keep
him talking since she really didn’t want to share what had been on her
mind. He’d driven them to the festival
and they’d eaten greasy cheeseburgers and funnel cakes for dinner. She was going to need to go back on her diet
once she got back home. She’d lost ten
pounds and she really didn’t want to gain it back. Her weight was part of her failure, an
albatross around her neck.
They finally arrived at the hayride
area and the tractor that pulled the hay-lined flatbed was idling as it waited
for the last few people to get on board. The driver handed Sky a blanket and he climbed in first before leaning
over to help her in. He shook out the
blanket near the back against a pile of loose straw, making a sort of comfy
cove for them.
Alannah sat first and Sky followed,
pulling her into his arms as he rested back and made himself comfortable. She snuggled into the V between his
legs. There were several other couples
with them but spaced far enough apart that she didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Howdy, Sheriff,” said a male
passenger who was getting on. “How’s it
going?”
“Going good,” Sky replied with a
smile. “Enjoying the festival?”
“Always.” He nodded toward Alannah. “How do,
miss.”
“Hello,” Alannah murmured.
“Great night for a hayride,” the
man continued. “Yep,
yep, yep. Good to see you out and about instead of always toting that
badge. Good to relax.”
“Yes, sir, it is,” Sky agreed.
Alannah saw the man eyeing another
passenger.
“Well, lookie there,” he said gleefully. “It’s Emma
Train. I’ll let you two get back to schmoozing. I’m going over to see if the widow Train will
be schmooze-y with me.”
Without another word he made his
way carefully over to the woman he’d been eyeballing, an elderly woman sitting
all alone.
Sky laughed softly. “He’s a character. I think he tries to schmooze every widow in Dexter.”
“He’s one of those old people you
just shake your head to,” she murmured.
“And then you pray you don’t turn
into one yourself.”
The tractor began rumbling along,
pulling the flatbed, and the lights of the festival were soon left behind as
the tractor settled into the familiar ride through the woods.
“How long has it been since you’ve
been on a hayride?” he asked her in a soft tone.
“Mm, years. Not many hayrides offered in LA.”
“God, this brings back memories.”
“Yeah,” she said with a
giggle. “But this time we’re not egging
houses.”
Sky groaned. “You know, I arrest kids for the same shit I
used to do.”
“Doesn’t that make you feel old?”
she asked. “Back then that was
considered cool.”
“Now it’s considered a
misdemeanor.”
“I bet most of what we did were misdemeanors. Hey, remember the haunted house we all went to investigate back off Old
Thompson Lane?”
“The condemned
house? Oh brother, when Cee fell through that rotted floor I almost had a heart
attack. I was picturing us all in
solitary confinement or something.”
“Grounded
forever. Not a telephone in
sight. How horrible our teenage years
would’ve been.”
Sky nodded in agreement. “Luckily, she has a really thick head.”
“And that Kevin was there to break
her fall when she fell on him.”
They both grinned at the memory.
The tractor pulled to a stop at the McCrinny Farmhouse, which had been transformed into a
crafts mecca that boasted everything from hand-carved back scratchers to birdhouses. If it could be made from wood, it was
there. Sky jumped from the wagon first
and held up his arms for Alannah. She
pulled up the blanket and dropped it to the ground before reaching for Sky’s
arms. Slowly, he led her slide down his
body until her feet touched the ground. She nervously wet her lips. He watched her tongue before he took a deep
breath and stepped back. Oh wow, did she
just crack his stoic
him talking since she really didn’t want to share what had been on her
mind. He’d driven them to the festival
and they’d eaten greasy cheeseburgers and funnel cakes for dinner. She was going to need to go back on her diet
once she got back home. She’d lost ten
pounds and she really didn’t want to gain it back. Her weight was part of her failure, an
albatross around her neck.
They finally arrived at the hayride
area and the tractor that pulled the hay-lined flatbed was idling as it waited
for the last few people to get on board. The driver handed Sky a blanket and he climbed in first before leaning
over to help her in. He shook out the
blanket near the back against a pile of loose straw, making a sort of comfy
cove for them.
Alannah sat first and Sky followed,
pulling her into his arms as he rested back and made himself comfortable. She snuggled into the V between his
legs. There were several other couples
with them but spaced far enough apart that she didn’t feel uncomfortable.
“Howdy, Sheriff,” said a male
passenger who was getting on. “How’s it
going?”
“Going good,” Sky replied with a
smile. “Enjoying the festival?”
“Always.” He nodded toward Alannah. “How do,
miss.”
“Hello,” Alannah murmured.
“Great night for a hayride,” the
man continued. “Yep,
yep, yep. Good to see you out and about instead of always toting that
badge. Good to relax.”
“Yes, sir, it is,” Sky agreed.
Alannah saw the man eyeing another
passenger.
“Well, lookie there,” he said gleefully. “It’s Emma
Train. I’ll let you two get back to schmoozing. I’m going over to see if the widow Train will
be schmooze-y with me.”
Without another word he made his
way carefully over to the woman he’d been eyeballing, an elderly woman sitting
all alone.
Sky laughed softly. “He’s a character. I think he tries to schmooze every widow in Dexter.”
“He’s one of those old people you
just shake your head to,” she murmured.
“And then you pray you don’t turn
into one yourself.”
The tractor began rumbling along,
pulling the flatbed, and the lights of the festival were soon left behind as
the tractor settled into the familiar ride through the woods.
“How long has it been since you’ve
been on a hayride?” he asked her in a soft tone.
“Mm, years. Not many hayrides offered in LA.”
“God, this brings back memories.”
“Yeah,” she said with a
giggle. “But this time we’re not egging
houses.”
Sky groaned. “You know, I arrest kids for the same shit I
used to do.”
“Doesn’t that make you feel old?”
she asked. “Back then that was
considered cool.”
“Now it’s considered a
misdemeanor.”
“I bet most of what we did were misdemeanors. Hey, remember the haunted house we all went to investigate back off Old
Thompson Lane?”
“The condemned
house? Oh brother, when Cee fell through that rotted floor I almost had a heart
attack. I was picturing us all in
solitary confinement or something.”
“Grounded
forever. Not a telephone in
sight. How horrible our teenage years
would’ve been.”
Sky nodded in agreement. “Luckily, she has a really thick head.”
“And that Kevin was there to break
her fall when she fell on him.”
They both grinned at the memory.
The tractor pulled to a stop at the McCrinny Farmhouse, which had been transformed into a
crafts mecca that boasted everything from hand-carved back scratchers to birdhouses. If it could be made from wood, it was
there. Sky jumped from the wagon first
and held up his arms for Alannah. She
pulled up the blanket and dropped it to the ground before reaching for Sky’s
arms. Slowly, he led her slide down his
body until her feet touched the ground. She nervously wet her lips. He watched her tongue before he took a deep
breath and stepped back. Oh wow, did she
just crack his stoic
Similar Books
