Lamb to the Slaughter (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 1) by Karen Ann Hopkins Page B

the warmth of happiness spread through her. With a belly full of funnel cake and fries and a purple stuffed bear clenched tightly under her arm, she could honestly say that she was having the best time of her life.
    Glancing down at the jeans and t-shirt she wore, Naomi could hardly believe she was in borrowed clothes from Taylor. Luckily, the girls were about the same size. Naomi had to admit, she felt more self-conscious in the clingy shirt and tight pants than she thought she would. She savored the momentthough, knowing that she’d probably never get the chance to dress like an Englisher again.
    Flinging her long hair over her shoulder was the strangest part of all. To be out in public with her blond hair bouncing against her back was a real treat.
    As if Will was reading her mind, he said, “It must feel awesome to let your hair down.”
    “You have no idea. But people keep looking at me—maybe it’s too long,” Naomi said, noticing a middle aged guy eyeing her as they passed in opposite directions.
    “Are you kidding me? Any girl would kill for hair like yours. The guys—well, let’s just say that men dig long hair.” He winked at Naomi, causing another round of butterflies to flutter in her stomach. She glanced away, blushing. Will laughed and squeezed her hand. She tried to keep her mouth still, but she couldn’t fight the sensation. She grinned back at him.
    “Can we go on that one?” Naomi asked, staring up at the giant wheel in the sky.
    “Of, course! You can’t go to a Fair without riding the Ferris wheel. I bet we’ll be able to see half the county from up there.”
    Just before it was their turn in line, Will noticed a young girl about to be turned away from a ride because she didn’t have enough tickets. Naomi watched as he reached into his pocket and handed the girl how many she needed. The girl thanked him shyly before she sprinted up the ramp to join her friends.
    Naomi’s cheeks reddened with emotion. She turned away quickly so that Will wouldn’t see. His act of kindness had touched her in a way she wasn’t expecting. The English boy surprised her at every turn.
    Once they were loaded up, they moved a little ways and then stopped while other people got on or off. Naomi was impatient to get moving. She leaned over the edge, marveling at how high they were already.
    “Are you afraid of heights?” Will asked.
    “I don’t know. I’ve never been up this high before. But so far I just feel really excited.”
    Will took up her hand again and said, “If you get nervous, just squeeze my hand. You’ll be fine.”
    “Is that all I have to do?” Naomi smiled wickedly at him.
    Will laughed, “Well, you’re more than welcome to do anything you like.”
    Naomi felt the heat burn her face just as the wheel began moving with more speed. The quick jolt caused her to press in against Will.
    Will’s hot breath tickled her ear when he asked, “Are you enjoying yourself?”
    “Oh, yes. It’s wonderful.”
    With the light from the nearly full moon illuminating the country side in all directions, Naomi turned her head and searched. Squinting, she could just make out the top of Raymond Schwartz’s silo. The sight of its copper tiled roof shining in the distance sent a ripple of tension through her. A mile or so from that silo was her family’s farm. She imagined her brothers and sisters fast asleep in their quilt covered beds and hoped that Dat and mother were doing the same. After all, it had been a busy day for everyone, what with Mother baking extra loaves of bread for the mother-to-be Beatrice Miller and Dat and her brothers spending the evening digging a hole to bury the old plow horse who had unexpectedly gone down that morning.
    Naomi said a silent prayer that no one woke and went looking for her and then she did her best to erase the worried thoughts. There wasn’t anything she could do about it now anyway. She’d already committed sin and she only hoped that God would forgive