’d so carelessly opened up.
“How long ago?” I asked.
Scott handed me back the penguin, a far-off look in his eyes. “Five years ago.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said again.
He reached out and stroked my cheek. “Don’t be sorry; you didn’t know. These are some of the things we have to learn about each other.” There was mischief in his eyes again as he said, “I mean, how else are we going to end up together?”
Thirteen
N athan was practically jumping out of his skin. “Bumper cars! They have bumper cars! Can we ride, huh, can we?”
I hooked an arm through his. “Lead the way!”
The small bumper car ring had mini versions of Nascar racers and I realized the network would be covering the races around the time the show aired. No way was Hollywood going to miss a perfectly good promotional opportunity.
Nathan raced toward the cars and I couldn’t help but feel he was more interested in them than me.
That’s okay,
I reminded myself. After all, I was supposed to be trying to figure out who was on the show for the money. I needed to get my mind off the horrific events of the past few days and get my head in the game.
Derek, the vet, seemed sincere and obviously I didn’t have a good handle on Scott yet.
I climbed into the small bumper cars and zoomed toward Nathan. He maneuvered around and raced away from me, laughing.
“I’m gonna getcha,” I yelled.
I sped toward him and
He leaned ever so slightly forward.
I grabbed at his shirt.
He grabbed my hand. “You can trust me.” His voice was low and rumbling, the sound sending delicious little goose bumps up my arms.
“I don’t trust you!” I said.
He winked. “You will.”
“Lean back,” I said through gritted teeth.
He eased back into the seat. “Don’t be scared,” he said.
“Isn’t that what you want?”
He shook his head. “It’s only fun when people are enjoying the feeling.”
“How could anyone possibly enjoy it?”
The gondola rocked and started to rise again.
Scott squeezed my hand. “Most people enjoy a little thrill.”
“Thrills are different from being terrified.”
He frowned. “Really?”
Suddenly the ride jerked and images of Aaron slamming into the San Francisco Bay flashed before my eyes.
I yelped and grabbed at Scott again. He put an arm around me, laughing, and said, “Now, that’s what I’m talking about.”
I pinched his arm. “Shut up!”
“Hey, hey. It’s fine,” he said. “The ride always jerks up at the top.”
He was right, of course, and now I was starting to feel like an idiot.
The ride was fine.
It was probably perfectly fine. I’m sure it’d been tested . . .
Tested by . . . whom?
Who had tested any of the equipment?
I took a deep breath.
“I’m skittish today.”
“I understand,” he said.
There was a look of compassion on his face that intrigued me and I decided getting my mind off the ride might be the best thing. “Have you been in love before?” I asked.
He raised his hands as the car descended. It was comical. The ride was so smooth, I wondered why the heck I’d been scared in the first place. I raised my arms alongside him and whooped.
He laughed. “Yeah. Her name was Jean. She was a total babe. I was crazy about her.”
“What happened? She dumped you?” I asked.
He turned to me and said, “No, we married.”
“Oh?”
“Then she got cancer about six months later.” His eyes glossed over and he said quickly, “She went so fast. Didn’t suffer.”
My heart suddenly felt heavy. “I’m so sorry.”
“My first book hit the
New York Times
list the day after she died,” Scott said.
I gasped.
“Life is but a dream, huh?”
Our car reached the bottom and the smiling attendant welcomed us. “Beautiful view, eh?”
Scott picked up the penguin and helped me out of the gondola. We walked in silence toward the group. I felt I needed to say something, somehow try to soothe the wound I’d so carelessly opened up.
“How long ago?” I asked.
Scott handed me back the penguin, a far-off look in his eyes. “Five years ago.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said again.
He reached out and stroked my cheek. “Don’t be sorry; you didn’t know. These are some of the things we have to learn about each other.” There was mischief in his eyes again as he said, “I mean, how else are we going to end up together?”
Thirteen
N athan was practically jumping out of his skin. “Bumper cars! They have bumper cars! Can we ride, huh, can we?”
I hooked an arm through his. “Lead the way!”
The small bumper car ring had mini versions of Nascar racers and I realized the network would be covering the races around the time the show aired. No way was Hollywood going to miss a perfectly good promotional opportunity.
Nathan raced toward the cars and I couldn’t help but feel he was more interested in them than me.
That’s okay,
I reminded myself. After all, I was supposed to be trying to figure out who was on the show for the money. I needed to get my mind off the horrific events of the past few days and get my head in the game.
Derek, the vet, seemed sincere and obviously I didn’t have a good handle on Scott yet.
I climbed into the small bumper cars and zoomed toward Nathan. He maneuvered around and raced away from me, laughing.
“I’m gonna getcha,” I yelled.
I sped toward him and
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