you there. I’m sure you can make it.” She smiled. An expression as deceptively sweet as a sleeping lion. Brenna knew they would have to extend the show.
***
“How long is this torture supposed to last?” Brenna asked as she and Hunter made their way through the festive crowd.
He squeezed her shoulder. “Relax and enjoy yourself.”
That was the problem. She was. The wind toyed with her skirt and the scent of cotton candy clung to her blouse. She hadn’t felt so carefree in years. Free of the gazes and stares, or her cane brushing through the grass. Free of being with a man she’d only known a few days feeling she’d known him for years. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Hunter had arrived at her apartment early, coming before the sun settled fully in the sky. He wore jeans, a red polo shirt, and sunglasses that he didn’t take off even inside. She was about to comment on them when she noticed that Tima had popped her head out of her apartment. She’d looked at Brenna and mouthed. ‘Is that him?’ She’d nodded and Tima had mouthed ‘Yum’ and licked her lips. She disappeared back into her apartment before Hunter turned.
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
“Nothing.” Brenna looked down at the empty bag he carried. “What is that for?”
“My prizes.”
She locked her apartment. “You expect to win enough to fill a bag?”
“Sure.” He held up a hand. “No insults please.”
“I wasn’t going to insult your gigantic ego, although it is tempting.” She grinned. “However, I would like to make a wager.”
He held the front door of the building open for her. “No. I have an advantage. It would be unfair.”
She stopped and stared up at him with a narrow gaze. “What advantage?”
He gently pushed her forward and closed the door. “I know you will lose.”
He was right. She would have lost, badly. At every booth he approached he won anything she pointed to. After a few games, the bag nearly burst with winnings—a gigantic stuffed snake the color of a lemon, a giraffe, a plush basketball and a purple teddy bear they named Amanda. The fair stretched the length of the park and after a couple of hours, Brenna’s leg and hip began to ache. She ignored the discomfort, she was having so much fun.
The band organ music of a carousel floated towards her above the sound of the crowd and the inviting shouts of game attendants. Brenna looked at the spinning row of horses; the browns, the gray jumpers and palominos. Her eyes landed on a black horse with a silver mane and tail.
Hunter caught her gaze, reading the longing in her expression. “Okay,” he said indulgent. “Let’s go.”
She didn’t argue. She waited, clutching her ticket, with banked anticipation as she stood in line among the squirming children and their parents. She watched the carousel spin and weave its magic, its fantastic ornate center displayed paintings of forests and grasslands. Years ago her father had taken her on the same carousel, riding beside her and laughing at the funny faces she made at him. She loved to make him laugh, it was rare when he did. When Hunter lifted her on the horse, instead of feeling annoyed she felt grateful that he offered help so casually.
Brenna glanced up at the canopy with its rows of bright lights. A carousel was a lovely place to dream. She let her hand roam over the black head of the wooden horse and felt the cool of the brass pole.
“Hold on,” Hunter said as the organ began to play.
Brenna gathered its reins and closed her eyes as the horse slowly moved up and down. Soon she felt it come alive, feeling the wind against her face, as its hooves swept across the ground and the world around disappeared. All too soon the horse slowed and she knew the ride would soon end. Brenna opened her eyes and caught Hunter staring. She felt a faint blush, but he just raised a brow, more out of mischief than mockery, and all embarrassment disappeared.
Hunter helped her down at the
***
“How long is this torture supposed to last?” Brenna asked as she and Hunter made their way through the festive crowd.
He squeezed her shoulder. “Relax and enjoy yourself.”
That was the problem. She was. The wind toyed with her skirt and the scent of cotton candy clung to her blouse. She hadn’t felt so carefree in years. Free of the gazes and stares, or her cane brushing through the grass. Free of being with a man she’d only known a few days feeling she’d known him for years. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.
Hunter had arrived at her apartment early, coming before the sun settled fully in the sky. He wore jeans, a red polo shirt, and sunglasses that he didn’t take off even inside. She was about to comment on them when she noticed that Tima had popped her head out of her apartment. She’d looked at Brenna and mouthed. ‘Is that him?’ She’d nodded and Tima had mouthed ‘Yum’ and licked her lips. She disappeared back into her apartment before Hunter turned.
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
“Nothing.” Brenna looked down at the empty bag he carried. “What is that for?”
“My prizes.”
She locked her apartment. “You expect to win enough to fill a bag?”
“Sure.” He held up a hand. “No insults please.”
“I wasn’t going to insult your gigantic ego, although it is tempting.” She grinned. “However, I would like to make a wager.”
He held the front door of the building open for her. “No. I have an advantage. It would be unfair.”
She stopped and stared up at him with a narrow gaze. “What advantage?”
He gently pushed her forward and closed the door. “I know you will lose.”
He was right. She would have lost, badly. At every booth he approached he won anything she pointed to. After a few games, the bag nearly burst with winnings—a gigantic stuffed snake the color of a lemon, a giraffe, a plush basketball and a purple teddy bear they named Amanda. The fair stretched the length of the park and after a couple of hours, Brenna’s leg and hip began to ache. She ignored the discomfort, she was having so much fun.
The band organ music of a carousel floated towards her above the sound of the crowd and the inviting shouts of game attendants. Brenna looked at the spinning row of horses; the browns, the gray jumpers and palominos. Her eyes landed on a black horse with a silver mane and tail.
Hunter caught her gaze, reading the longing in her expression. “Okay,” he said indulgent. “Let’s go.”
She didn’t argue. She waited, clutching her ticket, with banked anticipation as she stood in line among the squirming children and their parents. She watched the carousel spin and weave its magic, its fantastic ornate center displayed paintings of forests and grasslands. Years ago her father had taken her on the same carousel, riding beside her and laughing at the funny faces she made at him. She loved to make him laugh, it was rare when he did. When Hunter lifted her on the horse, instead of feeling annoyed she felt grateful that he offered help so casually.
Brenna glanced up at the canopy with its rows of bright lights. A carousel was a lovely place to dream. She let her hand roam over the black head of the wooden horse and felt the cool of the brass pole.
“Hold on,” Hunter said as the organ began to play.
Brenna gathered its reins and closed her eyes as the horse slowly moved up and down. Soon she felt it come alive, feeling the wind against her face, as its hooves swept across the ground and the world around disappeared. All too soon the horse slowed and she knew the ride would soon end. Brenna opened her eyes and caught Hunter staring. She felt a faint blush, but he just raised a brow, more out of mischief than mockery, and all embarrassment disappeared.
Hunter helped her down at the
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